In this interview, we speak with Adi Yehezkeli, CEO and Co-founder of Fabumin, an innovative company based in Tel Aviv’s vibrant food tech community. Fabumin offers a unique alternative to eggs in the food industry with its aquafaba powder—a sustainable, affordable, and versatile ingredient made from legume cooking side-streams.
Adi discusses the unique benefits of Fabumin’s technology, the company’s commitment to sustainability, and its exciting journey towards commercialization. She also shares insights on the future of the alternative protein industry and how Fabumin plans to play a key role in its evolution.
Can you describe Fabumin and the solutions you’re offering/developing? What sets you apart from others in the market?
Fabumin offers a revolutionary new raw material to the food industry: aquafaba powder. Aquafaba is the cooking water of legumes—chickpeas, soy, lentils, beans, peas, and others. Discovered by a French chef about a decade ago, aquafaba functions similarly to eggs: it emulsifies, binds, and foams—often even better than eggs.
By drying aquafaba into powder form, we enhance its functionality, allowing manufacturers to use less material while achieving the same or better results. This ultimately reduces food production costs.
What makes our solution especially impactful is that we upcycle a by-product. We use legume cooking side-streams—essentially waste—and turn them into a high-value, sustainable ingredient. This reduces environmental pollution caused by the egg industry and promotes circular economy practices.
While other companies are developing egg alternatives from sources like algae or fungi, Fabumin uniquely addresses both the environmental issue of legume wastewater and the food industry’s need for cost-effective, functional egg replacements. Our powder is:
- Affordable – comparable in price to egg powders (pre-inflation levels)
- Sustainable – made from side-streams
- Versatile – emulsifies, binds, and foams
- Safe – free from allergens and pathogens, with no impact on taste or texture
We’re starting in the food industry, where awareness of aquafaba is already high—there are thousands of recipes that already use it. But we also see future potential in cosmetics, plant fertilizer, and other sectors.
For legume processors, we offer an on-site solution to recycle their wastewater and turn it into a new revenue stream through circular economy methods.
You mentioned that you are currently looking for partnerships with SMEs. Could you elaborate on what you’re looking for in these collaborations and how you envision them benefiting both parties?
We’re launching commercial sales in October, with a production capacity of up to 5 tons of powder per week—ideal for SME-level clients. We’re looking to collaborate with food manufacturers facing challenges like volatile egg prices, contamination risks that could halt production, or growing customer demand for plant-based products.
Fabumin allows these companies to adopt a revolutionary ingredient without changing their existing manufacturing processes. It helps reduce costs while offering a healthier, more ethical alternative to eggs. It’s a simple switch with high value.
What are the next major milestones for Fabumin?
We’re about to enter an exciting new phase: commercialization. Fabumin’s properties make it ideal for use in meringues, mayonnaise, muffins, sponge cake, and the world’s first plant-based whipping cream with no E-numbers.
Our taste tests have proven that Fabumin delivers on its promise—without compromising flavor or texture. We can’t wait to see how the market responds.
We’re also in conversations with additional legume processors who are interested in adopting our solution. One example is Roquette in France, with whom we’re in advanced discussions for a potential partnership.
How do you see the alt protein industry evolving in the next few years, and what role do you anticipate Fabumin playing in that evolution?
As entrepreneurs, we’re inherently optimistic—and I’m excited to see how alternative protein is moving from niche to mainstream. I firmly believe this sector will continue to grow as it offers one of the most accessible solutions to address climate challenges.
At Fabumin, we also support a hybrid approach: instead of demanding a full transition to plant-based diets overnight, we offer a gradual, realistic shift. Our product can be used to partially replace eggs rather than eliminate them entirely. This reduces resistance from consumers and allows for smoother adoption.
Fabumin fits perfectly into this evolution: It works seamlessly alongside traditional eggs without changing taste or texture, making it ideal for incremental change.
