Foodtech VC firm PeakBridge has announced four new seed-stage investments through its FoodSparks fund: plant-based ice cream maker GanEden; functional mushroom extract co KÄÄPÄ Biotech; culinary digitization platform SOUS; and gut-friendly botanicals firm Evinature.
Launched in 2021 with EIT Food, the €30 million ($33 million) FoodSparks fund invests in pan-European seed and early-stage startups in five categories: ingredients innovation, alt protein tech, digitalization and food systems 4.0, nutrition & health, and alternate farming systems.
To secure investment, companies must be domiciled in Europe, EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), or Israel; have protectable and scalable technology; and align with PeakBridge’s mission of demonstrating long-term positive impact on food systems, the environment, and human health.
PeakBridge FoodSparks managing director Yoni Glickman said the startups each address “an emerging and significant gap in the food sector.”
GanEden (The Netherlands): Low sugar, high-fiber, plant-based ice cream
Amsterdam-based startup GanEden is seeking to disrupt the plant-based dairy segment with a high-fiber pre-mix that can be used in plant-based ice cream, yogurt and cream. Its ice cream is currently sold in 300+ retail locations in Israel, and ready to scale in the b2b space.
KÄÄPÄ Biotech (Finland): Functional mushroom extracts
Tapping into growing demand for medicinal mushrooms, KÄÄPÄ Biotech is a vertically integrated company deploying ultrasound-assisted technology to provide functional mushroom extracts (chaga, shiitake, lion’s mane, reishi) to wellness brands in 20+ markets.
SOUS (The Netherlands): Unlocking new revenue streams for chefs and culinary entrepreneurs
SOUS is a food and beverage commerce platform allowing chefs and culinary entrepreneurs to transform into digital businesses with AI-driven customer relationship management, no-code storefronts, and integrated logistics, helping to unlock new revenue streams beyond a physical location. In two years, SOUS has helped 120+ merchants generate €10 million ($11 million) in incremental sales.
Evinature (Israel): Clinically-backed botanicals for gut health
Nutraceutical startup Evinature combines botanical wisdom with clinical rigor to supply gut health products backed by human clinical trials. Its flagship product CurQD combines Qing Dai and turmeric root extract and is now used by 40+ medical centers in the US to support people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
