WTSA Partnership Credits

Co-Creating the Future of Sensory Innovation

The World Taste & Smell Association (WTSA) has unveiled its new Partnership Credits program, inviting leading companies, institutions, and innovators to take part in our unique global sensory innovation incubator.

Instead of traditional sponsorships, Partnership Credits recognize organizations that contribute directly to the advancement of open sensory science — supporting research, education, and design that enhance how humans perceive, heal, and connect.

A Collaborative Model for Impact

Through its Innovation Cohorts, WTSA brings together scientists, creatives, technologists, and wellness leaders to explore the frontiers of taste and smell.

Each cohort operates like a living lab — incubating new diagnostic tools, training methods, and multisensory experiences for health and wellbeing.

“Rather than funding logos, we’re inviting partners to help fund discovery,” said Mindy Yang, Co-Founder and CEO of WTSA. “Our Partnership Credits program recognizes those who contribute to sensory innovation — as co-architects, not spectators.”

2026 Focus:

Cognitive Flavor Assessment Protocol
The inaugural 2026 cohort will pioneer new tools to measure and restore retronasal flavor cognition — an emerging frontier in sensory health.

Results will inform clinical applications, consumer wellness programs, and new standards in sensory design.

Space Sensory Lab
The Space Sensory Lab represents WTSA’s boldest frontier — an interdisciplinary research and design initiative exploring how human sensory systems adapt in extreme environments, from microgravity to future space habitats.
Partners in this tier help pioneer the science of perception beyond Earth, collaborating with WTSA’s network of researchers, engineers, and hospitality innovators to prototype human-centered sensory systems for space living, mental wellness, and long-duration missions.
Participation offers naming recognition within the Space Sensory Lab initiative, inclusion in co-authored white papers or media features, and opportunities to contribute to next-generation sensory design pilots for aerospace, wellness, and regenerative environments.
This partnership is ideal for forward-thinking organizations in aerospace, technology, wellness, materials, and hospitality sectors seeking to shape the sensory future of human exploration.

Ways to Participate

Organizations can join the ecosystem through one of four Partnership Credit tiers, each offering tailored recognition, data access, and collaboration opportunities:

  
        Tier
        Contribution
        Recognition & Benefits
      
        Research Ally
        $10K
        
          Acknowledgment in cohort reports and WTSA Annual Impact Review; early access to findings; invitation to the Global Taste & Smell Summit.
        
        Innovation Partner
        $25K
        
          Collaboration on a toolkit or dataset (e.g., CFAP or FlavorQuest); featured partner profile on WTSA channels; quarterly insight briefings.
        
        Founding Collaborator
        $50K
        
          Co-branding within a cohort initiative; seat on WTSA’s Innovation Council; participation in sensory roundtables and closed-door previews.
        
        Anchor Partner
        $100K+
        
          Naming rights for a research pillar (“WTSA × [Brand] Cohort”); media feature; keynote role at the Summit; access to WTSA Labs’ early data pilots.

Why Join

Align your brand with science-backed sensory wellness
Gain early insight into emerging research and human perception data
Contribute to equitable, open innovation for global health
Be recognized among thought leaders shaping the next era of sensory design

Join the Movement

The WTSA Innovation Cohorts unite the worlds of science, art, and technology to build the systems that expand human perception.

Learn more or request a briefing: tasteandsmell.org/partners or email Mindy@tasteandsmell.org

About the World Taste & Smell Association

The World Taste & Smell Association (WTSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the science, education, and cultural understanding of taste and smell.

Through global research initiatives, educational programs, and sensory innovation cohorts, WTSA bridges disciplines to improve quality of life and inspire the future of human experience.