What Biova Project does

Biova Project SRL is an Italian circular-economy food and beverage company founded in Turin on October 10, 2019 by Franco Dipietro and Emanuela Barbano. It transforms food surplus — primarily unsold bread, with extensions to pasta, rice, spent grain, coffee capsules, and Sorrento IGP lemon albedo — into craft beers, kombucha, and snacks using proprietary upcycling recipes that substitute up to 30-40% of barley malt with recovered ingredients. Core products include the Biova Classica, Integrale, Leggera, and Fragrante bread beers, Ri-Drink kombucha, Ri-Snack, and a portfolio of regional cobranded editions (Biova Milano, Bergamo, Como, San Salvario, Campania, Veneto, Liguria, Mirafiori).

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce, retail partnerships with ALDI, Unes, COOP, and Carrefour, Ho.Re.Ca. distribution through hotel chains (Hilton, Marriott, Melia, NH, Mandarin Oriental) and food service operators (Eataly, Capatoast), and a B2B corporate gifting program. Pricing spans €1.99/bottle at discount retail to €16-€33 multi-packs on e-commerce, with quote-based pricing for B2B. The company is B Corp certified (score 98.3) and has its climate impact independently validated by Climate KIC International Foundation at 251 tonnes of CO2eq avoided annually under ISO 14040/14044 LCA methodology.

Reported scale signals include 270% revenue growth in H1 2023 vs 2022, €400,000 raised via equity crowdfunding on Mamacrowd in September 2023, 1-10 employees, and production partnerships with brewers such as Birrificio Karma (Campania) and academic collaboration with the University of Turin DISAFA. Operating geographies are confined to Italy, with active distribution in Piemonte, Lombardia, Liguria, Campania, Veneto, and Bologna, and a planned Surplus Treatment Unit (STU) concept for modular, localized production. Ownership remains with founders and early investors, with no parent company or institutional private equity backing disclosed.

Name

Biova Project

Legal name

BIOVA SRL

Website

https://biovaproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Biova Project is an Italian circular-economy food and beverage company founded in 2019 that upcycles surplus bread, pasta, coffee, and citrus into craft beers, kombucha, and snacks, selling through Italian retailers (ALDI, Unes, COOP, Carrefour), Ho.Re.Ca. channels, and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Kombucha Production (AFAFAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Probiotic & Live-Culture Beverage Production (Shots, Tonics) (AFAFAHAE), Fermented Beverage Concentrates & Bases (Kombucha Concentrate, Starters) (AFAFAHAG)

Keywords

• Upcycled craft beer
• Circular economy brewing
• Food surplus beverages
• Sustainable craft beer
• B Corp brewery Italy

Headquarters

HQ city

Turin

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct product sales (e-commerce): Direct-to-consumer sales of craft beers (Biova Classica, Integrale, Leggera, Fragrante, and location-specific editions), Ri-Snack, and Ri-Drink kombucha through the company's e-commerce platform. Consumers purchase individual bottles, starter kits, and full kits. Prices range from €16.19 to €32.99.
2. Corporate gifting and B2B bulk orders: Sale of curated box sets (6-bottle boxes of 330ml) to corporate clients for sustainable gifting. The company handles customization, packaging, and direct shipping to recipient addresses. Managed through a dedicated B2B form/quote request process. Case study: 440 personalized gifts for Ciaopeople.
3. Retail and Ho.Re.Ca. wholesale: Wholesale supply of Biova branded products to large retailers (ALDI, Unes, COOP, Carrefour) and hospitality venues (hotels, restaurants, bakeries). Products include cobranded items such as Biova Unes, Biova Carrefour, Biova ALDI. Revenue from bulk order fulfillment to distribution partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Biova Project brews craft beer, kombucha and upcycled snacks from food surplus—primarily unsold bread sourced from bakeries and retailers—using a proprietary upcycling process. Its portfolio spans core lagers and altbiers (Classica, Integrale, Leggera, Fragrante), specialty beers (Pasta, Cellini, Lemon, Capatoast), Ri-Drink kombucha, Ri-Snack snacks, home-brewing kits, cobranded territorial editions, and B2B sustainable corporate gifts. Products are validated for climate-positive impact through product-level Life Cycle Assessments.

Product overview

Biova Project is an Italian circular economy startup founded in 2019 that transforms food surplus into premium food and beverage products. The core product portfolio consists of bread beers (Biova Classica, Biova Integrale, Biova Leggera, Biova Fragrante) made by replacing barley malt with unsold bread, supplemented by specialty beers (Biova Pasta, Biova Cellini) and non-alcoholic beverages (Ri-Drink kombucha, Ri-Snack snacks). The company also offers regional varieties (Biova Milano, Biova Bergamo, Biova San Salvario, Biova Mirafiori, Biova Liguria, Biova Campania, Biova Veneto) in partnership with local bakeries and organizations. Value-added services include home brewing kits (Beer Full Kit, Biova Starter Kit), corporate gifting solutions, and sustainable aperitif sets. All products follow upcycling principles, saving up to 30% of virgin raw materials and reducing CO2 emissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Birre Biova: Core product line of bread beers made from recovered surplus bread
• Ri-Drink
• Ri-Snack

Products and services

• Biova Classica Core crisp lager-style craft beer made from upcycled bread, positioned as a premium circular-economy SKU for retail and Ho.Re.Ca. partners and conscious consumers.
• Biova Integrale Dark altbier-style craft beer brewed from food surplus, completing the Biova core range.
• Biova Leggera Light, easy-drinking session-style IPA brewed from food surplus for conscious consumers and retail partners.
• Biova Fragrante Fragrant, hop-forward craft beer brewed from upcycled bread, completing Biova's four-SKU core range.
• Biova Pasta (Pasta Beer) Specialty craft beer brewed using upcycled pasta and surplus starches for retailers and Ho.Re.Ca. partners seeking differentiation.
• Biova Cellini Specialty coffee-infused craft beer produced using Lavazza coffee surplus through Biova Project's upcycling process.
• Biova Lemon (Lemon Beer) Lemon-infused craft beer produced through Biova's upcycling process; partnered with Babaco Market for online distribution starting in 2021.
• Capatoast by Biova Project Cobranded craft beer produced through Biova Project's partnership with Capatoast, expanding the upcycled brewing line into cobranded offerings.
• Ri-Drink (Kombucha) Upcycled kombucha made with surplus ingredients and validated by University of Turin industrial fermentation research; targets sustainability-conscious consumers and Ho.Re.Ca. operators.
• Ri-Snack Upcycled snack range produced from recovered bread and food surplus through Biova's modular Social Transformation Unit concept.
• Beer Full Kit (Home Brewing Kit) DIY home brewing kit that lets consumers brew Biova-style craft beer at home using surplus bread inputs and the company's recipe framework.
• Biova Starter Kit Entry-level home brewing starter kit that introduces consumers to Biova's upcycling brewing concept with simplified ingredients and instructions.
• L'Aperitivo Sostenibile Curated sustainable aperitivo set pairing Biova craft beer with complementary circular-economy items for conscious consumers and gifting use cases.
• Sustainable Corporate Gifts B2B corporate gifting program that lets hotels, restaurants, caterers, and corporations bundle Biova upcycled beers, aperitivo sets, and accessories for ESG-aligned gifts, with partnerships including Camst.
• Cobranded Territorial Beers Cobranded regional and retailer-territorial editions of Biova craft beer, including Biova ALDI, Biova Unes, Biova Carrefour, Biova Eataly, Biova Milano, Biova Bergamo, Biova San Salvario, Biova Mirafiori, Biova Campania, Biova Veneto, Biova Liguria, and Como editions, distributed via national retail chains and local partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% reduction in virgin barley malt through bread substitution
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sorrento IGP Lemon producersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Source of Femminello IGP lemons for Ri-Drink kombucha. The albedo (white pith) of Sorrento IGP lemons, normally discarded, is recovered and infused into kombucha. Over 10 kg of albedo saved from waste, transformed into 500 liters of kombucha.
• ALDI ItalycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2025Strategic retail partnership launching April 7, 2025. Biova ALDI beer sold in 190+ ALDI stores across Italy at €1.99/bottle launch price. ALDI collects 300 kg of surplus bread from selected Piemonte stores, transformed into 11,000+ bottles. A structural partnership marking mainstream discount retail adoption of circular economy products.
• University of Turin — DISAFA (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2025Academic research partnership for kombucha fermentation with agricultural byproducts. Study published in Food Research International (Elsevier) analyzing microbiome and metabolite changes from using pineapple, carrot, and fennel byproducts. Sequencing data deposited at NCBI. Validates Biova's scientific approach to circular fermentation.
• Climate KIC International FoundationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Independent third-party validator of Biova's climate impact. Validated the LCA-based Validation Report on climate mitigation potential, certifying 251 t CO₂eq avoided per year. Report based on ISO 14040/14044 standards.
• Carrefour ItalycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2024Ongoing retail partnership producing Biova Carrefour beer from bread recovered directly from Carrefour stores. Biova participated in Salone Carrefour 2024 and signed Food Transition Pact 2024 alongside 67+ companies committed to transforming the Italian food system toward sustainability.
• Hilton, Marriott, Melia, NH Hotels, Mandarin OrientalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2024Premium hotel chain distribution for Biova craft beers. These partnerships demonstrate broad hospitality sector adoption and premium brand positioning. Hotels use Biova products to meet sustainability commitments while offering differentiated local craft beverages.
• Cellini (Italian Coffee Roastery)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Co-produced Biova Cellini coffee beer from 10,000+ dented coffee capsules. Schwarzbier-style lager with 100% arabica coffee notes at 4.7% ABV. Cellini provides coffee expertise and brand identity; Biova provides circular production process. Available in Cellini bars.
• Camst GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Partnership for Ri-Snack production from surplus school canteen bread. 2,000 Ri-Snack units distributed to children in Chieri schools. Camst Group manages school catering and provides surplus bread for upcycling. Project includes educational component on circular economy for schoolchildren.
• MA.MI food (Mirafiori) / Fondazione della Comunita di MirafioriminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Partnership with Mirafiori district initiative including Fondazione della Comunita di Mirafiori onlus and Mirafood (Slow Food community). Biova Mirafiori beer from 70 kg of surplus bread from 5 local bakeries. Percentage of proceeds donated to Fondazione for social inclusion projects. Part of European FUSILLI project (Horizon 2020).
• Babaco MarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2023Co-produced Biova Lemon beer using 200 kg of salvaged Femminello IGP lemons with cosmetic scarring. Sold exclusively on Babaco Market e-commerce at €2.98/bottle. Demonstrates expansion beyond bread to citrus fruit upcycling.
• CapatoastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Cobranding partnership producing 'Capatoast by Biova Project' beer from bread crust waste ('culetti') from Capatoast's toast production process. Launched June 2023 in all 40+ Capatoast toast shops nationwide. A unique surplus type (processing waste rather than unsold product), demonstrating the breadth of Biova's upcycling capabilities.
• Sofismi (Milan)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2023Milan city distribution partner for Biova Milano beers (La Gialla, La Rossa, La Verde). Sofismi distributes Biova Milano products to the best bars and restaurants throughout the city. Partnership includes Association of Milanese Bakers (Associazione Panificatori di Confcommercio Milano).
• ASPAN BergamocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Partnership with Associazione Panificatori Bergamaschi (ASPAN) for Biova Bergamo beer. Local bakers donate surplus bread for production. 150 kg bread yields 2,500 liters of beer. Product sold in participating ASPAN bakeries across Bergamo province.
• CortiliaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2022Cortilia includes Biova Ri-Snack and Biova beers in its Carbon Neutral Christmas box, certified with ClimatePartner (ID 21025-2210-1001). The box generates only 6.4 kg CO2. Cortilia offers Biova customers a 10% discount code (BIOVA10) with free delivery on orders over €39.
• Comunian (Veneto distributor)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2022Exclusive Veneto distributor for Biova Veneto bread beer (170 kg bread, 40% malt replacement). Comunian distributes Biova Veneto throughout the Veneto region, supporting local circular economy initiatives.
• Forno BrisaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Bologna bakery partnership for Biova Leggera Session IPA using Forno Brisa bread. 'Soccia Biova Brisa' sold in all Forno Brisa locations. Showcases artisanal bread-to-beer circular economy story.
• RICIBO Onlus (Liguria)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Liguria non-profit partner for Biova Bread Beer Liguria. RICIBO operates in the Genoa area, and part of proceeds from Liguria beer sales fund RICIBO's food waste reduction programs.
• Unes SupermercaticoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2021Cobranding partnership under Unes 'Progetto Zero' initiative. 150 kg of unsold bread from Unes stores transformed into 2,500 liters of Biova Unes beer. Sold exclusively in Unes, U!, U2, and Viaggiatore Goloso stores across Piemonte, Lombardia, and Emilia Romagna (200+ locations). Partnership integrated into Unes bread aisle positioning.
• Birrificio KarmaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Campania production partner for Biova Campania beer. Master brewer Mario Cipriano applies Biova's recipe with customized hopping. 125 liters of Biova Campania produced. Distributed by Nirva Srl to pizzerias and venues across Campania.
• RADICI OnlusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Campania non-profit partner for Biova Bread Beer Campania. Radici volunteers recovered 150 kg of bread from Caserta bakeries for production. Part of proceeds from Campania beer sales fund Radici's food waste reduction projects.
• Confcommercio ComocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021Partnership with Confcommercio Como for Biova Bread Beer Lago di Como. Confcommercio Como member bakers donate surplus bread for beer production. 150 kg bread yields 2,500 liters of beer and 7,575 bottles (33cl). Distributed locally by Fratelli Donegana, Bi.Bi.Mix, and Simonetta Bevande.
• Celocelo Food OnlusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Non-profit partnership for Biova San Salvario. 30 cents per bottle donated to Celocelo Food for food waste redistribution. During COVID-19 lockdown, Biova shared its Turin premises with Celocelo volunteers who distributed food to 3,400 families over 4 months.
• Panacea Social FarmminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Social Farm partnership: 2 tonnes of bread recovered from Panacea since January 2020. Panacea bakers (a Social Farm focused on vocational training in baking for disadvantaged workers) benefit from Biova's distribution on their shelves, generating economic value supporting their social model.
• EatalycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2019Partnership with Eataly Lingotto, recovering 150 kg of surplus bread from the wood-fired oven, transforming it into a Session IPA Light. Biova Eataly sold in Eataly Piemonte stores and on the Eataly e-commerce platform. Represents the first high-profile Ho.Re.Ca. partnership.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Toast Ale: UK-based brewery that brews craft beer from surplus bread, the closest direct equivalent to Biova Project globally. Founded in 2016, Toast Ale pioneered the bread-to-beer upcycling model and operates a similar sustainability/circular economy positioning.

Broad incumbents

• BrewDog: Major Scottish craft brewer with a strong sustainability positioning and established ALDI presence. Biova is explicitly noted as the first Italian beer brand to have its own branded beer in ALDI after BrewDog, making it the most relevant large-scale competitor in the same retail channel.

Regional players

• Birra del Borgo: Italian craft brewery founded in 2005, one of the country's most established independent craft brewers. Directly comparable as a same-category (Italian craft beer) peer in the same geographic market, though without the upcycled/sustainability angle.
• Baladin: Leading Italian craft brewery and brewpub chain, founded in 1986 in Piozzo. Comparable as a direct geographic peer in the Italian craft beer market with a portfolio of premium and specialty beers distributed through Ho.Re.Ca. and retail.
• Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or: Paris-based craft brewery with a social and environmental mission. Comparable as a European craft brewer with sustainability and community-focused positioning, though operating in the French market rather than Italian.
• Theresianer: Italian craft brewery with over 250 years of history, producing a range of premium lagers and specialty beers. Comparable as a direct geographic peer in the Italian craft beer market with established distribution in retail and Ho.Re.Ca.

Emerging players

• ReGrained: US-based upcycled food company that transforms spent grain from brewing into snack bars and ingredients. Directly comparable in the upcycled food category with circular economy positioning, though focused on grain upcycling rather than bread-to-beer.
• Fungtn: UK-based sustainability-focused brewery producing craft beer with functional mushrooms and adaptogens. Comparable as a small, mission-driven craft brewer in the European upcycled/functional beverage space.
• Rubies in the Rubble: UK-based upcycled food brand producing condiments and preserves from surplus fruit and vegetables. Comparable in the broader upcycled food space with circular economy positioning and retail distribution in major UK grocers.
• Renewal Mill: US-based upcycled food company producing baking mixes and ingredients from byproducts of food production. Comparable in the upcycled food category with a focus on transforming food industry byproducts into consumer products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• TikToktiktok.com/@biovaproject

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors

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 Biova Project