Investments & Finance

SevenVentures Backs Planted Foods with Major Media-for-Equity Investment

SevenVentures, the investment arm of German media conglomerate ProSiebenSat.1, has announced a media-for-equity investment in Swiss food tech scale-up Planted Foods GmbH. The deal, valued in the mid-single-digit million range, aims to enhance Planted’s visibility in retail and gastronomy through targeted media campaigns running until 2027.

“The meat industry in its current state is far from sustainable. At Planted, we want to change this.”

SevenVentures will support Planted’s growth by providing advertising campaigns across ProSiebenSat.1’s TV channels and the streaming platform Joyn. Starting in spring 2025, Planted’s advertisements will be featured prominently on these platforms. The collaboration seeks to increase Planted’s brand awareness in Germany and other German-speaking regions, with a focus on positioning the brand as a leader in plant-based meat alternatives.

Florian Hirschberger, CEO of SevenVentures, commented, “We want to use the reach of our digital and broadcasting portfolio to gain the trust of even more consumers and convince them of the quality and responsible production methods of Planted.

“The fact that, in addition to Formo, nucao and KoRo, Planted is now another up-and-coming food tech company that will be working closely with us over several years confirms the market’s trust in us as brand-building experts who take high-growth consumer brands to the next development stage

Planted fermented steak
© Planted

Planted’s mission and expansion

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Kemptthal, Switzerland, Planted specializes in creating plant-based meat alternatives using proprietary structuring and fermentation technologies. Its products include a variety of meat substitutes, such as planted.chicken, planted.duck, planted.kebab, and planted.steak. The company focuses on using only natural ingredients and avoids additives, positioning itself as a healthier and more sustainable alternative to conventional meat.

Planted’s products are currently available in over 10,000 retail outlets and featured in 6,500 restaurants across multiple European countries, including Germany, France, and the UK. In 2025, the company plans to open a new production facility in Memmingen, Germany, further supporting its expansion in Europe’s largest plant-based market.

Co-founder Christoph Jenny noted the importance of the partnership: “A growing world population, higher life expectancy and rising incomes are key factors in the increase in global meat consumption. However, the meat industry in its current state is far from sustainable. At Planted, we want to change this. We can’t wait to finally see our first TV ad on the channels of ProSiebenSat.1 and on Joyn in spring 2025.”

Planted chicken tikka skewers
© Planted

Growing support for alternative proteins

SevenVentures has been increasingly active in supporting food tech and sustainability-focused startups. Previous investments include partnerships with companies such as Formo, which develops animal-free dairy, and Next Gen Foods, the company behind plant-based chicken brand TiNDLE. This approach aligns with ProSiebenSat.1’s strategy to leverage its media assets to support high-growth consumer brands.

The partnership with SevenVentures is expected to strengthen Planted’s foothold in Germany and neighboring markets while enhancing its retail and food service presence. By leveraging ProSiebenSat.1’s extensive media reach, Planted aims to attract a broader consumer base and cement its position as a leading player in the alternative protein sector.

Jenny continued, “With TV advertising, Planted will continue to establish itself in the mass market as the trusted, sustainable, healthy and, above all, delicious plant-based meat brand. We are excited to win over more Planted customers through our first TV campaign in partnership with SevenVentures.”

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