What Freundeskreis does

Freundeskreis GmbH is an Austrian food technology startup that produces 100% plant-based cheese alternatives using apricot kernels (Marillenkerne) as the sole dairy substitute. Founded in Vienna on December 20, 2023 by Leo Sulzmann, the company sells two products: Cam-mmh-berta, a Camembert-style cheese launched in 2024, and Mmh-michel, a cottage cheese (Hüttenkäse)-style spread launched in 2025 in two varieties (herbs and chives). Both SKUs use a clean-label formulation of only apricot kernels, water, salt, and vegan ripening cultures, and are positioned for vegans, flexitarians, and conscious omnivores rather than exclusively for the vegan segment.

The company's core technology is a proprietary procedure developed by founder Leo Sulzmann that removes cyanic acid (hydrogen cyanide) from apricot kernels naturally during the ripening process, enabling the kernels to be used safely as a cheese base while preserving nutritional content. Production follows traditional cheese-making workflows — fermentation with vegan cultures, hand-production on a farm — and leverages an upcycled raw material, since apricot kernels are a byproduct of Austria's juice and jam industry. Operations are split between the BOKU BASE campus at Muthgasse 11, Vienna (laboratory/product development) and a former dairy facility in the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) that the company took over after the conventional dairy ceased operations. Protein content and shelf life (up to 10.2 g per 100 g; approximately 4 weeks refrigerated) are positioned as comparable to dairy counterparts, alongside a stated CO2 reduction of up to 97% versus cow's milk cheese.

Freundeskreis generates revenue primarily through one-time product sales to retail partners and end consumers, without publicly disclosed pricing. Its go-to-market combines a specialty retail/wholesale channel — anchored by small independent vegan and organic stores such as Vegan Wolf, Maran Vegan, Espresso Buffet, Das Dirndl, GenussLaden, and Munich's 2030 Concept Store — with direct-to-consumer sales via personal presence at farmers' markets, events, and fairs, supplemented by an online shop on its own website. The company has sourced early capital from a 200,000 EUR investment secured on the Puls 4/Joyn pitch show "2 Minuten 2 Millionen" in March 2025, a ProVeg Incubator investment in April 2025, and Austrian public innovation funding from Wirtschaftsagentur Wien and AWS, while operating with a core team of approximately three (CEO/product development, creative/marketing, sales & operations).

Name

Freundeskreis

Legal name

Freundeskreis GmbH

Website

https://freundes-kreis.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Freundeskreis GmbH is an Austrian food startup producing 100% plant-based cheese alternatives from apricot kernels, including Cam-mmh-berta (a Camembert-style cheese) and Mmh-michel (a cottage cheese-style spread), sold through specialty retailers and direct channels in Austria and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vegan Cheese / Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based Cheese Analogues Processing (Slices, Shreds, Blocks, Meltables) (AFAHAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)

Keywords

• Plant-based cheese
• Vegan dairy alternatives
• Cashew cheese
• Fermented vegan foods
• Artisanal vegan products

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Freundeskreis generates revenue through the sale of its plant-based cheese alternatives (Cam-mmh-berta and Mmh-michel) to retail partners and end consumers. Products are sold through specialty retailers, direct at events, and through their online shop.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Freundeskreis produces and sells artisanal, cashew-based vegan cheeses (including Brie, Camembert, blue cheese, and herb-infused variants) to consumers in Austria. Products are manufactured in Vienna and sold through retail chains (BILLA, BIPA), weekly farmers markets, online pre-orders, and via the affiliated Couleur Café training café.

Product overview

Freundeskreis is a food products company offering two plant-based cheese alternatives, both made from apricot kernels and positioned as vegan replacements for traditional dairy cheeses. The flagship product, Cam-mmh-berta, is a Camembert-style alternative produced via a proprietary fermentation process mimicking traditional cheese-making. The second product, Mmh-michel, is a cottage cheese (Hüttenkäse) alternative launched in two varieties — Hütten-mmh-michel (herbs) and Garten-mmh-michel (chives). Both products share a clean-label formula of only 4 natural ingredients (apricot kernels, water, salt, and vegan cultures) and are produced by hand on a farm in the Vienna Woods. Both products are marketed as suitable for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and omnivores alike.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mmh-michel: Plant-based cottage cheese alternative made from apricot kernels, available in two varieties: Hütten-mmh-michel (herbs of the province) and Garten-mmh-michel (chives).
• Cam-mmh-berta

Products and services

• Cashew Brie

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 97% less CO2 emissions compared to cow's milk cheese
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered retail partner.

• Vegan Wolfretail partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialty vegan grocery store in Vienna (Taborstraße 96, 1020) with over 800 vegan food products. Carries both Cam-mmh-berta and Hütten-mmh-michel.
• Maran Veganretail partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst vegan full-range supermarket in Austria, founded by Josefine and Stefan Maran in 2013. Located at Stumpergasse 57, 1060 Vienna.
• Espresso Buffetretail partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialty food retailer in Vienna's 7th district featuring regional producers. Cam-mmh-berta is featured in their display case among fresh produce and delicacies.
• Das Dirndl – Regionalladen am Annahofretail partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional store in Laab im Walde where products are produced on-site at Annahof and come directly fresh to shelves.
• GenussLaden Gut Schlossbergretail partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGourmet store at the foot of Schlossberg in Graz with over 1,400 handpicked products offering regional specialties.
• 2030 Concept Storeretail partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcept store in Munich (Ehrengutstraße 16) for sustainable design and conscious consumption, founded by Kathrin Guethoff, offering Freundeskreis products as part of their curated sustainable product selection.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Follow Your Heart: Long-established plant-based cheese maker offering vegan slices, shreds, and cream cheese alternatives. Comparable as a multi-format plant-based cheese producer serving vegan/flexitarian consumers through retail and foodservice.
• Treeline Cheese: Plant-based cheese brand producing cashew-based aged and fresh cheeses, including soft-ripened and cottage-style formats. Closely comparable product mix and target consumer to Freundeskreis, although using a different (cashew) base ingredient.
• Nuts For Cheese: Canadian plant-based cheese company producing aged nut-based cheeses in formats similar to traditional soft-ripened and fresh cheeses. Comparable artisanal plant-based cheese positioning with similar specialty retail distribution model.
• Daiya Foods: Major North American plant-based cheese brand (pizza cheeses, slices, cream cheese) with national retail distribution. Comparable as a scaled plant-based cheese competitor targeting mainstream grocery alongside specialty channels.
• Violife: One of the largest dedicated plant-based cheese brands globally (owned by Upfield), offering vegan slices, blocks, and specialty formats including Camembert-style alternatives. Direct competitor in the same product category with similar target customers (vegans, flexitarians) but vastly larger distribution and capital base.
• Miyoko's Creamery: Premium plant-based cheese brand offering European-style artisan cheeses (including aged and soft-ripened varieties analogous to Camembert) made via fermentation. Competes head-to-head in the 'authentic cheese experience' segment that Freundeskreis targets with Cam-mmh-berta.

Broad incumbents

• Alpro: Danone-owned European plant-based dairy brand offering a wide portfolio of milks, yogurts, creams, and dairy alternatives. Comparable as a plant-based dairy alternative incumbent serving European retailers with broad distribution.
• Oatly: Leading oat-based dairy alternative brand with broad European retail presence and strong sustainability narrative. Comparable as a European plant-based dairy alternative with a strong consumer brand and sustainability story, although focused on liquid formats rather than cheese.

Emerging players

• Forager Project: Plant-based dairy and cheese alternative maker focused on cashew and other nut bases with clean-label positioning. Comparable in scale and clean-label philosophy, although broader in product range including yogurts and milks.
• WayFare: Plant-based dairy brand producing vegan butter, sour cream, and cream cheese alternatives from oats and legumes. Comparable as a clean-label, non-soy/non-nut focused plant-based dairy alternative player serving natural and specialty retail channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/freundeskreis.wien
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freundes-kreis
• Instagraminstagram.com/freundeskreis.official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Freundeskreis