The Protein Brewery

What The Protein Brewery does

The Protein Brewery is a Dutch fermentation-based food ingredients company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Breda, Netherlands. It develops and produces Fermotein®, a single, hero mycoprotein ingredient grown via continuous fermentation of fungal mycelium. Fermotein is positioned as a nutrient-dense whole-food ingredient containing 50% complete protein (PDCAAS 1.0), 30% prebiotic fibers (chitin/chitosan), and the fungal bioactives spermidine (1,600 mg/kg) and choline (3,600 mg/kg), with Kosher, Gluten-free, Carb-free, Non-GMO, and Vegan certifications. Production is described as less capital intensive than competing alternative protein methods, and is reported to yield 26 times more protein per unit of land than beef while generating only 3% of beef's emissions.

The company operates a B2B ingredient sales motion, selling Fermotein to food manufacturers and private-label customers for use in dairy alternatives, active nutrition, longevity products, and better-for-you foods. Distribution is via direct sales, supplemented by trade show presence (e.g., PLMA International Council) and earned media in agrifoodtech publications. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year B2B contracts as the billing cadence. Manufacturing is centered on a pilot/demo facility in the Mijijkenbroek area of the Netherlands, with planned supply of 600 metric tons in 2027 scaling to over 2,000 metric tons by 2029, and a future larger Dutch demo factory intended to anchor European, US, Singapore, and UK distribution following regulatory clearances.

The Protein Brewery is privately held and venture-backed. It raised a €30 million Series B in October 2025 (led by Invest-NL and Brabant Development Agency alongside Novo Holdings, Unovis Asset Management, and Madeli), received an EU LIFE Programme grant in December 2025, and secured European Commission approval for Fermotein in June 2026 — the first novel mycelium-based food authorized for sale in the EU, following a positive EFSA opinion and Standing Committee vote. The company had previously been approved in the US and Singapore, and is pursuing UK approval. Commercial launch of Fermotein is targeted for Q3 2026. The company was recognized in the 2026 THRIVE FoodTech Top 50 under the Novel Ingredients category.

Name

The Protein Brewery

Legal name

The Protein Brewery

Website

https://theproteinbrewery.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Protein Brewery is a Dutch fermentation company that produces Fermotein, a mycoprotein ingredient made from fungal mycelium, selling B2B to food manufacturers and private-label customers for dairy alternatives, active nutrition, longevity, and better-for-you foods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Protein Ingredients

akta.pro primary industry

Mycoprotein & Fungal Proteins (Fusarium/Mycelium-Based) (AFAJAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fermentation-Derived Alternative Proteins Manufacturing (Precision Fermentation) (AFAKAGAH), Fermentation-Derived Proteins (Precision Fermentation, Biomass Fermentation) (AFAJAHAH)

Keywords

• Mycoprotein ingredients
• Fungal protein
• Alternative protein
• Fermentation technology
• Food ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Breda

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fermotein Ingredient Sales: B2B sales of Fermotein mycoprotein ingredient to food manufacturers for use in dairy alternatives, active nutrition, and better-for-you foods. Revenue from ingredient sales to food processing companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Protein Brewery develops and produces Fermotein®, a mycoprotein (fungi-based protein) ingredient manufactured through proprietary fermentation of fungal mycelium. The company sells this novel protein ingredient to food manufacturers for incorporation into plant-based and protein-enriched food products.

Product overview

The Protein Brewery is a Dutch food ingredients company specializing in fungi-based proteins produced through fermentation. The company's single product offering is Fermotein®, a mycoprotein ingredient that serves as a nutrient-dense whole-food protein source. The product targets active nutrition, longevity, nutraceuticals, and dairy alternative applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fermotein®: The company's hero ingredient, a nutrient-dense mycoprotein powder rich in complete protein, prebiotic fiber, micronutrients, and unique fungal bioactives, grown for active nutrition, longevity, better-for-you foods, and dairy alternatives.

Products and services

• Fermotein®

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 times more protein per unit of land compared to beef
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Participation in FAO Acceleration Zone event on Innovative Fermentation to discuss fermentation's role in food systems transformation alongside industry and academic experts.
• Wageningen University and ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Academic partner sharing insights on fermentation technology opportunities and challenges at FAO-organized event.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Quorn Foods: Quorn is the established global leader in mycoprotein-based foods, using Fusarium venenatum fermentation to produce meat alternative products. It is the most direct competitor to The Protein Brewery in the mycoprotein category, though it operates more as a consumer B2C brand than a B2B ingredient supplier.
• Nature's Fynd: Nature's Fynd produces Fy, a fungal protein from a strain originally found in Yellowstone, targeting dairy alternatives, meats, and beverages. It is a direct peer in fermentation-derived fungal protein ingredients for B2B applications.
• Meati Foods: Meati produces whole-cut protein products from mycelium using a similar fungal fermentation approach. It overlaps with The Protein Brewery on the underlying technology platform and competes for the same active nutrition and better-for-you end markets.
• Better Meat Co. Better Meat Co. produces Rhiza, a mycelium-based whole food protein for B2B food manufacturers. It is a direct competitor in the fungal protein B2B ingredient space targeting meat hybrid and dairy alternative formulations.
• MyForest Foods: MyForest Foods (formerly MyCoTechnology spin-off Ecovative's food arm) produces mycelium-based meat alternatives using solid-state fermentation. It directly competes with The Protein Brewery on fungal mycelium technology for protein ingredients.
• MycoTechnology: MycoTechnology uses fungal fermentation to produce food ingredients including protein and flavor solutions for B2B customers. It is a direct peer in fermentation-derived functional food ingredients with overlapping customer segments in food manufacturing.

Emerging players

• Air Protein: Air Protein produces single-cell protein using gas fermentation (hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria), creating air-based meat alternatives. It uses a different microbial platform but is comparable as a fermentation-derived alternative protein company serving B2B food manufacturers.
• Solar Foods: Solar Foods produces Solein, a protein ingredient via gas fermentation using electricity and CO2. It is comparable to The Protein Brewery as a precision fermentation-derived protein ingredient company with a novel regulatory pathway.

Broad incumbents

• Perfect Day: Perfect Day produces animal-free dairy proteins (whey and casein) via precision fermentation as a B2B ingredient supplier. It shares the fermentation-derived B2B ingredient model with The Protein Brewery but targets dairy proteins rather than mycoprotein.
• Roquette: Roquette is a global plant-based ingredient manufacturer with a venture arm (Roquette Ventures) that previously invested in The Protein Brewery. It is a comparable broad incumbent in food ingredient manufacturing and a potential channel partner or competitor for plant and alternative proteins.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-protein-brewery

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Protein Brewery