Dutch Foodtech Pioneer Secures €18 Million to Scale Fungi-Based Protein
Breda, Monday 29 June 2026
Having already fully sold out its 2026 production capacity, Dutch foodtech firm The Protein Brewery has secured €18 million to scale its newly EU-approved, fungi-based food ingredients.
A Capital Injection for Production Scaling
The €18 million ($20.5 million) Series B extension round, announced on 29 June 2026, was led by ABN AMRO’s Sustainable Impact Fund [2][3]. It secured crucial participation from the Dutch state-backed impact investor Invest-NL, alongside existing shareholders Novo Holdings, Madeli, and the Brabant Development Agency (BOM) [1][2][3]. This capital injection brings the foodtech firm’s total funding to over €70 million (nearly $80 million) [2][3]. Remarkably, this extension represents an additional 60% of the capital secured during the company’s initial €30 million Series B funding round in September 2025 [2][3].
Accelerating Fermotein Production
The Protein Brewery, which was established as a demerger from BioscienZ BV in 2020 [2], plans to deploy this capital to accelerate the production scaling of Fermotein, its proprietary fungi-based food ingredient [1][2]. Produced via non-sterile fermentation at its operational demo-scale facility in Breda, Netherlands, Fermotein is derived from the fungus Rhizomucor pusillus [2][4]. The company aims to expand its production capacity from its current level to over 2,000 tonnes by 2029, with an interim target of supplying 600 tonnes in 2027 to markets across Europe, Singapore, and the United States [2][4].
Regulatory Milestones and European Market Entry
This funding milestone closely follows a landmark regulatory achievement in mid-June 2026, when the European Commission authorised Fermotein as a novel food [3]. This approval, which concluded a rigorous six-year application process, represents the first whole-food novel mycelium ingredient to be approved under the EU Novel Food Regulation [3][4]. With this regulatory green light, the company is preparing for a commercial expansion across Europe after the summer of 2026, targeting active nutrition and functional food manufacturers [2][3]. The first commercial product launches by EU customers are expected to take place in Q4 2026 [2][3].
Nutritional Profile and Market Appeal
Fermotein’s nutritional profile is highly suited for these active nutrition applications. Per 100g, the dry ingredient contains 50g of complete protein, 30g of dietary fibre, and 6g of fat, translating to a protein content of 50% and a perfect Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.0 [2][3]. Being both colourless and tasteless, it can be seamlessly incorporated into sports nutrition, bakery products, and dairy alternatives [1]. The potential for dairy alternatives is already backed by a $2.7 million EU LIFE programme grant secured in 2025 [2]. Furthermore, its unique combination of protein, fibre, and bioactives has positioned Fermotein as an ideal building block for nutrient-dense, GLP-1-compliant ‘all-in-one’ nutrition shakes [2].
Addressing Regulatory Hurdles in the United States
While the European market presents immediate opportunities, the company is simultaneously working to resolve regulatory challenges in the United States. The Protein Brewery self-affirmed Fermotein as Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) in March 2024 and submitted a formal GRAS notice to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2025 [4]. However, in February 2026, the FDA advised the company to withdraw its notice due to specific ‘deficiencies,’ including design flaws in animal studies and insufficient safety data, which led to a formal withdrawal that same month [4].
A Strategic Path Forward
Rather than stalling their plans, CEO Thijs Bosch has maintained a transparent approach, confirming that the company is actively updating its FDA submission to align with the data accepted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [4]. A pre-submission meeting with the FDA is scheduled for July 2026, with the goal of securing full GRAS status by Q1 2027 to support initial US product launches expected in late 2026 [4]. Beyond the US and Europe, the fresh funding will support regulatory applications in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, alongside human clinical trials investigating the ingredient’s longevity-promoting benefits at the University of Wageningen in Q1 2027 [3][4].
The Economics of Non-Sterile Fermentation
A key driver behind investor confidence is the cost efficiency of the company’s proprietary production technology. Unlike traditional biotechnology platforms, The Protein Brewery utilises a non-sterile fermentation process, which structurally minimises both capital expenditure and ongoing operating costs [4]. This cost advantage compounds as production scales, significantly improving unit economics [4]. For public-private investors like Invest-NL, supporting such scalable industrial biotechnology is critical for accelerating the protein transition [1]. Daan Meijer, investment manager at Invest-NL, noted that the company represents the exact type of scalable global business that the Dutch food innovation ecosystem aims to foster [1].