Upcycling has emerged as a golden opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers to embrace circular economy principles, as reducing waste and minimising environmental footprints remain high priorities. In the plant-based sector, where sustainability credentials are under close scrutiny, this planet-friendly approach is helping deliver cleaner, greener ingredients. Here, we take a look at some of the start-ups making waves in this space.

Upcycled Plant Power

Based in Shropshire, UK, food-tech start-up Upcycled Plant Power (UPP) creates sustainable protein products from previously wasted broccoli crops.

The company’s solutions – Prota, a protein ingredient, and Fiba, a fibre ingredient – are plant-based and free from common allergens. Applications range from meat substitute products to soups and sauces, baked goods and pet food.

Its system uses automated broccoli harvesting to transform 70% of the plant – normally discarded – into high-value ingredients, helping manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint and support UK food security goals.

UPP’s self-powered robotic harvesting system, Harvesta, identifies market-ready broccoli heads in real time. It was recently trialled in Lincolnshire and Scotland, successfully enabling the harvest of three rows simultaneously at up to 5km per hour. This method aims to transform the harvest economics of a crop that is typically picked manually, while accelerating the supply of side-stream materials UPP uses in its patent-filed ingredient production process.

Recently, it secured £3.5 million in funding to support the scaling of its technology, as well as the launch of its ingredients on the UK market.

Picture above: © Upcycled Plant Power

Green Spot Technologies

French start-up Green Spot Technologies is developing Milatea, a range of fermented ingredients made from food industry side-streams.

Operating from its facility in Carpentras, France, the company upcycles various plant-based

byproducts into premium ingredients to align with a circular and low-carbon food system. These ingredients are designed for bakers, pastry chefs and chocolatiers.

Side-streams used include pulps, skins and seeds from fruits, vegetables and legumes, such as apples, fava beans and grapes, as well as cereals and grains. Green Spot noted that while the pulps, skins and seeds are often the most nutrient-rich parts of fruits and vegetables, they can be difficult to digest and are sometimes associated with high sugar content and acidity.

The company’s patented fermentation technology aims to unlock the value of these components, which have historically been underutilised in food and beverage manufacturing. Green Spot partners with businesses such as breweries and wineries to source byproducts like spent grains, grape skins and apple pomace.

Using a non-GMO fermentation culture, sugars and anti-nutritional factors are consumed while protein quality and taste are enhanced, resulting in a nutritious powdered ingredient with functional benefits.

Green Spot recently raised €5 million in funding, which will support plans to increase production capacity tenfold, from 100 to 1,000 tonnes per year.

Oishii

US-based vertical farming company Oishii has unveiled a limited-edition artisanal jam collection made using upcycled premium strawberries.

Marking the company’s debut in the gourmet pantry category and its first expansion beyond fresh produce, the range aims to reduce food waste by upcycling imperfect or surplus strawberries grown in Oishii’s vertical farms.

Oishii co-founder and CEO, Hiroki Koga, said the collection reflects “exceptional taste” and the Japanese concept of ichigo ichie – the idea of “treasuring fleeting moments”.

Koga stated: “These jams are a true celebration of the unique flavours I grew up with in Japan and a reflection of our mission to bring innovative, elevated culinary experiences to US consumers”.

The Daifuku-Inspired Strawberry Spread blends Oishii strawberries with koshian red bean paste, drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese mochi desserts. Meanwhile, the Strawberry Yuzu Preserves, developed with Shimano, combine strawberries and Japanese yuzu citrus for a bright, tangy flavour.

This upcycling initiative follows the launch of Oishii’s Wabi-sabi Berries in early 2025, as part of the company’s mission to reduce food waste. They are smaller berries, picked at peak ripeness regardless of size, launched in partnership with grocery delivery service Misfits Market.

Mottainai Food Tech

Mottainai Food Tech is a Singapore-based start-up transforming food waste into novel alternative protein ingredients.

Its pilot-scale manufacturing facility and R&D lab, opened in 2025, is claimed to be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. It is dedicated to solid-state fermentation of upcycled plant-based proteins.

The site is designed to upcycle approximately 100 tonnes of food manufacturing byproducts annually at full capacity. These include okara, a soya-based pulp commonly discarded after tofu and soya milk production.

The company said its pilot-scale operation alone could address around 1% of Singapore’s okara waste. In 2024, the country recycled roughly 138,000 tonnes, or 18%, of total food waste, much of which would otherwise be incinerated or landfilled. Mottainai aims to build momentum behind Singapore’s national sustainability goals while unlocking new pathways for food innovation.

Mottainai’s flagship fermented plant-based protein, Jiro Meat, is a meat alternative created using okara byproducts fed to microorganisms during solid-state fermentation. The ingredient is high in fibre and low in saturated fat.

The company is also innovating in upcycled functional beverages, producing a kombucha called ReLeaf made from spent tea leaves.

Fungu’it

French start-up Fungu’it creates natural flavourings made from agricultural byproducts, targeting growing demand for sustainable and natural ingredient solutions.

Based in Dijon, France, the company uses solid state fermentation to convert materials like flaxseed press cake, sunflower residues and legumes into natural flavourings. Its approach centres on resource efficiency, with claims of reduced water and energy use compared with traditional production methods.

Fungu’it’s portfolio includes a meaty umami flavouring for plant-based foods, alongside a chocolate alternative capable of replacing up to 25% of cocoa in formulations. This supports circular economy practices while also addressing broader food security ambitions, easing pressure on tropical ingredients as the industry grapples with volatility across cocoa supply chains and other vulnerable raw commodities.

Last summer, the company secured €4 million in funding to scale up production of its solutions. The investment is being used to support the construction of an industrial pilot plant, alongside securing patents, expanding its ingredient portfolio and growing its sales team, with a particular focus on the plant-based food category.

Anas Erridaoui, CEO and co-founder of Fungu’it, said: “Our technology revolutionises the creation of natural, sustainable and high-performance flavourings, while upcycling often wasted byproducts. This circular, innovative approach is established as a key driver of transformation for the agro-food sector, moving towards a healthy, long-lasting and affordable diet.”

MaGie Creations

Dutch food-tech company MaGie Creations has unveiled what it describes as a world-first: an emulsifier made from upcycled brewer’s grain.

The company collaborates with breweries to collect byproducts from the beer industry, transforming this waste into sustainable, clean label food ingredients. Brewer’s grain accounts for up to 85% of brewing byproducts, and is often discarded or used as animal feed.

MaGie’s technology converts this nutrient-rich byproduct, a source of protein and fibre, into scalable, food-grade ingredients. Its flagship emulsifier, PowerBond, offers a more natural alternative to synthetic emulsifiers, catering to consumers seeking less artificial ingredients amid growing awareness of ultra-processed foods.

The solution is suitable for use across wide-ranging applications, including meat alternatives and baked goods.

Ellen van der Starre, product development lead at MaGie, said: “We need comprehensive, systemic solutions that begin with reimagining food production. By thoroughly studying brewer’s grain, we uncovered the inherent functional properties embedded within this valuable biomass – enabling us to create PowerBond, an emulsifier that requires minimal processing of the raw material only, whilst avoiding the creation of new residue streams.”