European Protein

What European Protein does

European Protein A/S is a Danish family-owned manufacturer of lacto-fermented plant protein feed ingredients, founded in 2011 by Jens and Lone Legarth and headquartered in Bække, Denmark. The company produces a portfolio of five core products — EP200 and EP200ng (fermented soy protein), EP100i (fermented rapeseed protein), EP199 (fermented rapeseed with seaweed), and EP GAME BIRDS — using a proprietary controlled lacto-fermentation process that delivers 5–7% lactic acid content, reduces antinutritional factors, and adds beneficial lactic acid bacteria and prebiotic fibers to support gut health and nutrient absorption in young animals.

The underlying technology targets a specific industry pain point: the EU 2022 ban on medicinal zinc oxide and the broader regulatory push toward antibiotic-free animal production. European Protein's products are positioned as functional replacements that deliver documented on-farm outcomes (reduced post-weaning mortality, improved average daily gain, increased colostrum antibody levels, and margin uplift of €0.30–€0.34 per animal), backed by research collaborations with Copenhagen University, Aarhus University, and Lublin University, and by GMP+ Feed Safety Assured certification held continuously since 2013 and GMP+ Feed Responsibility Assured certification since 2024.

The business model is B2B ingredient sales with a channel-partner and direct-sales hybrid GTM. European Protein operates four production facilities — Denmark, USA (via Land O'Lakes partnership since 2014), Ukraine (2015), and Malaysia (via the YHEPA joint venture with Yenher Berhad, 2019) — and sells through a regional distributor network spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, alongside direct factory sales to feed mills, mineral suppliers, and large pig and poultry producers. Pricing is quote-based with volume considerations and is not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held, family-controlled, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding rounds.

Name

European Protein

Legal name

European Protein A/S

Website

https://europeanprotein.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

European Protein is a Danish family-owned manufacturer founded in 2011 that produces lacto-fermented soy, rapeseed, and seaweed protein feed ingredients for pig, poultry, and game-bird producers worldwide. It sells through four production facilities and a global distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Ingredients

NAICS

Animal Food Manufacturing (3111), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Fermentation-Derived Proteins (Precision Fermentation, Biomass Fermentation) (AFAJAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plant-Based Protein Ingredient Producers (Isolates, Concentrates, Texturates) (AFANAKAB)

Keywords

• Fermented animal feed
• Plant protein feed ingredients
• Animal gut health solutions
• Livestock feed additives
• Functional feed protein

Headquarters

HQ city

Bække

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fermented protein feed ingredients: European Protein sells lacto-fermented plant proteins as complementary feed ingredients to farmers, feed producers, and distributors worldwide. Products are sold in big bags, bulk, and through feed mills and mineral suppliers. Revenue is generated through product sales with typical lead times of 10 working days for production.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

European Protein manufactures and sells lacto-fermented plant protein feed ingredients for livestock nutrition. The company produces five core products (EP200, EP200ng, EP100i, EP199, and EP GAME BIRDS) using proprietary lacto-fermentation of soy, rapeseed, and seaweed, designed to support gut health, replace medicinal zinc, and enable antibiotic-free production in pigs, poultry, and game birds.

Product overview

European Protein offers a portfolio of five fermented protein products for animal nutrition. The core offerings include EP200 (fermented soy protein based on HiPro soybean meal) and EP200ng (its non-GMO counterpart) for piglets, weaners, and broilers; EP100i (improved fermented rapeseed protein) for piglets and laying hens; EP199 (fermented rapeseed with seaweed) for sows, piglets, and poultry; and EP GAME BIRDS (specialized rapeseed-seaweed formula) for game birds. All products utilize proprietary fermentation technology to enhance protein digestibility and support animal gut health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EP200 Fermented soy protein based on HiPro soybean meal with lactic acid bacteria and prebiotic fibres, designed for piglets and weaners during the critical weaning phase to support gut health and growth performance. Contains 7% lactic acid content.
• EP200ng Non-GMO fermented soy protein offering the same functional benefits as EP200 but certified for non-genetically modified organisms production, suitable for piglets, weaners, and broilers.
• EP100i Improved fermented rapeseed protein with lactic acid bacteria and prebiotic fibres. Highly digestible with low antinutritional factors. Supports zinc-free and antibiotic-free production. Contains 5% lactic acid. Suitable for piglets, weaners, and laying hens.
• EP199 Fermented rapeseed protein with seaweed inclusion, formulated for sows, piglets, weaners, laying hens, and broilers. Combines lacto-fermented rapeseed meal with fermented seaweed to support gut health, immune system development, and milk production. Contains 5% lactic acid.
• EP GAME BIRDS Specialized fermented rapeseed and seaweed protein blend formulated specifically for game birds, supporting health and performance in pheasants and partridges during transition from aviary to wild release. Contains 5% lactic acid.

Quantifiable outcome

• Piglet mortality reduced by 38% and average daily gain improved from 363g to 525g when using EP199 for Streptococcus challenge
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Yenher BerhadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Strategic alliance established in 2019 to establish two new fermentation factories in Malaysia for Southeast Asian markets. YHEPA (YH European Protein Asia) led by Dr. Tan Yi Jing focuses on producing and commercializing fermented plant proteins for Asian markets.
• Ukrainian PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership established in 2015 due to increased demand for EP200 and EP100i products. Factory in Ukraine supplies EP products to non-EU countries.
• Land O' LakescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership established in 2014 for US market. Land O' Lakes, a leading agribusiness and food production company, partnered with European Protein to build and operate a new factory in South Dakota, USA. Factory expanded capacity in 2024 to meet market demands.
• FermentationexpertscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for North American market. Located at 1201 N Ellis Rd, Sioux Falls, SD 57107. Website: fermentationexperts.com. Products sold under Fermentationexperts brand alongside EP products.
• Yenher BerhadcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor and manufacturing partner for Malaysian market. Located at 1628 Jalan IKS Simpang Ampat, Taman IKS Simpang Ampat, 14100 Simpang Ampat, Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang, Malaysia. Website: www.yenheragro.com
• Nutrimin A/SmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in Denmark. Located at Bodalen 11, 8643 Ans By. Website: www.nutrimin.dk
• FeeduramajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Netherlands and Belgium. Located at Diamantweg 10, 5527 LC Hapert. Website: www.feedura.eu
• NovagrimajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for South America. Located at Av. Los Valles 225, Pudahuel, Región Metropolitana. Website: novagri.org

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lallemand Animal Nutrition: Global supplier of probiotics, yeast derivatives, and microbially-derived feed ingredients for swine, ruminants, and poultry. Comparable as a fermentation-driven additive supplier addressing gut-health and performance use cases similar to European Protein.
• Novonesis (formerly Chr. Hansen): Major fermentation cultures and probiotics producer, including lactic acid bacteria strains applied in animal feed and gut-health applications. Overlaps with European Protein's lactic-acid-bacteria fermentation expertise and target species.
• AB Vista: Animal feed additive company specializing in enzymes and gut-health performance products for swine and poultry, closely matching the functional-feed ingredient positioning of European Protein.
• Hamlet Protein: Danish-based producer of fermented (enzymatically treated) soy protein for young animals (HP 300, HP 800). Operates in the same piglet/poultry gut-health ingredient category and competes head-on with European Protein's EP200/EP100i in Europe and internationally.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill Animal Nutrition: One of the world's largest animal nutrition businesses, supplying premixes, compound feed, and specialty ingredients to livestock producers globally. Comparable in customer base, broader in product line and geographic reach than European Protein.
• Evonik Animal Nutrition: Producer of amino acids and specialty protein-related feed ingredients, including gut-health and protein-utilization technologies relevant to piglet and poultry nutrition. Overlaps in customers and value proposition.
• Kemin Industries: Global manufacturer of feed additives and specialty ingredients for animal nutrition, including gut-health and protein-utilization solutions. Larger portfolio than European Protein but overlaps in target customers and performance claims.
• Trouw Nutrition (Nutreco): Premix, feed specialty, and young-animal nutrition business within Nutreco, addressing gut health and antibiotic-free production challenges similar to those solved by European Protein.
• dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health: Global supplier of vitamins, premixes, and performance feed additives including gut-health and antibiotic-reduction solutions. Competes in the same swine and poultry value chain as European Protein but at much broader scale.

Emerging players

• Ohly: Producer of yeast-based and fermentation-derived protein and flavor ingredients for animal and human nutrition, an adjacent fermentation-focused player targeting similar gut-health and protein-quality claims as European Protein.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-protein
• Facebookfacebook.com/europeanproteininternational

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 European Protein