Seven startups, from Canada to Colombia to Germany to Israel to India, have joined the ProVeg Incubator for the latest edition of its alt-protein accelerator programme.
Companies in the cohort are developing products including mushroom-based ingredients grown on vegetable waste, cultured fat, microalgae-based seafood, and a plant-based alternative to the protein found in egg whites.
The eighth round of the ProVeg Incubator accelerator programme began on Monday, 4 April, and will run online for 12 weeks. Based in Berlin, the incubator aims to support companies that are transforming the global food system.
The start-ups include Fotortec, OceanTastes, Biofect Innovations, Culminate Foods, Rewild Solutions, EatMyPlants and Fabumin.
Albrecht Wolfmeyer, Head of the ProVeg Incubator, said: “Our latest cohort of startups leverages cutting-edge ingredients like microalgae and fungi and creates novel ingredients like heme and dairy proteins for the alt-protein industry. The teams unite the three major approaches in the alternative protein space: plant-based, fermentation, and cultivation. Once again the ProVeg Incubator is bringing together a powerhouse of young startup founders who aim to create the next generation of sustainable foods - without animals and without compromising on taste, texture or functionality.”
Since launching in 2018, the incubator has worked with more than 60 start-ups from around the world, which have collectively raised more than €230m.
Companies that join the incubator are supported with an accelerator programme, one-on-one mentoring, access to a network of industry contacts and up to €250,000 in funding and in-kind services.