2024: Taking a big step towards a more future-proof food system

Dec 16, 2024 | Ecosystem news, SFNV updates

2024
 Taking a big step towards a
more future-proof food system

As 2024 draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back at some of our key highlights – both as individual innovators and as an ecosystem. In the year that Switzerland was ranked leading innovation nation for the 14th time in row, we feel that there is plenty to celebrate. From powerful partnerships to significant funding rounds and exciting new facilities that strengthen Switzerland’s innovation infrastructure. 

Teaming up for impact

This year has seen remarkable collaborations and partnerships driving forward food system transformation and sustainable innovation.

The FAO and SFNV signed a Letter of Intent to promote meaningful change in global food systems, while SFNV also teamed up with Switzerland Global Enterprise to highlight Switzerland as a global hub for food and nutrition innovation. Partnering with SFNV, Nestlé and Tetra Pak hosted a State of Play event, focusing on the future of sustainable packaging. A second State of Play event, held in Kemptthal near Zurich, organised in partnership with The Cultured Hub, brought together key stakeholders to explore the future of cultured foods.

In the realm of advanced technologies, Planetary SA partnered with Konica Minolta to develop AI-powered fermentation solutions, and Food Brewer collaborated with Fruitful AI to automate cell selection and media screening. Agilery and Helbling combined forces to offer integrated solutions at the intersection of food and technology, while Bühler expanded its expertise in sustainable fermentation through the acquisition of Esau & Hueber.

Sustainability-driven partnerships flourished, with Vege’tables, Planted, and New Roots uniting to promote plant-based diets, and Haelixa working with regenagri to implement forensic DNA marking for supply chain integrity. Givaudan fostered innovation by collaborating with startups through its Plant Attitude Challenge. ZFV continued to champion food service innovation alongside Yumame, Steasy, and Food 2050.

On the agritech front, GAMAYA and TerraviewOS combined AI platforms to address sustainability challenges, showcasing the power of cross-industry collaboration in building a more resilient and responsible food system.

Click on the carousel below to read the full stories.

FAO x SFNV

FAO and SFNV signed a Letter of Intent to encourage food system transformation.

Nestlé x Tetra Pak x SFNV

Nestlé and Tetra Pak partnered to co-host a State of Play event on sustainable packaging

SFNV x S-GE

SFNV joined forces with S-GE to showcase Switzerland as a global hub for food and nutrition innovation

Planetary x Konica Minolta

Planetary SA partnered with Konica Minolta to develop AI-powered solutions for real-time fermentation.

Food Brewer x Fruitful AI

Food Brewer teamed up with Fruitful AI to automate cell selection and media screening.

Agilery x Helbling

Agilery and Helbling offered integrated solutions to brands merging food and technology.

Vege'tables

Vege’tables, Planted and New Roots teamed up to promote sustainable, plant-based diets

ZFV

ZFV continues their collaboration with Yumame, Steasy and Food 2050

Givaudan

Givaudan joined forces with startups via its Plant Attitude Challenge

Haelixa x regenagri

Haelixa and regenagri used forensic DNA marking for enhanced supply chain integrity and traceability.

Bühler

Bühler acquired Esau & Hueber to bolster global expertise in sustainable fermentation technologies.

GAMAYA x TerraviewOS

GAMAYA and TerraviewOS integrated AI platforms to tackle sustainability challenges.

Securing investment to scale

This year, we were thrilled to see many Valley partners secure significant investments  despite a challenging funding environment. 

sallea raised CHF 2.29 million to accelerate the development of plant-based scaffolds for cultured meats, while Cultivated Biosciences secured CHF 4.4 million to further their yeast cream development for dairy alternatives. Plant-based protein innovation continues to thrive as Luya raised CHF 5 million to scale its upcycled protein products made from okara, and Fabas Foods AG secured CHF 1.3 million to develop protein extracts from peas and beans.

In the vertical farming space, UMAMI raised CHF 4.3 million to grow its indoor farming operations in Zurich, and B’ZEOS advanced its efforts in sustainable packaging by securing a seed round and strategic partnerships. Sundays beverages raised CHF 504,000 in a successful crowdfunding campaign, setting the stage for bold expansions in their Swiss-made beverage line.

These successes highlight the growing momentum and investor confidence in innovative food solutions, helping to transform visionary ideas into market-ready products.

Click on the carousel below to read the full stories.

Cultivated Biosciences

Cultivated Biosciences secured $5 million to continue to develop its unique yeast cream.

Luya

Luya secured CHF 5 million to expand its plant-based protein products made from okara.

sallea

sallea raised CHF 2.29 million to develop plant-based scaffolds for cultured meats.

Fabas Foods AG

Fabas Foods AG raised CHF 1.3 million to produce protein extracts from peas and beans.

B'zeos

B’ZEOS, secures seed round and strategic partnerships

UMAMI

UMAMI raised CHF 4.3 million to scale its indoor farming operation in Zurich.

Sundays Beverages AG

Sundays beverages raised CHF 504,000 in a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Strengthening our innovation infrastructure

This year, Valley partners have contributed significantly to strengthening food innovation infrastructure by opening a series of new facilities both in Switzerland and across the globe. 

Planted built an additional facility to boost their capacity, while FoodYoung opened a groundbreaking innovation facility in Balerna. Bühler inaugurated a Grain Innovation Center and collaborated with Givaudan and MISTA to open an advanced extrusion hub. Upgrain launched Europe’s largest food upcycling facility. 

The Valley team was thrilled to partner with both ZFV to power their Living Lab – a platform to accelerate food service innovation – and with ALDI SUISSE to launch the Retail Shelf initiative that attracted 100+ applications from startups across Europe. 

And last but not least, The Cultured Hub – a cutting-edge “scale-up as a service” facility by Givaudan, Bühler, and Migros – opened its doors, showcasing the power of collaboration in driving sustainable food solutions. 

These developments show the vital role of facilities and the wealth of knowledge in their associated networks in helping startups move from a great idea to a marketable product.  

Click on the carousel below to read the full stories

Bühler

Bühler inaugurated a Grain Innovation Center to advance processing technologies.

Givaudan and Bühler

Givaudan and Bühler join forces with MISTA to open a new extrusion hub.

Upgrain

Upgrain opened Europe’s largest food upcycling facility in Appenzell.

Food Young

FoodYoung combines cutting-edge food science, advanced food technology, and culinary excellence in a new facility in Balerna

Planted

Planted builds an additional production facility to boost their capacity

ZFV

The ZFV-Living Lab launched a platform to fast-track food service innovations.

Revyve

Revyve launched a commercial plant producing yeast protein.

The Cultured Hub

The Cultured Hub, a scale up as a service facility jointly developed by Givaudan, Bühler and Migros officially opened its doors.

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Givaudan and Moonshot Pirates work together to shape the future of alternative protein

Dec 11, 2024 | Ecosystem news, Member news

Givaudan and Moonshot Pirates work together to shape the future of alternative protein

Givaudan TW Startup Challenge
Valley partner, Givaudan, a global leader in flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions, has announced a new collaboration with Moonshot Pirates, a dynamic movement of young leaders and changemakers. The “Shape the Future” Challenge will inspire Gen Z consumers to imagine the alternative protein experience of the future and come up with new solutions that do not mimic meat, fish or dairy but reflect their key priorities – affordability, nutrition and convenience.

To date, The Moonshot Pirates have received applications from around 1,000 young innovators, aged 15 to 24, from across the globe. Participants are encouraged to develop ground-breaking alternative protein concepts that are sustainable, nutritious, affordable and delicious.

Flavio Garofalo, Growth Platform Director Culinary & Plant Attitude, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing commented: “We are thrilled to collaborate with young leaders globally to drive alternative protein innovations that challenge conventional norms and deliver unforgettable, multi-sensory food experiences. We eagerly anticipate igniting fresh and creative ideas, ultimately inspiring and co-creating the next generation of delicious consumer products centered around alternative proteins with our customers.”

Finalists in the “Shape the Future” Challenge will present their ideas in a virtual, live-streamed pitch to a jury of experts on the 9th January 2025. The winners will enjoy an exclusive visit to MISTA, an innovation platform for the food industry based in San Francisco, which Givaudan has established along with other industry partners. More encompassing than an incubator or accelerator, MISTA is an optimiser, enabling start-ups and established corporations to optimise ideas, products, people and investments. There, the Challenge winners will gain valuable insights into alternative protein development, and how to optimise ideas, products, people and investments.

“Over the years, we’ve witnessed how collaborating with the next generation of innovators brings in fresh ideas and unique perspectives that can truly drive change. These young, digital natives are passionate about sustainability and the future, so it’s exciting to see companies like Givaudan appreciate the value of these partnerships,” said Aneta Londa, Co-Founder of Moonshot Pirates. “We’re thrilled to partner with Givaudan to explore the future of alternative proteins and develop solutions that contribute to a healthier, more sustainable food system.”

Givaudan will support this project by providing nine expert mentors and exploring opportunities to scale up promising product innovations that emerge from the Challenge. The collaboration will also harness Givaudan’s global innovation ecosystem, bringing in the company’s experts, technologies and integrated portfolio of solutions to address the taste, sense, and nutritional challenges of alternative protein applications.

About Givaudan

Givaudan is a global leader in Fragrance & Beauty and Taste & Wellbeing. We celebrate the beauty of human experience by creating for happier, healthier lives with love for nature. Together with our customers we deliver food experiences, craft inspired fragrances and develop beauty and wellbeing solutions that make people look and feel good. In 2023, Givaudan employed 16,260 people worldwide and achieved CHF 6.9 billion in sales with a free cash flow of 13.3%. With a heritage that stretches back over 250 years, we are committed to driving long-term, purpose-led growth by improving people’s health and happiness and increasing our positive impact on nature. This is Givaudan. Human by nature. Discover more at www.givaudan.com

About Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing

Powered by innovation and creativity, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing aims to shape the future of food by becoming the co-creation partner of choice to its customers. Built on its global leadership position in flavours and taste, the Company goes beyond to create food experiences that do good and feel good, for body, mind and planet. With an expanded portfolio of products across flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions and a deep knowledge of the food ecosystem, Givaudan’s passion is to collaborate with customers and partners to develop game changing innovations in food and beverage. This is Givaudan. Human by nature. Learn more about how we are shaping the future of food at www.givaudan.com/taste-wellbeing

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Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley and The Cultured Hub bring together experts and industry to accelerate cultured food to market

Dec 4, 2024 | Ecosystem news, Member news

Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley and The Cultured Hub bring together experts and industry to accelerate cultured food to market

Givaudan TW Startup Challenge

On 4th December 2024, Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, together with Valley partner The Cultured Hub brought together Swiss and international experts to explore the state of the industry and discuss how to collaborate to capitalise on opportunities for growth.

Read the post-event report

The cultured meat market is estimated to grow at a rate of almost 52% a year from 2023 to 2030.[1] Cultured food could offer consumers products that taste and feel like the animal-based original, with a reduced environmental and animal welfare impact[2] and improved food security. Despite this potential, barriers to scaling remain.

Yesterday, The Cultured Hub – a newly launched state-of-the-art biotech facility and scale-up platform created by Migros, Givaudan, and Bühler Group – teamed up with Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, to co-host an event to explore the state of the industry. State of Play: Cultured Foods 2.0 brought together Swiss and international experts to discuss how to collaborate to capitalise on opportunities for growth.

Creating the conditions: from policy to product

The event’s morning sessions set the stage with insights into Switzerland’s vision in this space, legal developments, and the global trends shaping the industry. Speakers included Yannick Gächter from The Cultured Hub, Ralph Langholz from the Swiss Protein Association, Carlotte Lucas from The Good Food Institute Europe and Illtud Dunsford, CEO and CoFounder of Cellular Agriculture Ltd, who collectively painted a comprehensive picture of the opportunities and challenges in the cultured food landscape.

“As one of the world’s most innovative nations, Switzerland is well positioned to play a key role in scaling cultured foods,” said Yannick Gächter, CEO of The Cultured Hub. “Our jointly developed facility embodies the collaborative spirit of the Swiss food ecosystem. By bringing together the right partners, our technology platform also enables startups to tap into centuries of experience in food processing, product development, production, marketing and market launches, allowing them to scale up faster and minimise capital investment.”

Innovative solutions to produce cultured foods at scale

In the afternoon, participants heard from Simona Fehlmann, CEO and Co-Founder of Swiss start-up sallea. Founded in November 2023 as a spin-off from leading Swiss university ETH Zurich, her team recently secured $2.6 million in a pre-seed round to support the development of its plant-based “scaffolds” for better texture and nutritional profiles in cultured meat products.

Commenting on their journey so far, Simona said, “Setting up in Switzerland has helped us to position as a leading scaffold provider for cellular agriculture. Switzerland is not only home to global companies like Nestlé, Bühler and Givaudan with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the food sector, it also has a strong pool of talent, which is essential to any startup’s growth.”

Collaboration is at the heart of progress

The day ended with fascinating inputs from Christine Schäfer from the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute about the role of consumer acceptance, and an inspiring keynote speech by Ira van Eelen, the daughter of Willem van Eelen, the “Godfather of cultured meat”.

Today, as Cofounder of RESPECTfarms and and Board Member of Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland, Ira shared her experience of tasting cultured products all over the globe and how, through RESPECTfarms, she’s working in partnership with the Swiss Farmers’ Union to explore new business models that ensure benefits for stakeholders across the value chain.

Reflecting on the event, Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley CEO, Christina Senn-Jakobsen concluded: “Collaboration is at the heart of progress. By bringing the Swiss ecosystem together with leading international experts, we can better spot potential hurdles and find new ways to propel the cultured food industry forwards.”

About Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley

Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV) is a not-for-profit association founded in 2020 that strengthens and promotes food system innovation, both within Switzerland and across the globe. Our diverse network of Valley partners – from global companies, universities, innovation accelerators to government bodies, SMEs and startups – collaborate to address the most pressing challenges in food, agriculture and nutrition, and co-create innovative solutions that drive better planetary and human health.

Follow the Valley on Linkedin

About The Cultured Hub

The Cultured Hub collaborates with a global network of start-ups to find answers to the food industry’s most pressing questions and develop foods of the future. The Cultured Hub enables start-ups in the cultivated foods sector to reach industrial manufacturing more quickly and cost-effectively. The organization’s aim is to accelerate the development of sustainable proteins – specifically cultivated meat, fish, seafood, and precision fermentation products – by providing state-of-the-art scale-up facilities, cutting-edge technologies, expert guidance, and an extensive network.

www.theculturedhub.com

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The Cultured Hub opens its state-of-the-art biotech facility in Switzerland

Dec 3, 2024 | Ecosystem news, Member news, Press-releases

The Cultured Hub opens its state-of-the-art biotech facility in Switzerland

Givaudan TW Startup Challenge

Kemptthal (Switzerland), December 3, 2024 –The Cultured Hub officially opens its doors today, marking a milestone for the global cellular agriculture and food industry communities. The pioneering scale-up and growth service aims to revolutionize the cultivated food and beverage sector by accelerating the development and market penetration of cellular agriculture products. These innovations can address increasingly complex food system challenges, reducing environmental impact and improving food security.

Equipped with advanced product development labs, cell culture, and fermentation capabilities and equipment, and with its ecosystem of partners, the Hub is designed to empower start-ups and organizations to scale up and accelerate the development of market-ready, sustainable, healthy, and affordable products. The Hub offers a technology platform that extends beyond food and can support the development of diverse products, such as meat, fish, dairy, pet food, and plant-based cells like cocoa – as well as materials like cosmetics and selective pharma applications.

“The launch of The Cultured Hub is a pivotal moment in the global push for sustainable food production,” said Yannick Gaechter, CEO of The Cultured Hub. “The opening of this facility is not just an achievement for our team, but a landmark moment for the industry. We are excited to open a facility that will enable start-ups to scale up without heavy capital investment and contribute to global food system improvements.”

Unique scale-up capabilities

At the Hub, companies can now scale up their processes from small-scale laboratory experiments (e.g., shake flasks) to 1,000-liter pilot operations without investing in expensive assets or diluting equity. This unique capability bridges the gap between research and commercial production, enabling companies to demonstrate and refine their processes efficiently. The Hub can host three companies working simultaneously, each in fully separated suites, fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation. This organization accelerates market entry by saving time and resources, allowing actors to focus on creating great-tasting food products at a competitive cost.

Industry expertise and collaboration

A joint venture between Migros, Givaudan, and Bühler Group, The Cultured Hub leverages centuries of collective experience in food processing, product development, production, marketing, and market launches. All three companies have shown a strong commitment to sustainability. This combination makes the Hub a unique access point for knowledge, skills, technology, and retail and consumer understanding.

“The Cultured Hub is designed to bridge the scale-up gap for companies, enabling them to retain equity, protect intellectual property, and fast-track their journey to market without high capital investment,” said Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer of Bühler Group. “We are thrilled to bring together industry players and create a collaborative environment that will drive significant advancements in the industry.”

“As a global leader in flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions, with deep expertise in biotech, Givaudan is committed to unlocking new opportunities in the cellular agriculture space and contributing to the transformation of the global food system,” said Fabio Campanile, Global Head of Science & Technology Taste & Wellbeing at Givaudan. “Through the Cultured Hub, and the ecosystem we are building with start-ups, partners and customers, we look forward to co-creating new, game-changing solutions that meet consumer demand for healthier, more planet-friendly products.”

“The Cultured Hub represents a paradigm shift in how we approach food production,” said Matthew Robin, CEO, Elsa Group at Migros Industries. “As Switzerland’s largest retailer, Migros is dedicated to offering choice to consumers, including innovative, sustainable food solutions.”

Strategically located in Kemptthal, Switzerland – a burgeoning hub of innovation in Europe, the Hub provides a vibrant working environment where start-ups and established companies can spearhead breakthroughs.

About The Cultured Hub

The Cultured Hub collaborates with a global network of start-ups to find answers to the food industry’s most pressing questions and develop foods of the future. The Cultured Hub enables start-ups in the cultivated foods sector to reach industrial manufacturing more quickly and cost-effectively. The organization’s aim is to accelerate the development of sustainable proteins – specifically cultivated meat, fish, seafood, and precision fermentation products – by providing state-of-the-art scale-up facilities, cutting-edge technologies, expert guidance, and an extensive network.

www.theculturedhub.com

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Impact Digest | Ultra-processed foods: myths, facts and future role

Nov 25, 2024 | Ecosystem news, Impact Digests

Impact Digest | Ultra-processed foods: myths, facts and future role

Impact Digests | Can we scale up regenerative farming for a sustainable future?

Nearly 29% of the global population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023. As the world population grows, we don’t only need to consider food availability – we need to find new solutions to ensure that  everyone has access to a nutritionally complete diet too.

Building on a fascinating discussion as part of Food Day @ETH, on the 11th of November, we brought together four expert speakers to discuss the complexities of food processing and its impacts on health and the environment. Read on to discover what we learnt.

Key Takeaways

We need more clarity: There is no clear legal definition of UPFs and the NOVA classification system has significant limitations. The definition and wording should also reflect the focus of the discussion. If we’re talking about health, we should speak about “unhealthy processed foods”. If we’re talking about the amount of energy required to create a product, we should talk about “energy intensive processed foods”.

We must view a product’s impact holistically: To drive better social, environmental, and economic outcomes, we need to balance multiple goals along the value chain, including access to safe and nutritious food, efficiency in resource management, and equitable livelihoods.

We need innovation to drive healthier formulation: Reformulating processed food can be a powerful lever for creating healthier food options – and industry can be a key part of the solution through responsible product development.

Dr. Martin Michel, Expert & former Nestlé

Martin discussed food processing in the context of food systems, emphasising its role in value chains. He highlighted the primary goals of food processing: food safety, preservation, sensory aspects, nutrition and health, sustainability, and food diversity.

He also briefly discussed the NOVA classification system and its limitations, pointing out that  ‘ultra-processed food’ is ill-defined, and the classification conflates composition, number of ingredients, and processing techniques. Many foods classified as “ultra-processed” are also characterized by high energy density, elevated levels of saturated fats, sodium, and/or sugars, while being low in dietary fiber, all of which are independently linked to negative health outcomes.

Martin also highlighted that collaboration between stakeholders is vital to address potential trade-offs based on systems perspectives, scientific data, and risk-benefit analysis.

Niels Jungbluth, Manager & Owner, ESU-services GmbH

Niels introduced the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, which considers the environmental  impact of a product from ‘cradle to grave.’ All inputs and outputs are balanced according to the defined system boundaries and functional units. LCA is not an absolute measurement; it compares different situations and products.

When analysing food consumption, the level of food processing (e.g. for UPFs) is not a major factor when assessing its environmental impact. The most significant factor in an LCA is usually if the product is of animal origin, due to the environmental impact of agricultural production. Transport, packaging, food waste, processing, cooling, and preparation play a minor role. 

Niels highlighted the importance of new policy measures to allow a broader acceptance of plant-based products. 

Sophie Hofer, Product Manager, Planted 

Sophie discussed Planted’s approach to product development, highlighting their commitment to creating clean-label plant-based meats that are packed with protein, fiber and essential micronutrients such as Vitamin B12. She emphasised that Planted meats seamlessly fit into a healthy, balanced diet, challenging the negative reputation often associated with processed foods. 

Sophie stressed that not all processed foods are created equal and that the formulation plays a crucial role in determining a product’s nutritional quality. She called for a differentiated approach from media and other opinion leaders when discussing highly processed foods. The current generalized perception often overlooks the nuances between products and their formulations. A more balanced perspective, based on facts rather than broad categorizations, is essential to help consumers understand the potential benefits of thoughtfully designed products in fostering both personal and environmental health, rather than grouping all processed foods together as “high in sugar, high in fat, and high in salt.”

She further highlighted the significant environmental benefits of Planted’s offerings compared to traditional animal meat with up to 97% Co2 emission savings and addressed the challenges of accurately classifying plant-based alternatives within the NOVA system.

Mélanie Douziech, Scientific Collaborator, Agroscope 

Mélanie presented research results on meat and dairy alternatives’ nutritional and environmental impacts. She pointed out that while meat alternatives generally have lower environmental impacts, dairy alternatives may potentially have some negative impacts on both the environment (due to possible increase in water scarcity and freshwater eutrophication) and health (due to possible insufficient levels of calcium and iodine if the product isn’t fortified).

She highlighted that processing can improve the protein quality and bioavailability in soy-based meat alternatives and that there is no clear trend between processing and environmental impacts.

Moving closer to a future-proof food system

The event highlighted the complexity of defining and regulating UPFs and the need for consumer clarity when it comes to innovative products that do not fit neatly into the existing categories of the NOVA classification. By taking a more holistic view of the impacts of their products, food producers can optimise their formulations and offer consumers choices that make healthier and sustainable diets more accessible. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

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Seaweed-based packaging innovator, B’ZEOS, secures seed round and strategic partnerships

Nov 21, 2024 | Ecosystem news, Member news, Press-releases

Seaweed-based packaging innovator, B’ZEOS, secures seed round and strategic partnerships

Givaudan TW Startup Challenge
B’ZEOS, a European blue-tech innovation company, has closed its seed round led by Faber with participation from ICIG Ventures, the venture capital unit of International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG). The development marks a significant milestone in the company’s plans to scale up its innovative compostable seaweed-based packaging solutions.

The latest round contributes to previous funding from pre-seed biotech investor biotope by VIB, and ocean-tech accelerator Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), as well as private and public grants provided by the Research Council of Norway, Global Seaweed Coalition, Innovation Norway and the Eureka Network’s Eurostars programme.

The partnership with Faber and ICIG will empower the company to accelerate product development, swiftly meet industry demands, and initiate commercial production for corporate partners. Faber’s commitment to advancing ocean-based technologies makes them an ideal investment partner for B’ZEOS. In addition, the strategic collaboration with ICIG, a privately owned industrial group with an interest in biotechnology and novel materials, will enable B’ZEOS to fine tune its products and increase production by leveraging ICIG’s expertise in
compounds.

B’ZEOS’ seaweed-based solutions are not only fully bio-based and home-compostable but also compatible with existing packaging production lines. Seaweed’s rapid growth rate, ability to sequester CO2, and lack of dependence on land or fresh water, without releasing microplastics, make it an ideal raw material for sustainable packaging. The material’s versatility is complemented by B’ZEOS’ variety of applications, catering to a broad range of sectors and enabling the company to address diverse packaging needs while supporting corporate partners’ sustainability goals.

The viability and scalability of B’ZEOS’ packaging has been validated in five paid pilots to date, in collaboration with fellow Valley partners like Nestlé and other key industry players. B’ZEOS will participate in additional pilot schemes to further demonstrate the value of its solution, with the potential of reaching a test-shop with its partners.

“We’ve developed a truly sustainable seaweed-based packaging solution, derived from a variety of seaweed species. We’re not just focused on developing an eco-friendly solution; we are providing an industry-ready, scalable alternative for packaging manufacturers globally. Backed by strategic investors and leveraging our extensive experience in the packaging sector, B’ZEOS is poised to lead the way in transforming the industry with our innovative materials.” said Guy Maurice, Founder & SeaEO of B’ZEOS.

Rita Sousa, Partner at Faber added: “As global demand for sustainable packaging solutions accelerates, we’re excited to partner with B’ZEOS and support their mission of transforming the packaging industry at scale. Our investment aligns with our commitment to back ocean-based innovations that have the potential to drive positive environmental change and reshape industries for a
sustainable future”.

“B’ZEOS is pioneering an exceptional approach to sustainable materials, and we recognise that potential” said Dr. Pelin Yilmaz, Investment Director at ICIG Ventures. “Our partnership with B’ZEOS, complemented by the expertise of our compounding platform, allows us to transition towards fossil-free, compostable packaging. We were impressed by B’ZEOS’ tech-oriented team. Their industry expertise enables them to understand the sustainability needs and requirements of the packaging sector, creating solutions that are both robust and versatile.”

B’ZEOS is well positioned to transform the packaging industry with an innovative and truly sustainable alternative to traditional plastics, delivering the functionality of plastic without the environmental cost – offering a distinct advantage over existing bioplastics. Backed by strategic partnerships and new funding, B’ZEOS is set to expand its seaweed-based packaging, providing corporate partners with a scalable and impactful solution that will pave the way for a more sustainable future.

About B’ZEOS

Founded in 2017, B’ZEOS is a European blue-tech company leading the way in sustainable packaging solutions made from seaweed.

B’ZEOS has developed a proprietary seaweed-based technology designed to replace fossil-based packaging. Their solutions are 100% bio-based, home-compostable, and compatible with existing packaging production lines.

B’ZEOS is committed to reducing plastic waste and advancing the circular economy by formulating innovative packaging solutions for various industries including food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

https://www.bzeos.com/

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