The Protein Brewery raises €30m to fuel mycoprotein ingredient innovation

The Protein Brewery, a Dutch start-up innovating in fungi-based ingredients, has successfully closed a €30 million Series B funding round.

The funding will strengthen the company’s commercial presence and advance its innovation platform, including its proprietary mycoprotein ingredient Fermotein. The food-tech start-up, based in Breda, the Netherlands, aims to expand its production capacity to serve food manufacturers around the world.

New investors Invest-NL and the Brabant Development Agency joined the round, alongside existing investors Novo Holdings, Unovis Asset Management and Madeli.

Following its Series A round four years ago, The Protein Brewery has been preparing for the commercialisation of Fermotein at scale. In particular, the funding will strengthen sales and application expertise to ensure Fermotein meets the needs of global manufacturers and support its commercialisation in the US and Europe.

The company’s facility in Mijkenbroek will also benefit from expanded capabilities thanks to the funding, aiming to prepare for large-scale production and the creation of new innovation possibilities in nutrition and product applications.

Fermotein is a high-protein, high-fibre ingredient made from The Protein Brewery’s proprietary fungal strain, exclusively leveraged for mycoprotein. Thanks to its neutral taste and odourless nature, it is designed for easy integration into a range of product applications including baked goods, snacks, dairy alternatives, and nutritional products like protein bars, shakes and meal replacement drinks.

The ingredient is designed for versatility and scalability – the company said Fermotein’s production is ‘significantly less’ capital-intensive than many other alternative proteins, allowing for more cost-efficient scaling and tackling common industry hurdles.

Thanks to the solution’s blend of high-quality protein and essential fibres, the start-up is also exploring its role in satiety and metabolic health, particularly GLP-1 pathways.

Thijs Bosch, CEO of The Protein Brewery, said: “The Protein Brewery is ready to lead the protein and fibre transition. We are now entering a defining moment: all building blocks of operation are in place, and we are ready to accelerate.”

The Protein Brewery is launching Fermotein with several US customers in the coming months, and is also expanding its business in Singapore. The commercial team is also preparing for UK and EU market launch, which will follow once the regulatory approvals are in place.

Bosch concluded: “We see this as a defining moment – not just for The Protein Brewery, but for the next generation of the food ecosystem. The future of protein is about quality, nutrition and sustainability, and this funding ensures we will play a key role in that future.”