Luya Foods, a Swiss-based plant-based meat company, has closed its first seed funding round, raising an undisclosed amount. The round was led by Redalpine Venture Partners. Luya, a spin-off of the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), was previously supported by VentureKick, the Gebert Ruf Foundation, and the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences of BFH.

According to the company, the funds will be used to accelerate R&D to develop new products, strengthen its fermentation platform, and expand production. Furthermore, the raised funds will enable the company to enter the retail market in 2022 to meet the increasing demand for its products.

Founded in 2021, Luya Foods uses upcycled okara to create its plant-based meat products—Luya Okara Chunks (ready-to-cook chunks) and Luya Okara Burgers (burger patties). The company leverages its proprietary process that includes a traditional fermentation process integrated with modern technology that eliminates additives and highly processed protein.