Berlin-based Project Eaden, a company involved in the development and licensing of technologies for producing sustainable food and meat alternatives, announced on Thursday that it has raised €8M in a Seed round of funding.
The company claims to create ‘new earthly pleasures’ by combining new food technology with culinary and scale-up expertise.
The raised capital will enable Project Eaden to further develop and scale its technology, as well as to commercialise its first product.
Investors
The funding was led by Creandum, a pan-European early-stage VC firm.
Creandum believes that technology and innovation are the only paths forward to save the planet. The firm says, “Human beings neither want to compromise on their current life nor give up on their pleasures. The food industry is a major emitter of greenhouse gases – in particular meats. However, meat consumption is growing. Available options are often not attractive to many people. Hence, Creandum was looking for something truly revolutionary in that space. Enter Project Eaden — “the Tesla of sustainable food”.”
Creandum has previously invested in foodtech companies such as Vivino, Cornershop, Linas Matkasse, and Stockeld Dreamery.
The round also saw participation from investors, including early-stage VC Magnetic, Atlantic Food Labs, a venture studio and investor for startups that shape the future of nutrition, sustainability and health, Shio Capital, a VC firm focused on disruptive products, services, technologies and business models in the F&B, Health and Fitness industry, Trellis Road, an ambitious foodtech founders working on critical problems for humans, animals and our planet, and several top-tier business angels.
About Project Eaden
Founded in 2022 by David Schmelzeisen, Hubertus Bessau and Jan Wilmking, Project Eaden’s goal is to make sustainable food products so irresistible that saving the world becomes a positive side effect.
The company’s first creation will be an animal-free steak with “unparalleled” texture and taste, which is planned to debut in late 2023. “We have to solve the very human dilemma of giving in to our cravings despite knowing better. It must become a pleasure to save our planet,” says co-founder, Hubertus Bessau.
Project Eaden claims that its platform technology enables a wide range of “never-seen-before” products that are highly scalable and can lead to attractive consumer prices and broad adoption.
Project Eaden’s team
The founding team of the company has experience in all aspects of starting a food company. David Schmelzeisen, PhD, is the R&D director for Project Eaden. He holds a PhD in engineering from RWTH Aachen University and enjoys cooking for fun.
Hubertus Bessau contributes his knowledge in branding and entrepreneurship from co-founding and growing the custom-made cereal company mymuesli.
Jan Wilmking uses the knowledge he acquired working for six years in Zalando’s senior management team, both before and after the company went public. After earning his MBA from Harvard Business School, he joined the consumer practice at McKinsey. He says, “As a father of three young kids, I want the next generations to lead a life full of joy as well. Project Eaden brings together world-class scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors to contribute to that.”