Calling all Sports & Active Nutrition start-ups!

The Sports & Active Nutrition Summit will take place at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, February 18-20, 2026
The Sports & Active Nutrition Summit will take place at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, February 18-20, 2026 (NutraIngredients)

NutraIngredients is inviting early-stage active lifestyle brands to enter its “Start-up Stars” competition, which will spotlight three pioneering entrepreneurs at the Sports & Active Nutrition Summit 2026.

SANS 2026 is heading to a new venue for 2026: The Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. The event, which will take place Feb. 18 to 20, 2026, bridges the science and business of the sports & active nutrition categories. The 2025 edition was the largest to date, featuring over 40 speakers and attracting over 300 attendees from 18 countries.

One attendee of our 2025 event stated: “Even with extensive experience in the industry, I continue to learn something new at the summit. Each presenter provided unique challenges and opportunities for company growth and reinforced the adaptability of the sports and active nutrition industry.”

Another attendee stated: “It went beyond my expectations in terms of content, attendees, networking opportunities and exposure.”

Start-up Stars

As part of our content program, we on the lookout for sports nutrition-related start-ups to join our cohort of Start-up Stars!

If you are an innovator in the space and you are confident you can stand out in a competitive environment, then we want to hear from you!

We’re seeking consumer-facing entrepreneurial, science or technology-based start-ups to join our community. The three winning Start-up Stars will be invited as guests of NutraIngredients to take part in the Sports and Active Nutrition Summit in San Diego.

It is FREE to enter and to be eligible all companies must:

  • Be a start-up that is founded in the Americas (North & South America)
  • Have fewer than 20 employees
  • Have been founded in past 10 years
  • Be ‘independently owned’. This is defined as a business that is substantially owned by its founders and/or a group of independent investors, is not quoted on AIM or any other stock market and is not a subsidiary or associated company of another business.
  • By entering this competition, you confirm that, if selected as a winner, you will be available to attend the 2026 summit in person . The event will take place in San Diego from Feb. 18 to 20. If you require a visa to travel, please review the entry requirements here to ensure you’re eligible.

For more information and to apply, please click HERE.

A booming community

The 2025 Sports & Active Nutrition Summit featured expert speakers from iHerb, GNC Live Well, SPINS, AN Performance, AHPA, Move Nutriton Network, Amin Wasserman Gurnani LLP, IceMiller, Merchant & Gould, CPG Radar, Savage Nutra, Increnovo, Rockon Media and more.

Registration is already open for the three-day event. The event program features presentations and panel discussions from a range of stakeholders, including industry, academia, regulatory, market experts and more!

Market-leading content

The Sports & Active Nutrition Summit will feature sessions focused on:

State of the market, A.I. for sports nutrition, cellular energy and NAD+, older consumers, ‘maintaining muscle, beating sarcopenia’, women’s health, tactical active nutrition, flavor innovations, the regulatory landscape and more!