Berlin-based Quazy Foods, a biotech startup cultivating proprietary microalgae strains with applications in the food industry and beyond, has secured €800K in a pre-seed round of funding.
ProVeg International, Antler, and Sprout & About Ventures are among the investors, along with various business angels and support from local and European innovation grants.
Frederik Brandis, associate director at Antler says, “Quazy Foods is building world-class products to address a challenge that will define humanity in the coming decades. Finding new and innovative ways of feeding the global population could transform our eating habits and save the planet in the process.”
“We are delighted to have backed Quazy Foods and have every confidence that the founders can realise their ambitions and bring microalgae into the mainstream,” adds Brandis.
“Unleashing the power of microalgae for human nutrition”
The United Nations Environment Programme anticipates a 10 billion global population by 2050, triggering a 56 per cent surge in food consumption. To address this, there is a widespread quest for plant-based alternatives, with microalgae emerging as a promising solution due to its rapid growth compared to traditional crops and animals.
In November 2022, the European Union stated “Now is the time to fully harness the potential of algae as a renewable resource in Europe.”
This is where Quazy Foods looks to make a difference. The company aims to address the increasing global food demand by harnessing the health benefits and sustainability of microalgae.
Nixe Zimmer, co-founder of Quazy Foods says, “Microalgae combine exceptional nutritional profiles with outstanding functional properties, which predestines them as a powerful renewable resource of the future. With Quazy Foods, we want to unleash that potential, now.”
The company focuses on developing enhanced strains and processes to unlock the potential of microalgae as a sustainable and efficient source of functional ingredients.
Brief about Quazy Foods
Quazy Foods was founded in 2021 and is the brainchild of siblings Berenike (Nixe) Zimmer and Arvid Seeberg-Elverfeldt. With over 20 years of experience in corporate innovation and finance in both corporate and startup environments, the siblings bring a wealth of experience to their venture.
Quazy Foods utilises microalgae as an efficient, health-conscious, and sustainable source of functional ingredients, extending its applications beyond the food sector.
Employing biomass fermentation, the company produces high-quality proteins and functional compounds with “exceptional” land productivity and resource efficiency.
By offering natural algae-based alternatives to traditional animal-based or synthetic ingredients, Quazy Foods enables the creation of improved or entirely new food products, aligning with the preferences of today’s consumers.
Capital utilisation
Quazy Foods plans to use the funds for crucial strategic hires and the production of initial product samples. These steps are pivotal in preparing the startup for the upcoming pilot stage of its microalgae production.
Brief about the investors
The ProVeg Incubator aims to support mission-driven startups focused on plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated food products. The incubator is interested in innovations that aim to eliminate animals from the global food system, emphasising alternatives and supporting technologies.
The firm focuses on startups working on egg, seafood, and chicken alternatives, as well as other meat and dairy substitutes, with a goal of mass-scale substitution of animal-derived staple products.
Antler is a global day zero investor dedicated to inspiring, enabling, and investing in visionary founders worldwide. The firm seeks to eliminate barriers to entrepreneurship, fostering the launch of sustainable businesses that address significant problems, drive innovation, and enhance lives.
With a presence in 27 cities across six continents, Antler partners with early-stage entrepreneurs, providing support throughout their journey—from team formation and business model validation to initial capital, global scaling, and follow-on funding. To date, Antler has brought over 800 startups into existence with a goal to support more than 6,000 by 2030.
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