Functional food tech startup Happy Plant Protein has secured €1.8m in pre-seed funding to develop and license its patented plant-based ingredient manufacturing process.
The funding is being led by Nordic Foodtech, with Butterfly Ventures and Business Finland also contributing via a grant initiative.
Through the cash injection, Happy Plant Protein will commercialise its manufacturing process that allows the production of plant protein ingredients.
According to the startup, the resulting functional foods will have a 70–80% protein content, and existing machinery can be used to utilise this process.
One of the USPs of the method is its ability to empower local food manufacturers and brands to produce plant protein, which removes relilance on imports.
The company's technology could reduce plant protein production costs by up to 90%
Optimising the protein isolation process
According to Happy Plant Protein, the current methods available to produce plant protein isolates don't meet the demands of the food industry or consumers.
This is owing to the high pricing of materials for manufacturers, leading to a high cost upon sale to the public.
Standard processes commonly used in protein isolation are also energy and water intensive, with one kilogram of protein isolate taking 14MJ of energy to produce.
With the startup's new manufacturing method, companies can reduce their energy use by up to 85%, while also reducing the investment requirement.
It's also chemical free and generates no waste, highlighting the potential of the technology in producing sustainable plant-based products.
CEO and co-founder of Happy Plant Protein, Jari Karlsson, commented: "There is a need for cost-efficient, environmentally sustainable methods to produce high-quality protein ingredients. Ensuring food security while making food manufacturing more sustainable, we must find new, more efficient ways to produce food."
"The approach uses standard extrusion to extract high-quality plant protein from legumes, such as peas, lentils and cereals. The protein ingredients produced in this process can then be incorporated into many plant-based food products."
According to the company, the utilisation of its technology could reduce plant protein production costs by up to 90% compared to current technologies.
"Instead of relying on processing plants in other countries or overseas," Karlsson continues, "local mills could produce plant protein independently and even increase the value of certain crops like pea or fava bean. This model bypasses the traditional global supply chain, allowing for the use of local crops and reducing the carbon footprint associated with food production and transport."
"By offering the license and technical know-how for its customers' existing factories, Happy Plant Protein supports the creation of sustainable food systems and provides economic opportunities for farmers and local food processors,"