Start-ups powering the Food Processing Industry Innovation
Fermentation, Fungi & Fish Cells: The Startups Powering the Future of Food Processing
As traditional protein supply chains face pressure from sustainability, health, and cost concerns, the alternative protein sector is emerging as a crucial innovation arena. But beyond the headlines about lab-grown burgers and oat milk cappuccinos lies a quieter revolution: the reinvention of the food processing value chain itself.
At Linde Consult, we help equipment OEMs and food system investors navigate the shifts that matter. And right now, a new generation of startups is reshaping how ingredients are made, structured, and scaled — with direct implications for machine builders, automation providers, and integrators.
Here are the 12 startups we’re watching closely:
Precision Fermentation: Animal Proteins Without Animals
1. Perfect Day (USA)
They’re producing whey and casein — the core proteins of dairy — using genetically engineered microbes. These bio-identical proteins are now powering everything from ice cream to protein bars, without a single cow.
2. Formo (Germany)
Formo is Europe’s answer to Perfect Day, bringing biotech precision to cheese. Their fermentation platform creates real dairy proteins for mozzarella, ricotta, and more — all animal-free.
3. Imagindairy (Israel)
Scaling up fast, Imagindairy is building large-scale dairy protein fermentation infrastructure to enable industrial production volumes for B2B partners.
Mycelium & Mycoprotein: Fungi as Food
4. Infinite Roots (Germany)
Raised $58M in 2024 to become Europe’s mycoprotein leader. Their fermentation process grows nutrient-rich fungal biomass for whole-cut meat alternatives — with minimal land or energy.
5. Optimized Foods (USA)
Pioneers of
MycoCarrier™, a novel technology that encapsulates fats, flavors, and micronutrients within mycelium for better alt-meat structure and mouthfeel.
Cultivated Seafood: From Bioreactor to Plate
6. Wildtype (USA)
The first cultivated salmon to reach U.S. restaurants, Wildtype grows coho salmon in bioreactors — no bones, no scales, no oceans required.
7. Atlantic Fish Co (USA)
Focused on high-value whitefish like black sea bass. They’re building cell lines and growth media optimized for scalability and taste.
8. BLUU SEAFOOD (Germany)
Europe’s cultivated fish contender. Their tech enables room-temperature bioprocessing — reducing energy costs while pushing toward whole-cut fish fillets.
Enabling Tech: The "Picks and Shovels" of Food Biotech
9. CellulaREvolution (UK)
This startup makes continuous bioreactor coatings and serum-free systems to unlock commercial-scale cultivated meat.
10. Fisheroo (Singapore)
Think of them as the AWS of cultivated food. They offer cell lines, growth media, and scaling solutions for other startups and OEMs entering the cultured space.
11. Mooji Meats (UK)
Disrupting the structural challenge of alt-meat, Mooji's 3D-printing tech can produce marbled whole cuts with unmatched speed — up to 250× faster than competitors.
Extreme Innovation: Protein From Air, Not Soil
12. Solar Foods (Finland)
Their product
Solein is made from air — literally. Using microbes, CO₂, and electricity, they produce a 70% protein flour that could decouple food production from agriculture entirely.
What This Means for OEMs and Food System Leaders
These companies are not just ingredient innovators — they’re process disruptors. They're reshaping what “scaling up” looks like in food manufacturing.
- Bioreactors and fermentation tanks are replacing pastures and fields.
- 3D-printing and encapsulation are redefining how texture and taste are built.
- Low-footprint, high-yield systems are being designed from scratch — and they need equipment partners to make it happen.
At Linde Consult, we believe this convergence of food science and industrial engineering presents both a challenge and an opportunity: OEMs must adapt their equipment strategies to match this new paradigm, or risk missing the next big wave in food tech.
Ready to Engage?
Whether you're a machine builder, automation leader, or investor, Linde Consult helps you translate market shifts into strategy. Contact us to explore:
- Strategic partnerships with next-gen protein startups
- Go-to-market planning for new equipment lines
- M&A and investment opportunities in precision fermentation or cellular agriculture


