Meet the three Dutch startups offering protein alternatives

By Laio

Today is World Vegan Day, which is celebrated yearly on the anniversary of the founding of the Vegan Society. With events worldwide, the day is a moment to celebrate the benefits of veganism. In an effort to find meat alternatives, companies around the world are experimenting with different technologies to deliver tasty yet nutritious meat substitutes. 

The Netherlands makes no exception, and here we spotlight some of the frontrunners in alternative meat technology. Let’s take a closer look at three innovative companies: Mosa Meat, Protix, and Meatable, all of which are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of meat alternatives.

Mosa Meat: pioneering cultured beef

Mosa Meat, the company that brought the world its first cultured burger in 2013, is now moving closer to bringing its cultured beef burgers to the mass market. Taking samples of cow cells as big as a peppercorn, the company grows these cells in the lab, allowing them to develop muscle and fat- like they would in a cow.

Earlier this year, the company secured €40 million in funding to upscale its production processes at Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus. With the ability to produce hundreds of thousands of burgers, Mosa Meat is gearing up for its first formal tastings in the Netherlands.

“Our goal is to organize our food system so that we can continue producing good food for a growing world population without irreparably damaging the planet. This is a huge challenge that will require many people and organizations to work together,” said Mosa Meat CEO Maarten Bosch commenting on the latest funding round.

‘Less livestock farming without the need to fully go vegetarian’

In front of the entrance to Mosa Meat at a business park in the Dutch city of Maastricht, employees are enjoying their lunch together, most of whom are young academics with a master’s degree or PhD. There are 65 people on staff, and the other 35 positions are in development, purchasing and HR. “It’s like a real company,” jokes Chief Scientific Officer Post, who founded Mosa Meat in 2015

Meatable: fast-tracking cultivated pork

Meatable has also recently secured a substantial $35 million in funding to bring its cultivated pork products to market. Its opti-ox™ technology enables it to replicate the natural growth process of cells, producing real muscle and fat cells 30 times faster than traditional pig farming. This makes Meatable’s pork a sustainable option and a feat of scientific innovation.

With a total funding of $95 million, Meatable is poised to launch its cultivated pork in Singapore in the upcoming year and establish a presence in the United States soon after. Last April, the company organized the first tasting, with Prince Constantijn van Oranje among the guests.

Krijn De Nood was CEO of the startup all along. He recently handed over the baton to American Jeff Tripician. Meatable is going to focus on the American market in the near future. “There, people are open to innovations like cultured meat. Market approval processes are easier and faster in America than in Europe. Here, the lead time is so long, we can’t wait for that as a startup,” told De Nood. However, the company’s research and development branch remains in the Netherlands.

It must start with a vision, but there’s no roadmap for the next steps: Krijn de Nood’s journey in cultivated meat

Krijn de Nood, co-founder of Meatable, has been on a groundbreaking journey in the cultivated meat industry. Speaking at the LEVEL UP 2024 event, he recounted the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned while spearheading a vision for a more sustainable future.

Protix: sustainable insect-based solutions

Protix offers a different angle on the alternative protein question. Instead of cultured meat, Protix breeds insects to create sustainable and competitive alternatives to fish and livestock feed. Kees Aarts, the company’s founder, has developed a system where insects are grown on a large scale, using food residues to produce protein for animal feed. This process requires little space, thrives on waste streams, and boasts significantly lower CO₂ emissions than traditional chicken or soy feeds.

The company’s 15,000-square-meter factory in Bergen op Zoom is a testament to its success in converting food scraps into proteins and fats for animal feed. With a recent investment of €50 million, Protix is set on international expansion and further R&D to perfect its production capacity.

Protix supplies dozens of companies worldwide in the animal feed and feed sector. Aarts developed a business model in an industry that did not yet exist, and the technology for growing the insects from scratch and European regulations initially stood in the way of his plans. “Through our production process, food waste returns to our food system. That created a new industry that EU legislation was not yet ready for,” he told IO in a recent interview.

Protix takes the leap from Bergen op Zoom to the U.S. with million-dollar support from American meat producer

With American meat processor Tyson Foods as a new shareholder, Protix wants to leap from Bergen op Zoom to the United States.

The road ahead for meat alternatives

The efforts of Protix, Meatable, and Mosa Meat highlight the Netherlands’ significant contributions to the burgeoning field of meat alternatives. Each company is tackling the challenge from a unique angle—whether through insect protein, cultured pork, or beef. As these startups continue to grow, they not only promise to transform our food systems but also offer hope for a more sustainable future. With the backing of investors, regulatory progress, and increasing consumer interest, the meat alternative industry is poised for a breakthrough, paving the way for a more sustainable world.