Cultivated Biosciences raises USD 1.5 million Pre-Seed to start product development of its innovative animal-free food
06.09.2022
Fats and mouthfeel are the next frontiers in transitioning to an animal-free food system. Cultivated Biosciences, an innovative ingredient company founded by Swiss entrepreneurs Tomas Turner and Dimitri Zogg, has just raised a USD 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 its first clients. We interviewed Tomas Turner Co-Founder and CEO to know more about the creation of his startup and his entrepreneurial path.
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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. Other founders also support the round 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.
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 manner.
“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. 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.
We interviewed Tomas Turner Co-Founder and CEO to know more about the creation of his startup and his entrepreneurial path.
Tomas, Cultivated Biosciences won CHF 50,000 at Venture Kick stage 2 in 2022. How did it help you lay the foundation for your growth and today's achievement?
The funding allowed us to rent our own lab in which we could advance on the technology. Additionally passing Venture Kick is well-seen by Swiss investors so it also increased the trust of investors in what we are doing.
When, and what, was your inspiration to found Cultivated Biosciences?
I first learned about the alternative protein sector thanks to my involvement in Effective Altruism. Through this, I met several members of the Good Food Institute, the main NGO coordinating the industry.
In 2019, under the supervision of Lukas Boni, the co-founder, of Planted Foods I obtained first-hand experience as an R&D intern at Planted, Zurich, and got inspired to continue working in the industry.
Through my network, I then learned that innovations in microbially produced fats were mostly neglected despite the fact that they had a good chance of upending the sector.
Therefore I did my Master's thesis on the microbial production microbial of milk fat. When tested his extraction method, instead of getting pure fat, he got a white creamy ingredient, which I quickly realized has a great mouthfeel
What is your advice for the potential fooddtech entrepreneurs launching companies in Switzerland today?
So many people are willing to help with advice, and contacts but also the infrastructure to launch a startup. Don't hesitate to ask!
Additionally use the rich resources of the swiss universities and universities of applied sciences. A lot of equipment and knowledge is sitting in these great institutions waiting to be used by creative minds.
Cultivated Biosciences Founders: Co-founder & CTO Dimitri Zogg, and CEO & Co-Founder Tomas Turner
"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.
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 manner.“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. 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.
We interviewed Tomas Turner Co-Founder and CEO to know more about the creation of his startup and his entrepreneurial path.
Tomas, Cultivated Biosciences won CHF 50,000 at Venture Kick stage 2 in 2022. How did it help you lay the foundation for your growth and today's achievement?The funding allowed us to rent our own lab in which we could advance on the technology. Additionally passing Venture Kick is well-seen by Swiss investors so it also increased the trust of investors in what we are doing.
When, and what, was your inspiration to found Cultivated Biosciences?
I first learned about the alternative protein sector thanks to my involvement in Effective Altruism. Through this, I met several members of the Good Food Institute, the main NGO coordinating the industry.
In 2019, under the supervision of Lukas Boni, the co-founder, of Planted Foods I obtained first-hand experience as an R&D intern at Planted, Zurich, and got inspired to continue working in the industry.
Through my network, I then learned that innovations in microbially produced fats were mostly neglected despite the fact that they had a good chance of upending the sector.
Therefore I did my Master's thesis on the microbial production microbial of milk fat. When tested his extraction method, instead of getting pure fat, he got a white creamy ingredient, which I quickly realized has a great mouthfeel
What is your advice for the potential fooddtech entrepreneurs launching companies in Switzerland today?
So many people are willing to help with advice, and contacts but also the infrastructure to launch a startup. Don't hesitate to ask!
Additionally use the rich resources of the swiss universities and universities of applied sciences. A lot of equipment and knowledge is sitting in these great institutions waiting to be used by creative minds.
Cultivated Biosciences Founders: Co-founder & CTO Dimitri Zogg, and CEO & Co-Founder Tomas Turner