New production facility will support the evolution of fermentation-based food systems in Switzerland

Jan 28, 2026 | Headline, Press-releases, Uncategorized

New production facility will support the evolution of fermentation-based food systems in Switzerland

The construction of the new building dedicated to the production of Liebefeld Kulturen AG marks a key milestone for the future of Swiss cheese cultures. The building will be equipped with state-of-the-art technological infrastructure. The site will open in spring 2028.

The new building intended for the future production of Liebefeld Kulturen® will be erected on the site of the Grangeneuve competence centre, just a few hundred metres from the new Agroscope campus in Posieux. On 19 January, the groundbreaking ceremony officially marked the start of construction works, in the presence of representatives from Liebefeld Kulturen AG, the Canton of Fribourg and Agroscope.

A broadly supported collaboration

The new building, with an estimated cost of around CHF 20 million, is being developed and financed by the private company Liebefeld Kulturen AG, supported by the Swiss dairy and cheese sector.

The building, covering approximately 1,500 m² over three floors, will house production facilities, laboratories, warehouses, offices, as well as social and technical rooms, all equipped with cutting-edge technological infrastructure. Once completed in spring 2028, it will also accommodate around ten Agroscope employees.

This project is part of the ongoing development of the Agroscope Grangeneuve campus and the national competence centre for raw milk dairy products and foodstuffs.

Connecting R&D with practical application

This new building ensures that the Swiss cheese and food sector will continue to benefit from Liebefeld Kulturen®, which are recognised for their quality. More than 500 cheese dairies across Switzerland use these cultures to produce iconic cheeses such as Gruyère, Emmentaler, Appenzeller, Vacherin Fribourgeois and many others. A significant increase in capacity in the field of freeze-dried cultures will also enable the production of new innovative products. Proximity to Agroscope ensures that research and development remain directly and continuously linked to practical application.

Sign up for quarterly Swiss food innovation updates.

Yes, please!

Latest News

catchfree beats four other exceptional Swiss startups to be crowned winner of the Igeho Rising Star Award 2025 

Nov 19, 2025 | Headline, Press-releases, SFNV updates, Uncategorized

catchfree beats four other exceptional Swiss startups to be crowned winner of the Igeho Rising Star Award 2025 

The Future of Food: Givaudan, Nestlé R+D Accelerator Lausanne and FoodHack launch the 2025 FoodTech World Cup
catchfree has been named winner of the Igeho Rising Star Award 2025, announced yesterday by co-hosts Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV) and Igeho. The decision followed a live pitch and Q&A session with an expert jury at the Igeho international hospitality and catering tradeshow. Along with the recognition, catchfree received a cash prize to help scale its solution.

catchfree: crafting seafood from plants to protect our oceans

catchfree crafts seafood products from plants, including mushroom protein and rice, using a minimal processing method developed over the past three years. Co-founders Eduard Müller and Severin Eder were inspired to develop their solution after discovering 90% of the world’s oceans are overfished.

Accepting the award, Co-founder Eduard Müller said, ‘We’re thrilled to have won the Igeho Rising Star 2025 Award – it’s a real testament to our hard work over the past few years. Winning this award will help us expand our reach to offer tasty, affordable tuna, salmon, fish fingers and fish bites alternatives in Germany and other international markets.’

Five exceptional finalists

Organisers SFNV and Igeho congratulated all finalists – Circunis, Foodflows, GoNina and Yumame Foods – for their standout innovations.

  • Circunis turns waste into value by connecting businesses with surplus food to buyers via its platform.
  • Foodflows improves what and how chefs, restaurants, and brands source from Brazilian farms, unleashing the full potential of shorter, fresher, and fairer supply chains.
  • GoNina uses AI to predict demand in catering, helping kitchens reduce food waste without compromising quality.
  • Yumame Foods harnesses the power of fungi to make it easier for businesses to offer minimally processed, plant-based products at scale.

Each company pitched its solution to a live audience before fielding questions from an expert jury featuring representatives from Planted, FHNW, Swiss Food Research, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, ZFV Group and Alpine chef, Rebecca Clopath.

Providing a platform to scale innovation

Christina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO of Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley said, “The hospitality sector plays a very important role in food system transformation. The Igeho Rising Star Award offers startups a chance to showcase their innovations at Switzerland’s leading platform for hospitality, allowing them to connect with potential partners and secure the funding they need to grow. Congratulations to catchfree and all the finalists.”

Igeho Brand Director, Benjamin Eulau, said, “We’re thrilled to announce the winner of this year’s Igeho Rising Star Award. All five finalists demonstrated innovative solutions to some of the food service and hospitality industry’s biggest challenges. I can’t wait to see how these promising startups’ innovations scale and drive impact.”
Now in its second edition, the Igeho Rising Stars Award was launched to celebrate and support promising founders and startups in the hospitality sector. All startups founded after 2020 and registered in Switzerland or Liechtenstein are able to participate. All 15 shortlisted startups were also invited to exhibit at the Igeho 2025, the largest hospitality platform in Switzerland.

About Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley

Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV) is a purpose-driven not-for-profit association, founded in 2020. It brings together the Swiss agrifood ecosystem to pioneer future-proof food systems that are good for the planet, good for people, and good for the economy.

Today, SFNV represents more than 150 partners across Switzerland, from large enterprises, retailers, and academic institutions to cantons, SMEs and startups. 

Find out more at: https://swissfoodnutritionvalley.com/ 

About Igeho

Igeho is considered the most important international industry platform for hotels, catering, take-away and care in Switzerland. As a live marketing platform, Igeho offers the hospitality industry a comprehensive overview of the market, interesting networking opportunities and new inspiration on all aspects of hospitality. The first edition of Igeho took place in November 1965 in Basel – at that time still under the name “Internationale Fachmesse für Gemeinschaftsverpflegung”. Since its inception, the trade fair has been held biennially in Basel, with the exception of 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. Communal catering continues to play an important role, but the hotel, restaurant and take-away sectors were also added over the years. Today, Igeho is the largest meeting place for the hospitality industry in Switzerland.

Find out more at: www.igeho.ch 

Sign up to receive the Valley’s quarterly newsletter 

Count me in!

Latest News

Igeho Rising Star 2025: Public voting opens 

Apr 7, 2025 | Headline, Press-releases, SFNV updates, Uncategorized

Igeho Rising Star 2025: Public voting opens 

The Future of Food: Givaudan, Nestlé R+D Accelerator Lausanne and FoodHack launch the 2025 FoodTech World Cup

Fifteen startups have been invited to present their innovations at Igeho 2025 in November in Basel. A public vote will now determine which five advance to the final, where they will face questions from the panel and audience, competing for the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award.

The application phase for the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award closed on 31 January, attracting numerous submissions from food tech startups. Each entry was carefully reviewed by the Igeho team based on innovation and use of technology, sustainability and environmental impact, as well as business model and scalability.

Fifteen Swiss startups have been selected to showcase their companies at Igeho 2025, where they will present their innovations to the audience in Basel this November. Benjamin Eulau, Igeho’s Brand Director, shared his excitement: ‘We saw some truly impressive innovations among the applications. Many of these startups have the potential to address long-term challenges in the food service industry.’

Christina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO of Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, was also impressed by the applications submitted: “We were thrilled to hear that so many start-ups have applied to be part of the Igeho Rising Star Award 2025. From sustainable alternatives that offer consumers more diverse choices to tech-driven solutions that share the impact of what we put on our plates – so many Swiss ecosystem players are working tirelessly to create solutions that will make our food service sector more future-proof. I’m excited to watch them grow and scale through their participation in this competition.”

Public voting now open

The public vote to determine which five startups will compete for the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award in the grand finale of Igeho 2025 opens today. Until 30 May, professionals from the hotel, restaurant, catering, and care industries can cast their votes for the startups they want to see in the final.

The selected startups are:

Driving innovation through an award

As Switzerland’s leading international hospitality industry platform, Igeho is committed to fostering innovation. With the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award, it provides emerging companies in the hospitality sector with a valuable opportunity to showcase their businesses, raise awareness of their innovations, and connect with industry professionals.

In collaboration with Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, Igeho aims to use this award to drive innovation by offering startups a platform and facilitating networking opportunities. ‘We see it as our duty to give startups the chance to present themselves and step into the spotlight,’ says Benjamin Eulau, Igeho’s Brand Director. ‘The hospitality industry and our food system depend on long-term innovation, and we’re proud to support that.’

The grand finale of the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award will take place at Igeho 2025 in Basel, where the five finalists will compete for the title, along with cash and non-cash prizes. All holders of valid day tickets are welcome to attend and be part of the live audience.

Vote now
Igeho: International platform for the hotel, catering, take-away and care sectors

Igeho is the most important international industry platform for the hotel, catering, take-away and care sectors in Switzerland. As a live marketing platform it offers the hiospitality branch a comprehensive market overview, interesting networking opportunities and new impulses around the topic of hospitality. The wide range of products and services will be complemented by an exciting supporting programme on current trends and the most important topics in the hospitality industry. The next Igeho will take place at Messe Basel from November 15 to 19, 2025.
www.igeho.ch 

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Sign up for our newsletter

Latest News

Valley partner Cultivated Biosciences rebrands to Cosaic and introduces new ingredient

Apr 4, 2025 | Headline, Member news, Uncategorized

Valley partner Cultivated Biosciences rebrands to Cosaic and introduces new ingredient

The Future of Food: Givaudan, Nestlé R+D Accelerator Lausanne and FoodHack launch the 2025 FoodTech World Cup

Over the past three years, Valley partner Cultivated Biosciences has worked on using state-of-the-art biotechnology to solve the food industry’s pressing challenges. With recent breakthroughs in product development and industry collaborations, Cultivated Biosciences is rebranding to Cosaic and introducing Cosaic Neo, a unique yeast-derived natural emulsion.

From idea to product

Back in 2021, Tomas Turner, co-founder and CEO, had the idea to grow fats from yeast, to provide texture solutions for vegan cheeses. Appalled by factory farming, he wanted to make an impact by encouraging more people to enjoy creamy animal-free products.

The team he built with his co-founder Dimitri Zogg learnt from the industry about much bigger needs than pure fat alternatives and discovered that their ingredient was much more powerful than fat: a multifunctional natural emulsion from yeast.

This unique ingredient contains fats, but also proteins and fibres. It is the combination of those components that allows the natural combination of 8 key functionalities in 1 animal-free ingredient. It reconciles the needs of the industry for more resilience and performance with the consumer need for better and tastier products. 

Cleaning labels

Cosaic Neo is reported to “clean labels” by replacing unwanted additives, improves the mouthfeel and the taste, improves the physical stability and much more. 

Food product developers can now create both dairy and dairy-free products that meet emerging consumer trends and unlock new business opportunities. This achievement marked a turn in the company’s roadmap and strategy.

Cosaic Neo also delivers functionality and sensory appeal to create products in four key categories: ready-to-drink protein and nutrition shakes, dairy-free milks, barista and coffee creamers, mayo & sauces and creamy liqueurs.

Unlocking opportunity in plant-based protein shakes

Protein Shakes is the fastest growing beverage segment in the US, reflecting the consumers’ interest for on-the-go, healthy proteins. But most commercial plant-based protein shakes contain no more than 8% proteins (around 25g for a 330ml/12 oz bottle) and contain lots of additives. Increasing the protein content further can lead to gelling or strong off-notes.

Cosaic can replace all additives, mask plant-based off-notes and most importantly, improving protein solubilisation to enable loading more proteins – up to 13% or 43g per serving. Cosaic is working closely with industry leaders on trials to bring this concept to market in the US in 2026.

About Cosaic

Cosaic aims for a world in which good food choices benefit everyone: people, businesses, and the planet. They do this with ingredient solutions that offer greater industry resilience and greater consumer satisfaction. Founded in 2021 in Zurich, Switzerland, Cosaic’s 18-member team is transitioning from the research and development stage to the market entry phase. The company plans to introduce its cream to the US market in 2025 and to the European market in 2026, pending regulatory approval for consumption. www.cultivated.bio/

 

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Sign up for our newsletter

Latest News

Teaming up for impact: ZFV Group on their partnerships with Yumame, Steasy and Food2050

May 22, 2024 | Headline, Member news, Uncategorized

Teaming up for impact: ZFV Group on their partnerships with Yumame, Steasy and Food2050

Image of the Yumane team
Powering 200+ meeting places across Switzerland, Valley partner ZFV Group (ZFV) has more than 125 years of expertise in the fields of hospitality and catering. Fortunately for our ecosystem, they don’t keep this knowledge under lock and key. They’re eager to partner with food sector startups to help bring fresh innovations to market.

The ZFV team believes that we can only achieve true change through collaboration. This is why the company is constantly on the lookout for new partnerships with future-focused startups. Read on to find out how Valley partners Steasy, FOOD2050, and Yumame have already benefited from their advice and support. 

Yumame: Partnering with innovative producers

In its own restaurants, as well as in cafeterias and staff restaurants, ZFV’s focus is on balanced and climate-friendly food. Whether it’s through innovative recipes from ZFV’s own climate-friendly kitchen, totally new concepts like Flavour Kitchen or Green Kitchen Lab, or menus that feature more than 50% vegan and vegetarian offerings, ZFV relies first and foremost on diverse partnerships with innovative producers – like Valley partner Yumame Foods AG.

The startup produces delicious and sustainable food based on fungi and fermentation, with a strong focus on local and environmentally-friendly practices. These newcomers attracted the attention of ZFV’s F&B team, who were immediately enthused and impressed by its products. ZFV has now become Yumame’s first catering partner — and they’ve already dished up their first recipes in the Green Kitchen Lab at the University of Zurich. This includes the innovative “Farm to Table” research project, which ZFV developed together with the Zurich University School of Management and Law and Zurich University of the Arts, where Yumame was featured as an important part of the culinary offer.

FOOD2050: Enabling more climate-friendly choices

ZFV values transparency about the effects of its food highly, and aims to inspire its guests with enthusiasm for an environmentally-friendly and balanced diet. Startup and Valley partner FOOD2050, founded in 2021, pursues the same aim. The company was in the process of developing a meal plan system and was looking for a partner that shared its values.

Won over by FOOD2050’s vision, ZFV became its strategic partner in 2021, and they jointly implemented the meal plan system for the first time at the University of Zurich in 2022. They continued to develop the concept together, creating a digital menu and meal plan that helps guests understand the the climate impact of their menus and food profiles that offer detailed information about individual dishes – right down to portraits of the producers who grew the ingredients. The solution was rolled out across 80 ZFV companies in 2023.

“Innovation means keeping one’s eyes open, constant scrutiny, actively engaging with one’s environment, personal development and also taking a chance now and then!” – Dario Notaro, CBDO ZFV

Steasy: Investing in the future of catering

By investing in Steasy, a start-up that developed the first-ever mobile mini steamer, ZFV found a way to delight and serve those who don’t eat their lunch in cafeterias and staff restaurants. Thanks to an integrated battery, a pre-prepared menu can be quickly and gently heated — a total innovation with potential that was immediately obvious to the ZFV team. Today, they’re busy implementing a proof of concept for possible business cases that can leverage this exciting technology.

“High-quality, healthy and sustainable food should also be possible on the move, or in locations where it is not possible to eat in a restaurant,” – Dario Notaro, CBDO ZFV

Open to innovation and new partners

ZFV’s partnerships help the company move closer to its vision of comprehensive meeting places that encompass six key dimensions – menu, people, physical space, virtual space, sustainability — and most importantly, the ZFV ecosystem, including partners like Steasy, FOOD2050 and Yumame.

Through its partnership with Valley, ZFV is eager to connect with even more Swiss food innovators. The team is currently developing a unique innovation infrastructure to further accelerate rapid market testing within the broader ZFV ecosystem.

Read the article in German

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Sign up for our newsletter

Latest News

Planetary partners with Konica Minolta to optimise microbial fermentation through advanced sensors and artificial intelligence

Jan 15, 2024 | Headline, Member news, Press-releases, Uncategorized

Planetary partners with Konica Minolta to optimise microbial fermentation through advanced sensors and artificial intelligence

Image of the Yumane team

Planetary SA, the Geneva-based biotechnology company, announced today a strategic partnership (MOU) with global leader in imaging technology, Konica Minolta, Inc. (”Konica Minolta”), to develop and implement advanced sensing, artificial intelligence (A.I.), and bioprocess data-driven solutions to optimise the control of fermentation processes in real-time. Through this strategic partnership, the two companies aim to leverage sensing solutions, A.I., and bioprocess data to detect process anomalies, control growth parameters, and increase productivity whilst decreasing lost production batches.

While microbial fermentation holds the potential to revolutionise production systems for a range of industries, the monitoring and control of these processes has been largely left unchanged in recent years. Together, Planetary and Konica Minolta aim to bring innovative data-driven sensing technologies and complementary artificial intelligence to monitor, control, and optimise fermentation processes in real-time. By teaming up with Konica Minolta, Planetary plans to bring these technologies to market and offer them to bioproduct manufacturers globally, increasing productivity and reducing overall cost of production.

“Where Konica Minolta excels in process monitoring technologies based on our 150 years of optics expertise, my conversations with Planetary have given me the impression that they have the speedy nature as a startup with cutting edge bioprocesses backed by their strong leadership. With our expertise combined, I believe this MOU can help us explore further avenues to strengthen our relationship and move toward a direction to solve the true bottleneck of the biomanufacturing industry at a global scale.” Ryutaro Mori, Corporate VP & Chief Innovation Officer, Konica Minolta, Inc.

“Conventional food and material production systems are being disrupted by fermentation-based biomanufacturing. The shift started with high-value items and is now finding its way into commoditised products. To achieve price parity, fit-for purpose production sites need to be designed, strain performance optimised, bioprocesses innovated, controlled, and automated. Konica Minolta and Planetary are in a pole position to jointly harness real-time A.I. and bioprocess data-driven sensing solutions which will reduce COGS by an additional 20-30%.”David Brandes, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Planetary SA

About Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta Inc., a global technology company headquartered in Tokyo, is one of the world leaders in imaging and sensing technologies. Being known for their optics, industrial radiometric instruments, and other optical devices, the company aims to enter the fermentation space to bring innovative fermentation sensing technologies and associated AI. By utilizing decades of experience in imaging technology, Konica Minolta is building on its expertise to disrupt traditional fermentation sensors and bring new technologies to the market.

About Planetary

Planetary, a Geneva-headquartered company founded in 2021, has set out to establish critical production infrastructure for the emerging bio-based economy by providing industrial-scale fermentation capacity and developing related bioprocessing intellectual property (IP). Planetary leverages the technology of aerobic microbial fermentation to produce food ingredients and bio-based materials at industrial volumes for partners around the world.

About the Bioeconomy Revolution

The global demand for food, plastics, chemicals, and other commodities is growing in accordance with the development of population size and living standards. Many of the animal and fossil-based production systems are unsustainable and are taking a toll on our ecosystem, including the reduction of freshwater resources, land resources, and the uncontrolled emissions of greenhouse gases. Recent scientific advancements, however, have uncovered new, sustainable methods of production.

According to the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey & Company’s business and economics research arm, the bioeconomy could have direct economic impact of up to $4 trillion a year in the next decades, with the potential to produce up to 60% of all physical goods – foods, chemicals, and other bio-based products through a biology-driven production approach. Microbial fermentation is a critical process within the bioeconomy, and by leveraging technologies such as biomass and precision fermentation, these products can be produced sustainably at scale and at competitive cost.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Follow us on Linkedin

Latest News