Plant-based food startup Yumame Foods closes pre-seed funding round: Interview with the founder
12.04.2023
Yumame Foods, a Swiss foodtech startup that develops and produces vegan products, announced the closure of its first funding round. We talked to founder and CEO Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld about what the funding means for the startup.
 Yumame Foods' founder and CEO Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld
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Founded in 2021, Yumame Foods develops and produces vegan meat alternatives appealing to consumers motivated by the need to improve environmental sustainability, health, and animal welfare. Various industry reports predict that the global market for meat alternatives will experience strong growth in the coming years and reach a multi-billion dollar value by 2030.
Despite the momentum in the category, current plant-based meat analogs still struggle to attract and maintain consumers. Products that strive to imitate conventional meat frequently contain artificial flavors and a long list of ingredients yet fail to achieve a natural mouthfeel and texture. The sustainability credentials of many plant-based meat types have also come under scrutiny due to long supply and distribution chains.
Yumame Foods has chosen a different approach. The startup blends fungi and fermentation to create vegan meat alternatives: instead of aiming to simulate animal products, Yumame's products have a unique taste and texture and undergo minimal processing. Their proprietary formulations were developed in collaboration with chefs and fermentation specialists.
The company, which has received financial support from Innosuisse and the startup program Venture Kick, now announced a new investment round supported by Italian food company Molino Quaglia S.p.A. and Swiss company Juna Holding AG. The funds will go toward optimizing the production capacity, the product's shelf life, and the nutrient profile ahead of its launch on the Swiss market, as well as toward marketing and consumer testing of the product ahead of launch.
From left to right: Philipp Balmer of Juna Holding AG, Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld, Francesco Quaglia, and Lucio Quaglia of Molino Quaglia S.p.A.
"We are thrilled to have closed this investment round with the support of leading investors, who have profound knowledge of the food industry and business development," said Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld, founder and CEO of Yumame Foods. "This achievement is a sign of confidence in our approach. The funds will enable us to better address consumers' need for tasty, simple, and local foods that are nutritious and convenient to use in place of meat."
"We are really pleased to support Yumame Foods in this important step into the domestic market and to prove that food can be made fundamentally more sustainable by using local resources and efficient production methods," said Philipp Balmer, CEO of Juna Holding AG. “It is also a key milestone in terms of the future internationalization of the products and extension into other food categories,” added Lucio Quaglia, CEO of Molino Quaglia S.p.A.
How will this investment help you achieve your vision?
Our mission is to contribute to a more sustainable food system. To that end, we have developed food products that can help each of us reduce our meat consumption without sacrificing enjoyment and without resorting to ultra-processed plant-based meat substitutes. We have developed Yumame's products so that they achieve a unique and delicious taste, and are healthy, minimally processed, and locally produced. These new financial resources will accelerate the industrialization of these products and further support the marketing and sales activities for their launch in the Swiss market, which we are very excited about.
You won Venture Kick's first state in 2022 and its second stage in 2023. How did it help you lay the foundation for your growth and today's achievement?
We are very pleased to be part of the Venture Kick program and to have received its funding and trust. I had already been in contact with Venture Kick in my previous professional life and experienced the value of the program from the perspective of a corporate partner, but being part of it with Yumame Foods has added a new and further dimension to my appreciation for it. Venture Kick's support went well beyond the financial contribution. The exposure to the program's experienced investors and mentors helped us refine our offering and expand our network. In addition, the Venture Kick team has continuously and generously supported us with passion and tailored advice. Their entrepreneurial mindset is very inspiring.
When, and what, was your inspiration to found Yumame?
We started from the firm belief that people will become more and more aware of the impact of the food they purchase on the environment and their health and will reduce their consumption of animal products, such as meat or dairy. They will ever more look for animal-free products that are truly healthy and sustainable, and yet taste great. Based on our years of experience in the food industry, it was clear to us that today's alternatives to animal products only partially meet these needs, and we took on the challenge of finding a solution. We decided to pursue this objective with the focus, speed, and agility that only a startup can have. That was the birth of Yumame Foods!
What is your advice for the potential foodtech entrepreneurs launching companies in Switzerland today?
In my opinion, Switzerland is one of the best countries to start a food business: It hosts world-class food manufacturers and food technology companies, highly respected research institutes, and has a strong governmental agency for innovation Innosuisse, and a growing investor base. It is also a country where many nationalities live together, and consumers generally have a high awareness of the impact of their food choices on health and the environment and are interested in trying new products. The fact that purchasing power is high helps new food companies test new products at an early stage. I advise potential foodtech entrepreneurs to put Switzerland onto their strategy map as a fantastic "experience camp" for their food startups to prepare for their international growth.
Despite the momentum in the category, current plant-based meat analogs still struggle to attract and maintain consumers. Products that strive to imitate conventional meat frequently contain artificial flavors and a long list of ingredients yet fail to achieve a natural mouthfeel and texture. The sustainability credentials of many plant-based meat types have also come under scrutiny due to long supply and distribution chains.
Yumame Foods has chosen a different approach. The startup blends fungi and fermentation to create vegan meat alternatives: instead of aiming to simulate animal products, Yumame's products have a unique taste and texture and undergo minimal processing. Their proprietary formulations were developed in collaboration with chefs and fermentation specialists.
The company, which has received financial support from Innosuisse and the startup program Venture Kick, now announced a new investment round supported by Italian food company Molino Quaglia S.p.A. and Swiss company Juna Holding AG. The funds will go toward optimizing the production capacity, the product's shelf life, and the nutrient profile ahead of its launch on the Swiss market, as well as toward marketing and consumer testing of the product ahead of launch.
From left to right: Philipp Balmer of Juna Holding AG, Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld, Francesco Quaglia, and Lucio Quaglia of Molino Quaglia S.p.A.
"We are thrilled to have closed this investment round with the support of leading investors, who have profound knowledge of the food industry and business development," said Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld, founder and CEO of Yumame Foods. "This achievement is a sign of confidence in our approach. The funds will enable us to better address consumers' need for tasty, simple, and local foods that are nutritious and convenient to use in place of meat."
"We are really pleased to support Yumame Foods in this important step into the domestic market and to prove that food can be made fundamentally more sustainable by using local resources and efficient production methods," said Philipp Balmer, CEO of Juna Holding AG. “It is also a key milestone in terms of the future internationalization of the products and extension into other food categories,” added Lucio Quaglia, CEO of Molino Quaglia S.p.A.
"Switzerland is one of the best countries to start a food business": Interview with Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld
How will this investment help you achieve your vision?
Our mission is to contribute to a more sustainable food system. To that end, we have developed food products that can help each of us reduce our meat consumption without sacrificing enjoyment and without resorting to ultra-processed plant-based meat substitutes. We have developed Yumame's products so that they achieve a unique and delicious taste, and are healthy, minimally processed, and locally produced. These new financial resources will accelerate the industrialization of these products and further support the marketing and sales activities for their launch in the Swiss market, which we are very excited about.
You won Venture Kick's first state in 2022 and its second stage in 2023. How did it help you lay the foundation for your growth and today's achievement?
We are very pleased to be part of the Venture Kick program and to have received its funding and trust. I had already been in contact with Venture Kick in my previous professional life and experienced the value of the program from the perspective of a corporate partner, but being part of it with Yumame Foods has added a new and further dimension to my appreciation for it. Venture Kick's support went well beyond the financial contribution. The exposure to the program's experienced investors and mentors helped us refine our offering and expand our network. In addition, the Venture Kick team has continuously and generously supported us with passion and tailored advice. Their entrepreneurial mindset is very inspiring.
When, and what, was your inspiration to found Yumame?
We started from the firm belief that people will become more and more aware of the impact of the food they purchase on the environment and their health and will reduce their consumption of animal products, such as meat or dairy. They will ever more look for animal-free products that are truly healthy and sustainable, and yet taste great. Based on our years of experience in the food industry, it was clear to us that today's alternatives to animal products only partially meet these needs, and we took on the challenge of finding a solution. We decided to pursue this objective with the focus, speed, and agility that only a startup can have. That was the birth of Yumame Foods!
What is your advice for the potential foodtech entrepreneurs launching companies in Switzerland today?
In my opinion, Switzerland is one of the best countries to start a food business: It hosts world-class food manufacturers and food technology companies, highly respected research institutes, and has a strong governmental agency for innovation Innosuisse, and a growing investor base. It is also a country where many nationalities live together, and consumers generally have a high awareness of the impact of their food choices on health and the environment and are interested in trying new products. The fact that purchasing power is high helps new food companies test new products at an early stage. I advise potential foodtech entrepreneurs to put Switzerland onto their strategy map as a fantastic "experience camp" for their food startups to prepare for their international growth.