Future Food Fund is an early-stage capital for food and agriculture tech companies across Europe. They are a specialist venture capital fund that invests in early-stage companies that change the value chain for food and agriculture. They believe that the entrepreneurial minds of this time are up for the challenge -  with profitable business models.

Future Food Fund

GAAP is a privately run and operated agri-food investment incubator seeking cutting-edge solutions from early and rapid-growth firms intending to increase efficiency, sustainability, and profitability in the global agriculture and food sector.

Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership

Rubio Impact Ventures is a venture fund focused on early and growth stage enterprises with a positive impact on society and the environment.

Rubio Impact Ventures

Eastern NL is the development company of Eastern Netherlands. We are strengthening the regional economy on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate and the provinces of Overijssel and Gelderland. We do this by investing with public money in entrepreneurs in the Eastern Netherlands. In addition to these financial resources, Oost NL also makes its knowledge, expertise and network available. We are active in the top sectors Food, Energy, Health and Tech. An optimal balance between financial and social return is of great importance to us. We allow entrepreneurs to innovate, invest and internationalize to accelerate their growth. This is how we ensure the sustainable growth of the regional economy and employment. In addition, we create favorable conditions for solving global, social issues. We offer entrepreneurs money and resources for creating social returns. With focus on sustainability, smart industry and concepts for a healthy life.

OostNL

Fairtree Elevant Ventures is a European investment fund, focussed on accelerating ambitious, growth-orientated companies preparing to scale.

Fairtree Elevant Ventures

Netherlands Enterprise Agency encourages entrepreneurs in sustainable, agrarian, innovative, and international businesses. It helps with grants, finding business partners, know-how, and compliance with laws and regulations. The agency works at the instigation of ministries and the European Union. It works in The Netherlands and abroad with governments, knowledge centers, international organizations, and other partners. It is a part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The programs and initiatives run by RVO.nl include Develop2Build (D2B), Development Related Infrastructure Investment Vehicle (DRIVE), Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF), Dutch Risk Reduction Team (DRR-Team), Dutch Surge Support (DSS water), Energising Development Partnership Programme (EnDev), Facility for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Food Security (FDOV), GAVE, and more. RVO.nl was formed in 2014 as a result of the merger between NL Agency and the Dienst Regelingen. The agency is headquartered in Assen, Netherlands with presence in The Hague, Deventer, Roermond, Utrecht, and Zwolle.

Netherlands Enterprise Agency

Willow Capital Investments is an investment firm.

Willow Capital Investments

The EIC Accelerator is a Horizon Europe funding program that provides assistance to start-ups and SMEs that have an innovative, game-changing product, service, or business model that has the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones, and have the ambition and commitment to scale up, are seeking substantial funding, but the risks involved are too high for private investors to invest alone

EIC Accelerator

NoPalm-Ingredients

NoPalm Ingredients creates environmentally friendly microbial oils to substitute palm and other tropical oils in food, cosmetics, and detergents. The oil is produced in a sustainable, cyclical, and environmentally beneficial manner by fermenting sidestreams.

NoPalm Ingredients, founded in 2021, is a Dutch biotech startup that specializes in fermentation-derived palm oil alternatives. The company uses a unique fermentation process with non-GMO yeasts to convert locally sourced agrifood side streams into oils and fats that serve as drop-in substitutes for palm oils in various products, including food, cosmetics, and personal care items.&nbsp;

Empowering sustainable food innovation through food engineering tech

Alternative Ingredients

NoPalm Ingredients

NoPalm Ingredients, founded in 2021, is a Dutch biotech startup that specializes in fermentation-derived palm oil alternatives. The company uses a unique fermentation process with non-GMO yeasts to convert locally sourced agrifood side streams into oils and fats that serve as drop-in substitutes for palm oils in various products, including food, cosmetics, and personal care items.&nbsp;NoPalm Ingredients claims its yeast fats provide the desired viscosity, emulsifying, and melting properties for applications in confectionery, bakery, dairy, spreads, creams, cheese, and even cocoa butter mimetics. Further, its technology reportedly reduces CO2 emissions by 90% and land use by 99% compared with traditional palm oil production.&nbsp;In June 2024, the company expanded its in-house production capacity with a 400-liter fermenter. It is on track for industrialization and commercialization by 2025, with plans to produce 1.5 million kilograms of sustainable oil annually.Key customers and partnershipsThe company has partnered with many food tech incumbents to explore the use of its technology and fermented oils in different applications. In September 2023, it partnered with Unilever to use side streams from ice cream production to develop the first-ever bouillon cube made with microbial oils. In October 2023, it collaborated with a cohort of food tech incumbents, which included Mista, Danone, Givaudan, AAK, and Ingredion, to develop a plant-based yogurt derived from NoPalm’s yeast oil.&nbsp; In April 2024, NoPalm partnered with&nbsp; Lamb Weston and Zeelandia to produce a sustainable palm oil alternative from potato residuals.

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 California Cultured is a producer of cocoa products such as cocoa powder, chocolate, cocoa butter, and flavanols using plant cell culture technology by taking biopsies from selected cacao plants. The company developed its research based on Criollo cacao varieties, fine-tuning cell lines for specific flavors. In August 2022, the company announced that it was working on the development of cell-cultured coffee.
 
 
 As of December 2022, the company was building its 12,100 sq m facility in West Sacramento and had begun building its pilot plant. As of July 2023, the company was finalizing production methods, with the aim of a commercial launch by 2025&ndash;2026, following FDA approval.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In 2022, California Cultured partnered with VTT, a Finnish national research institute, to develop cell lines for cell-cultured coffee. 
 &nbsp;In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates">
 February 2023
 </a>
 , the company inked a 10-year commercial partnership with Japanese chocolate corporation Meiji to incorporate its cell-based cocoa into Meiji's products. This collaboration marked the first global use of cell-cultured chocolate.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 California Cultured received undisclosed investments from investment platforms focused on clean, lab-grown food such as CULT Food Science (February 2022) and Blue Horizon (March 2022). In October 2021, the company raised USD 4 million in seed funding led by Agronomics to expand its R&amp;D activities.
 
 
 
 .
 
</div>

California Cultured

Nukoko is a UK-based company that produces 100% cocoa-free chocolate peanuts made from locally sourced fava beans using a biotransformation and precision fermentation process. It also uses a microbial library of cocoa flavors to match chocolate in terms of flavor, thickness, and texture.As of October 2023, the company had opened a limited product launch and sold out the first batch of cocoa-free chocolate nuts, with a full launch planned for 2025 for the EU/UK markets as a B2B ingredients supplier. The company claims to produce 90% less carbon emission per kg than conventional chocolate&nbsp;and its chocolate alternatives contain 40% less sugar and higher protein, fiber, and antioxidants than traditional chocolate.&nbsp;

Nukoko

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 Win-Win (WNWN Food Labs prior to 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27014">
 February 2024
 </a>
 ) is a London-based producer of cocoa-free chocolate using plant-based ingredients such as grains/cereals and legumes through a proprietary fermentation process. The company's cocoa-free chocolate can be used in candy bars, confectionery, cookies, chocolate coatings, ice cream, and beverages. It claims to use 90% less water and emit 80%&ndash;90% less greenhouse gases than regular chocolate.
 
 
 In May 2022, Win-Win was operating on a lab scale, capable of producing between 300kg and 600 kg (~661 and 1,323 lbs) of chocolate per month. In November 2022, the company began expanding its facility in Hackney Wick, increasing its production space 8x. In November 2023, the company expanded its plant-based milk chocolate to bakeries, foodservice, confectionery groups, and CPG/FMCG companies 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24144">
 worldwide
 </a>
 .
 
 
 The company had previously introduced limited-edition cocoa-free products via D2C channels: dark chocolate thins at GBP 10 (~USD 13) per box (May 2022) and the Waim! Bar priced at GBP 8 (~USD 9) for a pack of three bars (September 2022). In March 2023, the company finalized the recipe and process for a line of milk chocolate products that are cocoa- and dairy-free and contain both oats and tiger nuts. The company also experimented with an alternative chocolate ice cream bar at the H&auml;agen-Dazs Start-Up Innovation Challenge in June 2023.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In September 2023, Win-Win partnered with the UK department store Fortnum &amp; Mason to showcase its cocoa-free chocolate and technology, including a demonstration and tasting during Fortnum's Harvest Week. In December 2022, the company partnered with Milan-based luxury gift service DLISH to include its specialty chocolate hazelnut gianduja, a northern Italian confection, in DLISH's holiday gifts. In December 2023, the company completed the 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24805">
 CoLab Tech accelerator
 </a>
 with Mondelēz International and showcased its cocoa-free chocolate bars, truffles, and coated biscuits at Mondelēz's North American headquarters.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In February 2023, Win-Win raised GBP 4.5 million (~USD 5.6 million) in Series A funding to scale up manufacturing and increase headcount in anticipation of its UK retail launch.
 
 
 
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Win-Win

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 Planet A Foods is a Germany-based startup that makes cocoa-free chocolate ChoViva (formerly NoCoa/QOA) via precision fermentation of oats and sunflower seeds. It then uses proprietary micro-bacteria and flavor formation processes to create a vegan product that mimics the texture and flavor of chocolate. In addition to Germany, ChoViva focuses on Austria and Switzerland, with expansion plans to the US in 2024.
 
 
 Planet A Foods produces cocoa-free chocolates by blending cocoa-free ingredients: a cocoa powder substitute (ChoViva Concentrate) and a cocoa butter substitute (ChoViva Butter). ChoViva represents Planet Foods' debut cocoa-free chocolate product, created using Planet A Foods' cocoa concentrate alternative. The chocolate is produced in-house at Planet A&rsquo;s facility in the Czech Republic. As of October 2023, the ChoViva range included 21 products with prices ranging from EUR 0.5 to EUR 9.95 (~USD 0.53 to USD 10.48).
 
 
 Additionally, the company was in the process of developing its cocoa butter alternative through precision fermentation technology, using single-cell oils and fermentation byproducts. As of October 2023, the company was shipping this fat to early customers for R&amp;D purposes.
 
 
 The company asserts that its chocolate product could be 10x more sustainable, 20% cheaper, and emit about 92% less than conventional chocolate while also using 30% less sugar and 94% less water.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In April 2023, the company partnered with German online retailer Confiserie Seidl to launch ChoViva, its first sustainable chocolate line. The brand sees itself as a B2B player, after partnering with oat cereal maker K&ouml;lln on a new line of vegan mueslis using the company's cocoa-free chocolate in September 2023. In December 2023, ChoViva teamed up with 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24997">
 Lindt
 </a>
 to launch a special edition chocolate bar for Veganuary, named &quot;Soft &amp; Creamy Hazelnut.
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26955">
 February 2024
 </a>
 , Planet A Foods partnered with REWE Group, Germany&rsquo;s second-largest supermarket chain, to supply ChoViva for REWE Group&rsquo;s own-label cocoa-free products.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In its latest funding round in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26176">
 February 2024
 </a>
 , the company raised USD 15.4 million in Series A funding led by World Fund, with participation from Omnes Capital, Cherry Ventures, Nucleus Capital, and others. The funds were earmarked for additional scientist hires to bolster its 50-person team in Germany to increase the production of cocoa butter and palm oil alternatives on an industrial scale.
 
 
 
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Planet A Foods

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 Atomo Coffee is a developer of beanless coffee that comes in two flavors: 1) regular beanless coffee with 100 mg of caffeine per serving made from date seeds, ramon seeds, sunflower seed extract, pea protein, millet, lemon, guava, and defatted fenugreek seeds and 2) decaffeinated (decaf) beanless coffee. The company claims to be the world's first beanless coffee maker.
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s products are available for retail purchase at 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23234">
 Gumption Coffee
 </a>
 in New York. In addition, the company began taking pre-orders for wholesale at a price of USD 20.99 per pound (as of October 2023).
 
 
 The company also plans to open a facility in March 2024 that can annually produce four million lbs of ground coffee, made from upcycled date pits (~80 million cups).
 
 
 Atomo's brews reportedly use 94% less water and produce 93% less carbon emissions than traditional coffee.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In July 2022, the company partnered with Minor Figures, a vegan products company, to launch the 8-ounce canned Oat Milk Latte, a beanless cold brew, one of Atomo's first focus products.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In June 2022, the company raised USD 40 million in a Series A funding round for product development and to scale up manufacturing. In November 2023, the company secured an undisclosed multi-million dollar investment from Japanese beverage leader 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24577">
 Suntory Holdings
 </a>
 to strengthen its international distribution.
 
 
 
</div>

Atomo Coffee

Companies providing technology related to fortification, cell culture, and fermentation and those supplying equipment including bioreactors and fermenters for the production of novel foods

Companies offering salt substitutes to reduce sodium content in foods and beverages

Companies developing natural sweeteners and solutions to reduce sugar content in foods and beverages

Companies creating natural flavor, texture, and coloring ingredients from plant-based sources like seaweed and algae

Companies producing chocolate without cocoa using ingredients like oats, seeds, and cell-cultured cocoa

Companies making coffee substitutes from ingredients like barley, date seeds, and sunflower seeds

Companies offering plant-based alternatives to honey and nut spreads, addressing dietary restrictions and allergies

Companies producing cooking oils and fats through fermentation, cell-cultured and plant-based extraction processes

Companies developing protein ingredients via cell-culture or fermentation for dietary supplements and food production, excluding plant-based or cell-cultured meat

Transforms raw materials into novel, sustainable food products with minimal environmental impact

<div>
 NoPalm Ingredients, a Dutch firm specializing in fermented oil alternatives, secured EUR 5 million in seed funding. This round was led by Rubio Impact Ventures and included Oost NL, Fairtree Elevant Ventures, Willow Capital Investments, The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and several private investors.
 The company will use this funding to increase production and provide a competitively priced sustainable alternative to traditional palm oil. It aims to reach industrialization and commercialization by 2025.
 Funded in 2021, NoPalm Ingredients offers a unique method using non-GMO yeasts for converting locally sourced agrifood side streams into oils and fats. The firm's production approach allegedly lowers CO2 emissions by 90% and land use by 99% in comparison to traditional palm oil production.
 
</div>

NoPalm Ingredients

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