Zurich-based food-tech startup Food Brewer has secured new investment from Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli and Sparkalis, the corporate venture arm of Puratos, as part of a CHF 5 million ($5.6 million) seed extension round. The investment brings the company’s total funding to CHF 10 million ($11.1 million), according to AgFunderNews.
“The profound knowledge of this global chocolate player will help us in accelerating our go-to-market strategy”
Food Brewer specializes in producing cocoa and coffee alternatives using plant cell culture, a process that involves selecting and cultivating plant cells in bioreactors. The startup aims to provide a climate-resilient alternative to traditional cocoa and coffee production, which faces increasing challenges due to climate change and rising raw material costs.
In a statement on social media, Food Brewer said that Lindt & Sprüngli’s involvement would support its go-to-market strategy and product development efforts. “Lindt & Sprüngli is known for its excellence in chocolate. The profound knowledge of this global chocolate player will help us in accelerating our go-to-market strategy and further develop our delicious cocoa products,” the company stated. Sparkalis, which invests in startups developing food technologies with environmental and health benefits, is also participating in the funding round.
Founded in 2021, Food Brewer sources cocoa beans from Latin America and arabica coffee cells from a tropical greenhouse in Switzerland. The company’s process involves selecting plant cells for optimal taste and aroma, then growing them in bioreactors before harvesting, drying, milling, and roasting them into cocoa and coffee powders for the B2B sector.
US market entry and production scale-up
The company is preparing to introduce its first product, prioritizing the US market for its initial launch. As part of its regulatory strategy, it intends to seek GRAS approval from the FDA within the year, with the objective of commencing sales by late 2026. To scale up manufacturing, Food Brewer is evaluating whether to modify existing brewing infrastructure or collaborate with industry stakeholders to construct high-capacity production sites featuring bioreactors with a 50,000-liter capacity.
This latest investment follows an earlier CHF 5 million seed funding round in 2024, which supported research and development efforts and the expansion of production capabilities.
