Swiss food ingredient start-up Yeastup has officially opened its first industrial-scale production facility, marking a significant milestone in the commercialisation of brewer’s yeast-derived proteins and fibres for food and beverage applications.

The new site is located in Lyss, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It is capable of processing up to 40 hectolitres of spent brewer’s yeast per hour, turning the byproduct into high-value, vegan-friendly ingredients.

The facility launch coincides with Yeastup’s transition from pilot production to industrial readiness with regular production scheduled to begin early next year.

Founded in 2020, Yeastup has developed a patented extraction process that isolates functional protein and fibre fractions from spent brewer’s yeast. The company’s two flagship ingredients are Yeastin, a functional yeast protein, and UpFibre Beta-Glucan, a dietary fibre ingredient.

The Lyss facility represents an investment of approximately CHF 10 million (approx. £9.4 million), funded through venture capital alongside multi-year research collaborations with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). The production site spans around 1,700-square-metres and currently employs 16 staff.

Following an initial pilot phase, Yeastup has already expanded processing capacity from 1,600–4,000 litres of yeast per hour, with plans to move towards continuous round-the-clock operations.

The company is now preparing a Series A funding round to support further scale-up, product development and international market expansion.