We have eight very exciting food-tech startups joining our 11th cohort, hailing from all over the world and spanning a wide range of products, technologies and solutions.

The new cohort reflects the push for sustainable growth and profitability in the alt-protein sector, and features startups focused on solutions to improve the functionality of alt-protein offerings for end consumers, as well as those helping existing companies to grow and scale faster.

The cohort includes a Brazilian startup for the first time in our five-year history, alongside others from Argentina, Spain, Bulgaria, Singapore and the United States.

As usual, the startups will take part in the 12-week programme remotely, culminating in a Demo Day in December, where each startup will pitch their finely tuned businesses to a panel of investors and a global audience.

The 8 startups joining Cohort 11

 

• Allium Bio (Singapore):  Founders Jonathan Ho and Albertus Sarwono have developed a novel technology for co-culturing microalgae and mycelium to create functional ingredients for use in a range of plant-based foods. Find out more at alliumbio.com
• Poseidona (Spain): Algal protein is “the new soy”, say founders Sonia Hurtado and Maria Cermeno. They take seaweed by-products and turn them into protein for use in alt-seafood products such as tuna steak.  Find out more at poseidona.eu
• Cellva Ingredients (Brazil): Founded by Sergio Pinto and Bibiana Matte, Cellva is the first company in Brazil to develop and produce animal ingredients through cell cultures, starting with a process for the production of cultivated pork fat. Find out more at cellva.com
• Livestock Labs (United States): Founded by Steen Ooi, Livestock Labs is using genetic engineering to create reliable livestock cell lines that provide genetically stable cells capable of cost-efficient growth – attributes that will enable the cultivated meat industry to scale. Find out more about Steen Ooi here on his LinkedIn
• Food 4 You (Argentina): Founders Antonieta Rodriguez de Olmos and Francisco Gil Garbagnoli are developing new ingredients using unique combinations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to ferment plant-based food. Find out more at food4you.bio.   
• Gimme Sabor (formerly Guimarana) (Spain): Founders Antonio García Arnau, Víctor García Montero and Raúl Pageo Casanova have developed a range of natural flavourings in the form of seasoning blends, bouillons and broth powders that taste like meat, fish, seafood, and cheese when added to plant-based dishes. Find out more at guimarana.com
• Ex Seed (Bulgaria): Founder Boyan Kirilov Zahariev is developing a novel technology for the optimal extraction of sunflower protein, which he says is a more wholesome and nutritious alternative to soy and pea proteins, and has a wide range of applications in plant-based foods and supplements. Find out more about Boyan Zahariev here on his LinkedIn
• Marinas Bio (United States): Allan Leung and Sally Davis use cellular agriculture to produce seafood delicacies, such as caviar, by replicating sturgeon cells. Find out more at marinasbio.com

Download brochure to find out more about the startups

What we were looking for

 

“For this cohort we were looking for high-impact startups who are innovating with truly unique value propositions, strong technology foundations, strong teams, and tech that is clearly differentiated,” said Antje Rauscher, Co-Head and Partnerships Lead at the ProVeg Incubator.

“These startups are tackling some of the biggest challenges in alternative protein, from taste and nutrition, to pricing and scaling. We have some really exciting products and technology in this new cohort and we’re looking forward to working with them and helping them reach the next level,” she added.

A changing landscape

 

“With the difficult funding climate, we’re seeing a broader correction in the alt-protein space and an increased focus towards innovative technologies and solutions,” Divya Murthy, Co-Head and Investment Lead at the ProVeg Incubator said.

“With the push for sustainable growth and profitability, we’re seeing more startups focused on solutions to improve functionality of alt-protein offerings for end consumers as well as help existing companies grow and scale faster. Our 11th cohort is representative of this and we’re very happy to champion the innovative and seasoned founders of these eight startups. It is great to see our passionate founders take on this structural challenge and work towards solving high-impact issues in the sector,” she added.

Stay tuned for updates!

 

We can’t wait to find out more about them and watch them grow throughout the programme.

Stay tuned on our socials for updates @provegincubator