The Tofoo Co Strengthens Plant Protein Portfolio with Acquisition of Germany’s Topas
UK tofu leader The Tofoo Co is set to acquire German seitan producer Topas, best known for its Wheaty brand, ahead of a planned launch in Europe’s largest plant-based market this year.
As it sets its sights on European expansion, The Tofoo Co is expanding its plant protein footprint with the acquisition of a major seitan producer.
The UK company has entered an agreement to purchase Topas, the decades-old German manufacturer behind the Wheaty brand of plant-based meat. The transaction is set to close later this month.
The deal was backed by Comitis Capital, which acquired The Tofoo Co in 2024. “This acquisition strengthens our platform and accelerates our ambition to bring natural, organic plant-based proteins into more everyday meals across Europe,” The Tofoo Co CEO David Knibbs said in a LinkedIn post.
He added that his company shared several traits with Wheaty, including a “passion for organic production, great taste, and making meat-free food that people genuinely enjoy”. The acquisition will equip The Tofoo Co with access to a trusted local manufacturing partner in Germany, giving it “strong roots” ahead of its launch in the country later this year.
“Bringing the Wheaty brand into the Tofoo family gives us exciting opportunities to grow the business in its home market, expand internationally, and introduce seitan more meaningfully to the UK alongside our natural protein range,” said Knibbs.
The Tofoo Co eyes Topas’s 33-year manufacturing expertise
Based in Stuttgart, Topas was founded in 1993 by Sanni Ikola-Gaiser and Klaus Gaiser, and its products are now available in organic and major food retailers across Germany. Moreover, the wheat-gluten-based sausages and deli meats enjoy a well-established presence in the French organic market, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Topas currently employs over 100 people and posted a turnover of €14M in its latest financial year. Following the acquisition, organic industry veteran Sebastian von Eltz will take over as managing director of Topas.
The incumbents, Klaus Gaiser and Miikka Gaiser, will remain closely involved, with a focus on product development and production and organisational matters, respectively.
“Finding the right home for the business was incredibly important to us,” said Klaus. “The Tofoo Co and its shareholders align with our values, our commitment to organic quality, and our belief in doing things the right way.
“They are good stewards of the business, and there are many obvious areas for collaboration, particularly in bringing better-for-you, natural products to more people across Germany and the UK. This feels like the right next step for the sustainable, long-term growth of Topas.”
Felix Jauch, principal at Comitis Capital, called it a “highly strategic and complementary acquisition” for The Tofoo Co: “Topas brings deep expertise in organic seitan-based products, and a strong manufacturing and brand presence in Germany, enhancing The Tofoo Co’s existing platform and providing a strong local foundation at the heart of Europe.”
Acquisition will drive expansion of plant proteins across Europe
The two companies nodded to each other’s complementary businesses, with Topas’s seitan products and manufacturing capability aligning with The Tofoo Co’s existing work in the traditional plant protein segments.
The latter, which houses the Clearspot brand of tofu too, witnessed record sales in 2024, hitting £23.9M in revenue. This was an 18.5% jump from the preceding year, and profits were up by 40% to £2.2M (before accounting for a one-off change related to the Comitis Capital takeover).
The growth came as Brits moved away from ultra-processed meat alternatives in favour of more whole-food-focused plant proteins like tofu, tempeh and seitan.
“Wheaty has an exceptional heritage and reputation within organic plant-based products,” said Knibbs. “We see huge potential to build on this strong base, grow the brand further across Europe and introduce exciting new opportunities in the UK. This partnership also gives us strong roots in Germany as we bring The Tofoo Co to the market.”
The deal is the latest example of consolidation in the alternative protein market. Since September 2024, over 60 companies in the sector have merged, been acquired, fallen into insolvency, or shut down. Within the UK, Neat, Beastly Brews, Allplants, and Clive’s Purely Plants all reached the end of the road.
Allplants’s IP was then bought by vegan meal kit startup Grubby, while its brand was purchased by Ella Mills‘s Plants. Clive’s Purely Plants was a casualty of its parent company Vegan Food Group’s decision to wind down its UK operations and separate from fellow subsidiaries VFC and Meatless Farm to focus on its plant-based factory in Germany.