- German biotech startup ProteinDistillery raises €15 million in a seed round led by Berlin’s Green Generation Fund and a Southern German family office.
- The funding will support the expansion and launch of Europe’s first protein-competence centre in Germany, focusing on upcycled brewer’s yeast from the country’s beer industry.
- ProteinDistillery aims to set up an industrial-scale production facility with a carefully crafted financing strategy, producing several thousand tons of their innovative Prew:tein annually.
- The company’s Prew:tein replicates egg whites and other proteins, offering 75% protein content, with a neutral colour and taste, supporting a sustainable circular economy and clean-label, plant-based food products.
German biotech startup ProteinDistillery, utilising biomass fermentation for Prew:tein production, has raised €15 million in a seed round led by Berlin’s Green Generation Fund, with involvement from a Southern German family office.
The fresh capital will support the company’s expansion and the launch of “Europe’s first protein-competence centre in Germany” to produce the company’s flagship ingredient crafted from upcycled brewer’s yeast from Germany’s beer industry.
“Looking ahead, we aim to set up an industrial-scale production facility with the capacity to produce several thousand tons of protein each year. Achieving this goal requires a carefully crafted financing strategy,” says Marco Ries, co-founder and managing director of the startup.
ProteinDistillery, co-founded by Dr. Kurz Christoph Pitter, Michael Baunach, and Marco Ries, is headquartered in Esslingen and Berlin.
Their innovative Prew:tein replicates egg whites and other proteins, offering 75% protein content with a neutral colour and taste. Made from upcycled ingredients, it supports a sustainable circular economy, enabling clean-label, plant-based food products.
The company is constructing a mid-scale production facility in Southern Germany, partnering with industry leaders like NETZSCH and GEA. GEA’s separation technology will enhance ProteinDistillery’s production facility, contributing to a circular economy.
Download the Ebook now
The protein-competence centre aims for completion in 2025, producing Prew:tein at scale to replace over 20 million eggs’ protein content with reduced environmental impact
Alongside the mentioned collaborations, the protein-competence centre gains backing from business angels like IWR Invest, Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking’s private fund, the former Porsche CEO renowned for industrial production expertise.
Moreover, ProteinDistillery secures financial agreements with Kreissparkasse Esslingen-Nürtingen and L-Bank, while also receiving governmental support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.
