What does the next wave of plant-based innovation look like?

How ProVeg Incubator alumni are quietly redefining the food sector

The ProVeg Incubator works with some of the most promising startups in the plant-based and alternative protein space. Based in Berlin, the programme backs early-stage ventures developing sustainable alternatives to animal products – from precision-fermented proteins and cultivated fats to upcycled ingredients and regional ready-meals. 

These are the kinds of companies shaping what the next decade of food will look like: more efficient, less resource-intensive, and better aligned with consumer demand. For anyone watching the evolution of food systems or building in this space themselves, the Incubator offers a useful window into where innovation is heading and which ideas are gaining traction.

Alongside funding and expert guidance, startups on the programme gain access to a network of investors, researchers, and corporate partners. The portfolio is deliberately broad, reflecting the complexity of the sector. It includes both technical platforms and market-ready products, from core ingredient systems to finished goods.

This round-up focuses on the current cohort, with a few recent alumni included whose work highlights where the sector is moving next.

A shared focus on practical innovation

The latest startups, Cohort 13 of the Incubator, include businesses developing new ways to produce ingredients more efficiently, whether by growing them through fermentation, engineering them in crops, or recovering them from waste streams. While technologies vary, each is aimed at making sustainable food systems easier to scale and adopt.

Protein innovation underway

Several startups are addressing protein challenges in diverse ways. Updairy, for example, operating between Brazil and Singapore, uses filamentous fungi to produce whey protein via precision fermentation. In Israel, Finally Foods is growing casein in potatoes using molecular farming and AI.

Cohort 12 alumni, Atlantic Fish in the United States, is developing cultivated white fish, including black sea bass, through a cell‑suspension system. AlProtein,  also from cohort 12, and active in Egypt and the US, transforms microalgae and water lentils into protein ingredients without requiring arable land or freshwater. MycoVibes Biotech in Poland uses shiitake‑derived mycoprotein grown on food‑waste substrates. 

Ingredient and formulation tools

Some 2024 alumni focus on enabling capabilities rather than consumer-ready products. Optimized Foods in California has created MycoCarrier, a mycelium-based platform for encapsulating fats, flavours, and nutrients. In Singapore, Fisheroo offers cell lines, supplements, and bioprocess tools to ease the production of cultivated meat.

Tackling fat functionality

KaYama Foods in Israel has developed a plant-based fat that mimics animal-fat performance without cholesterol or high saturated fat. In Poland, Planeat produces plant-based meat and seafood analogues — such as beef tartare and pulled pork — using a fat-replacement system tuned for mouthfeel and culinary texture.

Circular and waste‑driven ingredients

Mindful FÜD in Canada makes a bee‑free honey alternative from surplus apples, harvested before they reach supermarkets. The founders refer to them as apples that “didn’t win the retail beauty pageant.” The resulting sweetener replaces honey, agave, or syrup, stays pourable, resists crystallisation, and is certified organic and allergen‑free. In Austria, Freundeskreis uses apricot kernels to create Camembert-style cheese via natural fermentation. Germany’s Brew Bites converts spent brewer’s grain and pumpkin seed flour into savoury protein chunks for foodservice and B2B clients.

Regional dishes and pet food innovation

Some of the most innovative startups are exploring underserved categories. Meatless Kingdom in Indonesia, for example, produces plant-based rendang and jerky using mushrooms and soya. Remarkably, Profillet in Canada recreates flaky white fish fillets without heating or freezing, allowing smoother integration into existing production lines.

Cohort 12 alumnus Friends & Family Pet Food in the US uses cultivated and yeast-sourced proteins to develop complete pet food diets, guided by veterinary nutrition standards. They are engaged with the US FDA’s Centre for Veterinary Medicine ahead of a planned 2025 launch.

Practical work, real impact

Most ProVeg Incubator alumni focus on specific, often overlooked challenges, from enhancing the functionality of animal‑free fats to recovering usable protein from waste. Their aim is to improve existing products, remove barriers to scale, and enhance performance in real-world settings. Each venture has refined its approach through the ProVeg Incubator, benefiting from structured testing, partnership opportunities, and market readiness support.

Join the Demo Day

On Thursday 18 September, all 10 startups from the current Cohort 13 will pitch live at the ProVeg Incubator Demo Day. This free, online event offers insight into where food innovation is heading, with live investor feedback, Q&A interaction, and an audience vote. It’s ideal for investors, entrepreneurs in food and agri, or anyone considering applying to the Incubator themselves.

Secure your spot via Eventbrite

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