ZURICH, Switzerland, 2nd of September 2025 – Two years after its founders set out to build “Europe’s first venture studio dedicated to transforming food tech research into real, impactful companies,” FOOD FOUNDERS Studio today announced the successful completion of its initial funding round and the launch of its first venture, bringing evidence that building business cases around academic innovation in food tech is not only possible, but investable despite a tough investment climate.

The Switzerland-based studio has secured CHF 1.2 million in founding capital from a consortium of visionary private investors, including a prominent Swiss family office serving as anchor investor. The funding supports the studio’s mission to commercialize breakthrough food technologies currently trapped in R&D labs, starting with those of  European universities.

Overcoming Industry Doubt

When FOOD FOUNDERS Studio began fundraising, the founders encountered significant resistance from the investment community. “We heard it all,” said Giacomo Cattaneo, Founder of FOOD FOUNDERS Studio. “Sustainable food is not a trend anymore, food-tech is dead. Investors don’t understand venture studios and won’t invest in food anymore. University partnerships take forever.”

Despite these challenges, the team persisted with their vision to address a critical gap in European food innovation: while Europe generates incredible food research, most of it stays trapped in university labs due to ineffective traditional tech transfer mechanisms.

First Venture significantly improves taste of plant-based products

“Our inaugural venture tackles one of the plant-based industry’s most significant obstacles: legumes’ off-flavors that prevent mass market adoption,” said Alexandre Morel, Co-founder and CTO of FOOD FOUNDERS Studio. “The proprietary technology, developed through our first university partnership, offers a scalable, cost-effective solution that significantly improves taste while reducing formulation costs, more than any competing solution we’ve seen so far.”

“This technology addresses exactly what the industry desperately needs: better taste,” noted the studio’s inaugural CEO, who will be formally introduced in the coming weeks as she begins leading the new venture. “By solving the off-flavor challenge, a problem known to all up to the consumers and yet never truly solved despite many claims, we’re enabling food manufacturers to create products that can win on deliciousness, not just sustainability credentials.”

Proving the Model Works

The successful launch provides the first evidence for systematic innovation’s potential to work across the food system, for European research to be the foundation of global solutions, and that investors will back bold visions when execution is solid. 

“What is unique about our venture studio model is the systematic approach to de-risking food tech innovation,” said Robert Boer, Investment Director at FOOD FOUNDERS Studio and former Investment Director at Blue Horizon. “This model addresses the fundamental disconnect between breakthrough university research and commercial viability that has plagued food tech for years, in a way that delivers both meaningful returns for investors and scalable impact for our food system.”

Building the Innovation Ecosystem

FOOD FOUNDERS Studio operates on a systematic venture-building model, working directly with university partners, exceptional founders, and industry stakeholders. The company serves as the bridge that companies starved for R&D resources need to access breakthrough solutions.

The studio serves as a platform bringing together mission-aligned stakeholders, from scientists with breakthrough food technologies and exceptional founders to strategic industry partners, all committed to building the future of food through collaborative innovation.

Looking ahead, FOOD FOUNDERS Studio will soon introduce its Advisory Board, Investment Director, and inaugural CEO, while continuing to develop its pipeline of university-sourced innovations.

Boilerplate

About FOOD FOUNDERS Studio Founded in 2025 and based in Zurich, Switzerland, FOOD FOUNDERS Studio is Europe’s first specialized venture studio focused on transforming breakthrough food technology research from European universities into market-ready B2B startups. The company addresses the broken innovation pipeline between academic research and commercial food solutions through systematic venture building and strategic industry partnerships. FOOD FOUNDERS Studio is co-founded by Giacomo Cattaneo, who previously co-founded EverGrain by AB InBev, scaling sustainable proteins from upcycled brewer’s grains, and Alexandre Morel, who previously invented and implemented the world’s first production process for cultivated beef fillet at Mirai Foods. Robert Boer, who recently joined the team, was formerly Investment Director at Blue Horizon where he managed their 60+ Seed portfolio.  Media Contact: info@foodfounders.studio