The Swiss company Nexenic has developed a portable mini-steamer the size of a standard lunch box, and they’ve called it Steasy®. The product is soon to start serial production and enter the market. With a successful funding round to the tune of 1.8 million Swiss francs, its founders are gearing up for their invention’s entrance onto a wider stage.

Meet Steasy®

The company’s trio of founders and inventors met while studying at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), and bonded in the queue to heat up their lunches in the microwave. But now, thanks to their easy yet revolutionary steaming device, those long waits may well be a thing of the past for future students. It turns out queueing has its benefits: the three – Claudio Ruiz, Reto Muhl and Johannes Hofer – used that time (and more) to dream up a solution to their predicament.

Enter Steasy®, their ingenious portable mini-steamer. No bigger than your average lunchbox, the device allows hungry users to heat up their meals gently and efficiently  – no microwave, oven or power socket needed. And now, thanks to a successful funding round, its inventors are one step closer to making their vision a reality.

A prototype of the Steasy® portable mini steamer.

Merging convenience, health and tech

To bring their innovation to the masses, the young entrepreneurs are making the final preparations for serial production and market entry – the portable mini-steamers are already being produced in Europe in partnership with a Swiss manufacturer. 

And the invention will do far more than just save its users the time and boredom of waiting in the microwave line. The steaming technology ensures vegetables retain their vitamins and nutrients, while meat stays moist and succulent. Not only that: the accompanying app means you can heat up your lunch from afar, and time it to coincide with the moment the clock hits noon. 

The founders see their creation adding particular value to students, who find themselves in the same predicament as they once did, as well as office workers – particularly those with health at the forefront of their minds – and those who work outdoors or on construction sites, away from any catering facilities. 

Milestone after milestone

The inventors have already celebrated several significant milestones, with the final prototype developed, tested and convincing enough to win over investors. “The functioning prototype and the successful customer testing phase were decisive in persuading investors to fund our next stage,” says Johannes Hofer, co-founder and CMO. “This meant we could sell not just a vision, but had a finished product including user data that proved the idea really worked.”

The founders closed the latest, oversubscribed funding round with an additional 1.8 million Swiss francs in the bank. With this new injection of cash, Steasy® will be able to enter serial production, paving the way to mass market entry. An initial launch is planned in Switzerland, with preorders for private individuals starting as soon as autumn this year.

A strategic partnership

The Swiss catering group, ZFV-Unternehmungen cooperative (ZFV), will not only invest financially but will also enter into a strategic partnership with the startup. This will include exploring how their solution could support ZFV in providing access to fresh, balanced food throughout the day. Dario Notaro, Chief Business Development Officer at ZFV sees clear synergies between their work: “At ZFV, we’re always eager to collaborate and work with creative partners to spot and develop innovative solutions.”

Find out more on the Steasy® website.

About Nexenic

Nexenic AG is a Swiss startup that aims to make everyday life easier. Nexenic AG works across various engineering fields to achieve this goal. Steasy®, the product developed by the startup, is a smart, lightweight and portable mini-steamer the size of a standard lunch box.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

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Back in 2021, a foodie, a food scientist and a chef led a successful crowdfunding campaign – and Luya was born. The Swiss startup transforms Okara – or soy pulp – into juicy plant-based alternatives. As of May 30 their products are available in over 130 Coop outlets across Switzerland. 

Meeting growing demand

More than one million Swiss consumers already skip meat completely or partially, once or twice a week. They care about their health and the environment – but they’re not willing to compromise on taste. Luya’s products are designed with these consumers – alongside growing numbers of vegetarians and vegans – in mind.

Made from chickpeas and okara, their organic chunks, nuggets and burger patties aim to offer a juicy alternative to meat and poultry. Two flavours of the chunks – Garden Herbs, and BBQ – are now available in over 130 Coop outlets and Coop’s online store. The two varieties and a Nature version will also soon be available in Luya’s own webshop.

The story so far

Back in 2021, Flavio Hagenbuch, Mike Whyte and Tobi Kistler launched a crowdfunding campaign. They’d successfully created a new generation of alternative protein using their proprietary mycelium fermentation platform at the Bern University of Applied Sciences and their early products were already being enjoyed in local restaurants.

After securing CHF 56,000 through crowdfunding to build a larger fermentation chamber and create their brand identity in July, the team went on to close a successful seed funding round led by Redalpine Venture Partners in November. In March this year, they won CHF 150,000 in Venture Kick funds to scale up production and further develop their solid-state fermentation technology.

Achieving impact through local and circular production

Luya’s key ingredient Okara is a by-product from tofu and soymilk production that is still not very well known outside Asia. Globally around 14 million tons of Okara end up in biogas production or as animal feed every year, despite its high nutritional value and fiber content. Luya rescues organic Okara produced by Swiss tofu producers from Swiss and Italian organic soy beans. Then Luya uses traditional fermentation process to transform it into their final product.

Their raw material sourcing strategy ensures short transport routes and reduces significantly less land. The team also takes reducing their Co2 footprint seriously and have recently received the maximum 3-star rating from Eaternity in all four sustainability categories (CO2 emissions, animal welfare, water consumption and rainforest protection).

Find out more on the Luya Foods website.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

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SFNV member Firmenich and DSM will merge, leveraging their respective world-class science and complementary capabilities in taste, texture and nutrition. The merger would allow the new company to anticipate evolving consumer needs and boost innovation in high-growth and resilient segments.

Accelerating innovation

SFNV member, Firmenich and DSM announced yesterday that they have entered into a business combination agreement. The merger brings together Firmenich’s leading Perfumery and Taste businesses, its world-class science platforms and associated co-creation capabilities with DSM’s renowned Health and Nutrition portfolio and scientific expertise. The new company, DSM-Firmenich, will have dual headquarters in Switzerland (Kaiseraugst) and the Netherlands (Maastricht). 

DSM-Firmenich anticipates that the merger would allow them to better address the needs of today’s conscious consumers, who prioritize sustainability, health and well-being, and generate new growth opportunities for customers.

The new global-scale company would accelerate innovation in the food and beverage industry, by combining DSM’s Food & Beverage and Firmenich’s Taste & Beyond businesses. Firmenich’s world-leading global Perfumery and Ingredients business would expand further into Beauty through the addition of DSM’s Personal Care & Aroma business. These new combined businesses would be joined by DSM’s high-performing Health, Nutrition & Care and Animal Nutrition & Health businesses.

A global-scale partner

DSM’s Food & Beverage and Firmenich’s Taste & Beyond, with combined revenues of €2.7bn, would form a global-scale partner to the food and beverage industry with extensive capabilities in taste, nutrition and functionality. The new business would play a key role in diet transformation by creating healthier, great-tasting, accessible food and beverages with more natural and sustainable ingredients. This will include a focus on innovation in natural and clean label products, in plant-based foods, and in supporting an excellent taste experience whilst enhancing food’s nutritional profile, through vitamins, probiotics, and lipids and reduced sugar and salt. 

Animal Nutrition & Health, with revenues of €3.3bn, would continue to focus on specialty science- and technology-driven solutions to the ever-increasing demand for protein such as meat, eggs, fish and dairy, while also alleviating the pressure on the planet’s finite natural resources. 

The combined company’s global footprint would provide customers with access to an extensive network of R&D, creation and application capabilities, informed by local consumer preferences, across regional and local hubs around the world. Opportunities from new pioneering and complementary digitally-powered business models would also build upon the 125+ year heritages of each company in purpose-led scientific discovery and innovation.

Find out more about the merger here.

About Firmenich

Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company and has been family-owned for 127 years. The Swiss company specializes in perfumes, flavors, and ingredients and is renowned for its world-class research as well as leadership in sustainability.

About DSM

DSM has transformed during its 150+ year history into today’s health, nutrition & bioscience global leader. The Dutch-Swiss company specializes in nutritional ingredients for food and feed with proven world-leading bioscience capabilities and an international network of high-quality manufacturing sites that underpin a business model of global products, local solutions and personalization and precision.

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SFNV member, Bühler Group, has officially opened its world-class Insect Technology Center (ITC). The facility combines Bühler’s expertise with cutting-edge infrastructure to drive the development of the insect industry.

Accelerating insect plant projects

The Insect Technology Center (ITC) is designed to accelerate large-scale insect plant initiatives. The new test facility will allow Bühler’s customers to demonstrate technological feasibility before investing in their own pilot plants. The team believes that seeing industrial insect technology in action will make it more tangible to customers who are interested in becoming active in this space. 

At the heart of the Center there are two insect growth chambers that mimic industrial production conditions. These chambers have a sophisticated climate control system and are equipped with numerous sensors. The data collected is used to optimize growth conditions to maximize production efficiency. The infrastructure can also be sent to any location, making it accessible to customers worldwide.

The facilities are currently designed to help insect companies, startups and food and feed companies to evaluate the feasibility of producing black soldier flies and mealworms as a sustainable protein source. They can also be used to conduct larvae growth trials with various feedstock, develop product samples, evaluate breed solutions, and run training sessions.

The ITC was funded by Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), in recognition of its contribution to a more sustainable food system.

“The opening of the Insect Technology Center is a major milestone in our journey. Over the last few years, we have gained expertise and maturity to serve different customers in the insect industry with the most suitable and reliable solutions. With our new facility, we extend our services and can even better support our customers in installing an industrial insect plant,” says Andreas Baumann, Head of Market Segment Insect Technology at Bühler. 

Contributing to a circular economy

The work of the Center will make a significant contribution to Bühler’s sustainability targets around mitigating climate change and the creation of more sustainable food systems. In addition to insects being a healthy and sustainable source of protein for food and feed, their frass can be used as a fertilizer, contributing to a circular economy model of production.

The insect feed protein market is expected to reach half a million metric tons in 2030, with the pet food sector and aquaculture sectors projected to make up 30% and 40% of the total insect protein volumes respectively.

“We are devoted to supporting the industry in reaching its full potential. Over the last years we have gained maturity and built the skills for helping the industry to further develop. With proven technologies in our portfolio, we are ready to enable our customers in bringing insect-based products to the market,” explains Andreas Baumann. 

Visit the Insect Technology Center at part of Bühler Networking Days 2022. 

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