Valley partner Upgrain wins the Swiss Sustainability Impact Award

Valley partner and Appenzell-based startup UpGrain has been honored with the Swiss Sustainability Impact Award at this year’s START Summit in St. Gallen for its achievements in food upcycling.

The award ceremony took place at Olma Messen St. Gallen. As Europe’s largest student-organised startup conference, the event provides a platform for startups to showcase their innovations and connect with potential investors and industry representatives.

“This award is a great honour for our team and a validation of our work in sustainable food production. We are thrilled by this recognition and see it as motivation to further develop our technology and expand internationally,” says Vincent Vida, CEO of UpGrain.

Innovative use of brewer’s spent grain

UpGrain has developed a novel process for refining brewer’s spent grain, a by-product of beer production. In collaboration with Brauerei Locher, the company launched Europe’s largest spent grain processing facility last year. The plant processes approximately 25,000 tonnes of spent grain annually into proteins, fiber, and other valuable ingredients for the food industry. These ingredients can be used as flour substitutes, to enhance texture in baked goods and meat alternatives, and as a base for protein-rich snacks and beverages.

This process helps reduce CO₂ emissions, conserves water, and decreases the need for farmland traditionally used for protein sources like wheat or soy. Brauerei Locher alone saves over 5,500 tonnes of CO₂ annually through this method. The technology is internationally scalable and is already proving its value in the food industry with initial production lines in operation.

Integration into Swiss army rations

Recently, the Swiss Army has begun incorporating spent grain-based foods as a sustainable meat alternative in soldiers’ rations. Under its brewbee brand, Brauerei Locher produces these foods using its own brewer’s spent grain, processed with UpGrain’s technology. These products meet the military’s high standards for nutritional value and satiety.

Aurèle Meyer, Managing Director of Brauerei Locher, highlights the significance of this development: “UpGrain has created a scalable food upcycling innovation that allows us to repurpose our brewery’s by-products in multiple ways.”

UpGrain had already won the START Summit in 2021 – at the time, as a startup idea. With the support and prize money from that recognition, UpGrain was able to secure Brauerei Locher as a partner and build its spent grain processing facility in Appenzell. “Without the START Summit, we wouldn’t be where we are today – at the forefront of the fight against food waste, with Europe’s largest spent grain processing plant in full operation,” says Vincent Vida.

About Upgrain

Founded in 2021 and based in Appenzell, UpGrain AG is an innovative company dedicated to the sustainable utilization of by-products from beer production. Using advanced upcycling technologies, UpGrain transforms brewer’s spent grain into high-quality protein and fiber powders. Its product range—UpGrain Protein, UpGrain Fiber, and UpGrain Classic—can be used in a wide variety of baked goods, pasta, and snack formulations. These ingredients provide an environmentally friendly alternative for the food industry, contributing to a more resource-efficient production system. More information: www.upgrain.ch

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