One day before the official launch of their crowdfunding campaign, Those Vegan Cowboys, the ‘stainless steel cow’ company by the founders of The Vegetarian Butcher, have already raised €2.5 million by 600 new shareholders. “The level of support for this systemic change says it all,” said CEO Hille van der Kaa.
The company states that it opened the crowdfunding campaign to a select group of pre-registrants 24 hours ahead of the official launch. With contributions from both existing and new investors, the soft launch began with €3 million already committed, followed by an additional €1 million raised within the first hour. Over the course of the day, more than 600 new investors joined, contributing a total of €2.5 million. This means that on the first day, 65% of the shares available for crowdfunding (totaling €4 million) were already claimed. The new shareholders include early fans, entrepreneurs, dairy farmers, and cheesemakers, as well as prominent figures from politics and the cultural sector.
Building a movement around animal-free dairy
CEO Hille van der Kaa commented on the successful start: “This demonstrates that we are not only attracting capital but also building a community of co-owners who feel actively connected to our mission. People who want to help shape the future of dairy. Their shared ownership and trust are at least as important to us as the amount raised itself.”
Those Vegan Cowboys completed an investment round last year, led by tech entrepreneur Pieter Geelen (co-founder of navigation software & device TomTom). This laid the foundation for further scaling of their technology. “The crowdfunding is not a necessary capital injection but is primarily building a movement around animal-free dairy. The campaign invites investors to become part of the ‘S.T.A.C.K. – Stainless Alliance of Cow Keepers’”, the company states.
Dairy-identical cheese
Since its founding in 2020, the team of over 20 ‘lab cowboys’ have been developing animal-free casein, the milk protein that gives cheese its taste, melt, and stretch. They achieve this through precision fermentation, a technique in which microorganisms replicate the cheesemaking function of a cow, producing an identical result with five times lower environmental impact. Currently, 10 partners, including major names in the dairy industry such as Westland Kaas and Hochland, work on incorporating the casein into products such as cheese and milk chocolate. The additional capital allows the company to develop and test multiple types of cheeses and caseins simultaneously, accelerating their path to market and broadening their impact.
Building on previous crowdfunding experience
Founders Jaap Korteweg and Niko Koffeman have a track record of utilizing crowdfunding beyond capital raising. Their former company, The Vegetarian Butcher, secured €1.5 million in an oversubscribed campaign. In addition to funding, the initiative served to increase brand visibility and market entry. Following this model, the current campaign aims to use broad participation as a means to drive societal change.
Invesdor: “€1 Million in an hour breaks records”
The investment platform Invesdor describes the launch as remarkable. “We have never seen an equity crowdfunding campaign take off this fast at Invesdor. Raising €2.5 million in one day is unique, and €1 million in an hour is a record,” said Director Ellen Hensbergen.
The crowdfunding campaign officially launches on February 24, 2026, and will remain open until March 23, 2026, unless the maximum amount is reached sooner. Participation is possible via www.thosevegancowboys.com. The campaign is supported by the investment platform Invesdor.
