Valley member Fruitful Farming AG, a Swiss startup developing optimization software for greenhouses and vertical farms, has secured CHF 500,000 in its pre-seed round. The team now plans to accelerate the development and distribution of its AI-based decision-making solution.

The future of farming

Studies show that crop production will need to increase by 70% to sustainably feed a global population of ten billion by 2050. Greenhouses and vertical farms will undoubtedly play a key role in shaping the future of farming.

But particularly in the context of rising energy prices, farm owners need to be mindful of how they invest resources to ensure that their operations are both financially and environmentally sustainable. As small variations in a growth environment can have a significant impact on outputs, growers must find ways to reduce their operational expenses while maintaining or increasing the quality of their produce.

Network-driven, AI-powered decision making

Fruitful Farming AG’s software democratizes access to AI-based decision making. It allows clients to focus on operations without having to hire a team of in-house data scientists. Their models facilitate the growing process by shortening learning cycles and makes tailored recommendations to save time and resources, while improving crop quality. Clients also become part of a broader network of farms, allowing them to learn and apply best practices quicker than isolated in-house analytics teams.

The team currently offers two key products. The Fruitful Monitor provides a cloud-based growth monitoring system that facilitates production and allows clients to scale with no or limited additional labor costs. The Fruitful Optimizer allows clients to receive active intelligence and dynamic growth recipes based on live analytics.

Their technology – developed by founders Thomas Kleiven, Giulia Schneider, Mihai Grigore, and Patrick Albrecht – uses computer vision to capture the plant biorhythm and then connects it with data points from the growth environment.

Co-Founder and CEO, Patrick Albrecht explains how Fruitful optimizes growing conditions by closing the feedback loop.

Next steps

This pre-seed funding will allow the team to accelerate the development and distribution of their solution. They’re now actively looking to connect with growers and vertical farm owners across Switzerland and Europe.

Patrick Albrecht, Co-founder and CEO, said: “Controlled environment agriculture will play a huge role in the future of farming. We’re thrilled to have secured investment to continue to develop our solution that offers modern farmers a growth control system that supports their data-driven decision making – for better quality produce with fewer resources.”

Find out more in our feature article or visit the Fruitful Farming website

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Givaudan has launched its latest white paper entitled ‘The Protein Horizon: the landscape of alternative protein technologies enabling future food experiences,’ its fourth collaboration with the University of Berkeley, California. This paper provides cutting-edge information on current, emerging and future technologies for manufacturers producing meat and fish alternatives.

Innovating to meet rising demand

No longer considered niche, the growth of plant-based alternatives has been fuelled by rising consumer desire for food products that are healthier and have less impact on the planet. Constant innovation and new technologies are central to meeting growing demand both in terms of volume and in relation to the product characteristics that consumers want to purchase.

The research takes a future perspective, highlighting the benefits of emerging 3D printing technology, the ‘near future’ techniques of cultured meat, and Mycelium biomass fermentation producing fungi-derived protein. It also looks further over the horizon to lab scale technologies such as shear cell, which is set to attract significant investment. Recognizing that no single technology is a ‘silver bullet’, the report notes that collaboration between companies and organisations is essential to making progress in this space.

A market poised for rapid growth

Commenting on the research, Sudhir Joshi, Product Development Programme Coach at the University of California, Berkeley said: “The rise of meat alternatives is significant. The market is poised for rapid growth. While the existing technologies offer a major opportunity for innovation, the main challenges in this sector remain cost and scale.”

“This new white paper provides a comprehensive review of current and upcoming technologies. It also offers insights into adoption, market potential, challenges and the opportunities for future development.”

Flavio Garofalo, Givaudan’s Global Director, Culinary & Plant Attitude said: “Givaudan’s passion for creating outstanding future food experiences is at the heart of our ongoing collaboration and research with University of California, Berkeley. We have an insatiable appetite for knowledge and understanding that ultimately leads to innovative breakthroughs.

In order to create delicious new products, companies need to be agile, efficient, and innovative. Flavio continues: “Only by working together can we build the ecosystems necessary to develop the meat and fish alternative proteins of tomorrow. Our ongoing research with Berkeley is a great example of the kind of collaboration that will allow us to imagine the future of alternative proteins. 

Collaborating to explore new technologies

In addition to this research partnership, Givaudan is also actively exploring some of the latest technologies in this space in collaboration with Bühler and Migros, with whom it has formed the Cultured Hub, in Kemptthal, Switzerland, focussing on cultured meat, cultured fish and seafood, and precision fermentation.

The Hub is part of Givaudan’s network of alternative protein innovation centres across four continents that includes MISTA in California, the Protein Innovation Centre in Singapore, the Protein Hub in Zurich, and soon, the Tropical Food Innovation Lab in Brazil.

Download the Protein Horizon white paper here or watch Givaudan’s webinar with a panel of industry experts from consumer insights to venture capital who discuss future technologies for alternative proteins. 

About Givaudan

Givaudan is a global leader in Fragrance & Beauty and Taste & Wellbeing. Together with their customers, the company delivers food experiences, crafts inspired fragrances, and develops beauty and wellbeing solutions that make people look and feel good. With a heritage that stretches back over 250 years, the Givaudan team is 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 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. Discover more at https://www.givaudan.com/taste-wellbeing

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

As President of the EHL Foundation and Holding and CEO & Co-Founder Diamondscull – a company that invests in tech startups – Carole will bring unique insight into the fields of innovation, investment and academia. We recently took the opportunity to sit down with her to talk about the climate crisis, the role of the next generation and why we need to collaborate to shape the future of food.

In your opinion, what has Switzerland got to offer as a food innovation nation?

Profound research, excellent innovative food companies, great chefs to create menus, and intelligent people who don’t only care about our planet but are actually willing to take action to protect it.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities for impact?

No industry, company, institution, or country can tackle the challenges facing our food systems alone. To achieve the goals we’ve set ourselves by 2050 and secure a sustainable future, we need to play together. 

What are the most significant challenges that need to be overcome? 

For me, the key question is: “How can we reshape the way we live to protect the planet that we all call home?” Industry stakeholders, decision-makers, and opinion leaders need to join forces as a matter of urgency to develop concrete plans to move things forward. And, of course, substantial investments on a global scale will also be needed to make these changes happen.

How will we produce, buy and eat food in the future?

The direction we need to head in is clear. We all need to consider how to reduce the ecological footprint of our diets and rethink how and what we eat. I have justified hope that technology will help us find smart ways to nourish Earth’s growing population. But of course, we can’t forget that the very fact that the global population is growing is, in itself, contributing to the climate crisis. 

What role do academic institutions and their industry partners play in shaping the future of food? 

They can launch explorative, interdisciplinary research projects to develop new nutrition, packaging, farming, or waste management solutions. At EHL, as a university of applied science, we anticipate changing consumer demands and industry needs and develop innovative concepts for the hospitality industry.

How can we help young people and budding entreprensurs to develop the mindset and skills needed to reshape our food systems?

By supporting them and trusting them to try new things and experiment. Our new EHL campus, for example, was designed to be a safe space where students can think the unthinkable, speak the unspeakable, and question the obvious. 

Could you tell us a bit more about one of your favourite student-led projects?

Two students from the EHL Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality developed an ambitious sustainability-focused concept called LeftLovers that was used at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. Working together with the resort’s F&B Director, they set up a pop-up restaurant that served new, creative meals made from ingredients that could no longer be used in the hotel’s main restaurant. Wasting food is a total no-go for me, so I really loved this idea. 

And of course, I’m always excited to hear about the latest developments in EHL’s Innovation Village, which brings together a broad range of companies to share knowledge and ideas about the future of food and hospitality industries.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Nestlé has announced that it is exploring emerging technologies for the development of animal-free dairy protein-based products. Its novel product – developed by Nestlé R&D teams in Switzerland – will be piloted in the US market later this year as a test-and-learn.

Piloting a novel product

Nestlé announced yesterday that it is exploring emerging technologies for the development of animal-free dairy protein-based products. This move complements investments the company has made in plant-based meat and dairy alternative offerings over the years to meet the growing consumer demand for nutritious, more environmentally friendly diets.

Nestlé will pilot a novel product through the company’s newly established U.S. R+D Accelerator, bringing it to the U.S. market later this year as a test-and-learn. The product is made with animal-free protein from Perfect Day, a food technology startup company based in Berkeley, California. According to Perfect Day, the protein, made through precision fermentation, is identical to the whey protein found in cow’s milk but is lactose free and suitable for vegans.

A Swiss innovation

The product was developed by Nestlé R&D teams based in Switzerland. With expertise in both great-tasting nutritious dairy and plant-based dairy alternatives, Nestlé is well-equipped to deliver a relevant consumer solution in this emerging space, in collaboration with start-ups and other ecosystem actors.

Heike Steiling, Head of Nestlé’s Development Center for dairy products: “As the world’s largest food and beverage company, delivering foods and beverages that are good for people and the planet is a priority. We are exploring emerging technologies that can lead to animal-friendly alternatives that are nutritious and sustainable, without compromising on taste, flavor, and texture. Bringing together our unmatched R&D expertise, innovation capabilities and scale, we are working to develop and test novel animal-free dairy protein-based products to complement our wide-ranging portfolio of plant-based alternatives.”

Rapid US market entry

The recently created U.S. R+D Accelerator is focused on identifying opportunities and aims to bring highly differentiated product concepts to the market in just six months.

“We are excited to pilot Nestlé’s first animal-free dairy protein-based products through our U.S. R+D Accelerator,” said Joanna Yarbrough, head of the R+D Accelerator. “While this category is still very young, we know consumers are looking for products that have a reduced environmental footprint, and we are evaluating this avenue as a future growth opportunity for our business.”

Through investing in initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy, launching more plant-based dairy alternatives, while exploring emerging technologies for animal-free dairy proteins, Nestlé aims to to transform its dairy product portfolio as a part of its broader commitment to provide food that’s good for people and the planet.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Cultivated Biosciences, an innovative ingredient company founded by Swiss entrepreneurs Tomas Turner and Dimitri Zogg, has just raised a $1.5M pre-seed round. The funding will enable the growing team to further optimize its production processes, research food applications and start product development with their first clients.

Tackling the next frontier in animal-free food

The company’s financing round was led by leading Swiss venture fund Wingman Ventures and involved other leading foodtech venture capital investors such as Big Idea Ventures, Blue Horizon, Proveg International and the FoodHack syndicate. The round is also supported by other founders in the alternative protein space such as the CEO & Co-Founder of US-based foodtech forerunner EVERY Company, Arturo Elizondo and Lukas Böni, Co-Founder of Planted who are both acting as advisors to the company.

“Fats are the next frontier in accelerating the world’s transition to an animal-free food system, and I’m thrilled to be personally backing Cultivated Biosciences and their approach”, said Arturo Elizondo, CEO & Co-Founder of EVERY.

Creamy, clean label dairy alternatives

From their laboratories in Zurich, Cultivated Biosciences are developing a creamy ingredient from GMO-free yeast which offers the mouthfeel needed to make plant-based dairy an alternative for average consumers. The ingredient is clean label and has a sustainable production process. This way, Cultivated ensures that in the future all consumers will be able to enjoy a delicious creamy experience in a kind, sustainable and affordable way. “We are beyond excited to build a solution that will elevate the mouthfeel of the plant-based dairy category and ensure that it’s simply better and cheaper than its factory farmed equivalent,” adds Tomas Turner, CEO & Co-Founder.

Arman Anatürk from FoodHack syndicate commented “I’ve been lucky to watch Tomas and the team develop Cultivated Biosciences since their early days, and the progress they’ve made in such a short time is what really convinced us. We all want to reduce our carbon footprint and eat more plant-based dairy, and Cultivated Biosciences are there to make this future possible – and tasty.”

Next steps

In 2023 the company will start testing its creamy ingredient with selected clients for high-value savoury applications and is open to working with partners, especially from the Swiss gastronomy sector and the European and US FoodTech ecosystem. 

About Cultivated Biosciences

SA Cultivated is a food and biotech startup solving the problem of texture in plant-based dairy. It is developing an ingredient from GMO-free yeast, which offers the creaminess needed for plant-based dairy to appeal to flexitarian consumers. This ingredient has the same texture and color as dairy products, low lipid oxidation and natural emulsification properties. The team has been backed by leading investors in the field and won several grants and awards in Switzerland and Europe. Featured in several reports from the Good Food Industry, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute and articles from food magazines, the solution has driven huge excitement from food producers. 

Find out more on the the Cultivated Biosciences website.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Swiss Foodtech startup Planted, known for its clean-label biostructured meat, successfully closed its series B financing round of CHF 70 million. The round was led by L Catterton, the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm. Planted will use the funds to launch its new whole-cut line of products including its chicken breast, further its international expansion, and increase production capacity.

Europe’s fastest growing alternative protein company

Founded in July 2019, Planted, the ETH Zurich spin-off produces delicious meat from alternative proteins such as peas, oats, and sunflowers. Planted focuses on creating the perfect bite with clean-label ingredients through its novel biostructuring approach, which combines protein structuring and fermentation. L Catterton is joined by existing investors such as Vorwerk Ventures, Gullspång re:food, Movendo, Be8 Ventures, ACE, ETH Zürich Foundation, Joyance, Yann Sommer, as well as new investor Tengelmann Ventures.

For Planted’s Co-Founder Christoph Jenny, the Series B investment reflects the traction the company sees in the market and with investors. “We are proud to be Europe’s fastest growing alternative protein company, with a strong track record, despite our nascency, in established markets like Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and France, and early traction in new markets like the UK and Italy. With the additional capital, we will further accelerate our international growth, expand our product range with a line of whole-cut products, and build an additional production site.”

Jenny added, “Current plant-based meat technologies and solutions are not able to replace more than 1-3% of meat consumption, and therefore are not having the required impact on our food system. Consumers argue that this is due to a lack of taste, an overall unattractive price, and questionable ingredients. For meat-eaters to make a switch, it is crucial that we create ‘better meat than animals’ – meaning better taste, price, lower environmental impact, good ingredients, and healthiness. It is these parameters that are always at our focus”.

Contributing to healthier, more sustainable food systems

A Managing Partner in the Growth Fund of L Catterton said “It is an honor to partner with Planted in its mission to revolutionize the way meat and protein-rich foods are consumed globally. Not only are their products inspired by nature, but they are also free of unnatural ingredients, scalable, and able to be easily incorporated into consumers’ daily lives. With food as a strong lever to promote human health and environmental stability, Planted directly contributes to creating a healthier and more sustainable food system. We have strong conviction in the company’s continued growth, as more people across the globe continue to adopt alternative proteins into their lives.”

Launching whole cuts

Powered by its unique biostructuring process that combines protein structuring and biotechnology, Planted is launching its whole-cut product range. This proprietary technology allows Planted to design and produce larger pieces of meat with complex structure, texture, juiciness, and tenderness. Planted is convinced that biostructured proteins will outperform animal meat in the future in terms of taste, sustainability, health, efficiency, and price.  

“We are currently in the final phase of launching various whole-cut products such as our chicken tenders, chicken patties, and chicken breasts. These are the first larger cuts of meat on the market without additives. We are aiming to launch these products in foodservice first with retail distribution following shortly thereafter. As such, our chicken breast launch is being kicked off in collaboration with Michelin star chef Tim Raue and will be available to guests in his restaurant in Berlin as of 15th September 2022, followed by further launches in the foodservice sector,” says Christoph.  

Additionally, more than 65 employees who work in Planted’s science, engineering and product development departments have been developing several other promising prototypes. “Now we need to test these prototypes with consumers, fine-tune them, and scale them. Strong backing by investors gives us the ability to fast-track testing and put substantial resources behind scaling the products to enable successful launches across our various sales channels within the coming months,” Christoph continues. 

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News