Blue Horizon

Investments & Finance

Investment Climate Podcast: Robert Boer of Blue Horizon – How to Get Funded in 2024

In this new podcast series, co-produced by vegconomist, Alex Shandrovksy interviews investors about benchmarks for funding alt proteins in 2024 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs. Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including leaders in alternative protein and cellular agriculture. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. Episode one from last month can be found here. Episode 02: Blue Horizon’s Robert Boer In this episode, Alex talks to Robert Boer, director at Blue Horizon Corporation, a leading investment fund in alternative proteins. During the conversation, Robert shared the top mistakes founders make when approaching the fund and best practices for getting funded. Key …

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Company News

Blue Horizon’s Job Board: Sourcing Talent for a Sustainable Future

Since its launch in November 2022, Blue Horizon’s Job Board and Talent Network has rapidly gained traction, establishing itself as a dynamic ecosystem that connects forward-thinking companies with exceptional talent across the sustainable food space. With over 200 opportunities from 82 companies and more than 185 talents as of this June, the platform has become the largest in the industry, showcasing Blue Horizon’s commitment to driving the future of sustainable food.  From plant-based product development to regenerative agriculture, alternative proteins, and circular economy solutions, the Job Board presents a wide range of career opportunities within the food industry. Among the 200 listings, the most sought-after roles are technical positions requiring a scientific or engineering background. Solutions for global challenges Blue Horizon Director Robert Boer discussed …

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Manufacturing & Technology

Sponsored Post

A Successful Implementation of Bioeconomy needs Scalability and Creditworthiness

Biomanufacturing or biobased production (the production of food, materials, and other products by microorganisms) is a cornerstone for a more sustainable, healthier, and resilient economy, i.e., the bioeconomy. Some biomanufacturing processes already exist in pilot projects, such as the production of food ingredients like egg protein (EVERY) or natural colours (Chromologics), or the production of materials like vegan leather (Polybion) or sustainable cement (Biomason). Biomanufacturing of drugs, such as insulin, is well established in the pharmaceutical industry with small product volumes and high costs. However, scaling biomanufacturing for food and materials to industrial volume and cost levels is the next key step in building the bioeconomy. The report, “To make the Bioeconomy real, develop for scalability and creditworthiness,” was published by Swiss impact investor Blue …

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Manufacturing & Technology

Report Finds Lack of Fermentation Facilities is Causing Global Biomanufacturing Bottleneck

A new report released today by Synonym Bio, a financing and development platform for essential biomanufacturing infrastructure, reveals that a severe shortage of fermentation facilities is leading to a worldwide biomanufacturing bottleneck.  Based on data from Capacitor bio, a free online database developed by Synonym Bio with Blue Horizon, the Good Food Institute, and the Material Innovation Initiative; the report, titled The State of Global Fermentation Capacity, offers new and valuable details on types of facilities by geography, bioreactor sizes, product expertise, and more. Lack of capacity to meet demand The study, which documents 150+ synthetic biology companies in 30+ countries, found that most available facilities are bench scale (29%) or pilot-scale (41%), including contract manufacturing organizations, academic research facilities, well-known players such as Corbion and Phyton Biotech …

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Interviews

Blue Horizon: “The Wave of Innovation That Will Be Rolling Towards Us in the Coming Years is Huge”

Bjoern Witte, Managing Partner and CEO of Blue Horizon, gives his insights into the world of alternative protein investments, the company’s plans for 2023, and his thoughts as to the future of the category. What does your current portfolio look like; in which new companies did you invest in 2022? We see a lot of very innovative companies that we source through our Seed portfolio which sort of acts like our finger on the pulse of the industry. One example of a new company we invested in this year would be Arkeon, an Austrian company that produces proteins from carbon dioxide. Arkeon’s technology makes it possible to convert CO2 directly into all 20 amino acids that are essential for human nutrition. At the same time, …

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Company News

Blue Horizon Launches Sustainable Food Industry Jobs Board and Talent Network

Swiss Impact Investor Blue Horizon announces the launch of a sustainable food industry Jobs Board and Talent Network, designed to match the industry’s best talent with live career opportunities.    With over 200 active job listings already, Blue Horizon says that the Jobs Board is one of the largest of its kind in the sustainable food space. The listings are updated automatically so the career opportunities are always fresh, according to the company. Robert Boer, Director at Blue Horizon, comments: “One out of five meals we’ll eat in 2035 will be made from alternative protein. However, today there are still many challenges to be solved to reach this consumer adoption. Recruiting talent is one of the biggest challenges our industry faces and with the launch of …

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People

The Need for Seasoned Talent in a Maturing Alt Protein Industry  

To mark the company’s newly launched jobs board, Robert Boer, Director at Blue Horizon here discusses the HR needs in the industry and the importance of skilled, experienced talent. It’s no secret that the alternative protein industry is predicted to take a serious cut out of Big Meat’s pie with the likes of KFC and Burger King already adding alternative meat options to their menus. One out of five meals we’ll eat in 2035 will be made from alternative protein. However, today there are still many challenges to be solved to reach this consumer adoption. Recruiting talent is one of the biggest challenges our industry currently faces. Startups aiming to innovate the food industry while competing with decades-old traditional food companies need talent in order …

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Fairs & Events

Blue Horizon Webinar: The Untapped Climate Opportunity in Alternative Proteins

Together with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Blue Horizon recently published a report called The Untapped Climate Opportunity in Alternative Proteins. In an upcoming webinar, the company will present key findings, share its thinking behind the analyses and answer questions. What the webinar will cover Dramatic, above-inflation price increases for animal-based products over the course of the pandemic led to an unprecedented spike in the sales, funding, and public awareness of the alternative protein sector. Increasing global concerns about food security and climate impact have further fueled this development. With 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by the food value chain, the shift to alternative proteins may be the most capital-efficient and high-impact solution to addressing the climate crisis. Projected to represent at least …

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People

Bjoern Witte on Latest Blue Horizon Report: “The Positive Impact is Absolutely Massive”

The second part of the latest research from Blue Horizon and BCG, following the first instalment last month, finds that consumers are embracing alternative proteins and that protein transformation is one of the best tools available to combat the climate crisis. The study, titled ‘The Untapped Climate Opportunity In Alternative Proteins’, finds that almost a third of consumers would switch their diets to alternative proteins if doing so would have a major positive impact on climate change.  Food for Thought Report co-author Bjoern Witte, Managing Partner and CEO of Blue Horizon, here offers his commentary on the report. “Globally, there has been an increase in the number of people buying alternative proteins. In our first Food for Thought report in 2021 we predicted that alternative …

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Studies & Numbers

New Report Discusses Shift to Alt Proteins as Most High-Impact Solution for Addressing Climate Crisis

A new report published today by BCG and Blue Horizon reveals that investing in plant-based proteins saves the most CO2 – at least twice the positive impact of investments in sustainable cement, iron, steel, chemicals or transport. It also finds that over 30% of consumers would fully switch their diets to alt proteins to make a positive climate impact. The first report from BCG and Blue Horizon as published last year, titled Food for Thought, posited that Europe and North America could reach “peak meat” by 2025, from when the consumption of animal protein will be in decline. The study went on to be a widely-cited industry standard on the future of alt protein. Alt protein shift as most efficient and high impact solution This …

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Investments & Finance

Tropic Biosciences Raises $35M to Solve Crises of the $400Bn Banana, Coffee, & Rice Markets  

Next gen impact investor Blue Horizon has announced an investment in Tropic Biosciences, a developer of high-performance varieties of tropical crops such as bananas, coffee, and rice. Leading a $35 million round for the company, Blue Horizon is backing Tropic Biosciences to be an agricultural-biotechnology leader at the forefront of a $400 billion market.  Tropic Biosciences is focused on a portfolio of popular but problematic crops: bananas, coffee, and rice. Coffee is the most consumed beverage globally after water, while banana is the most consumed fruit in the world. Rice accounts for roughly 25% of global calorie consumption, therefore Tropic claims the combined total market that it addresses could be valued at $400 billion.            With climate change reducing farming yields and contributing to the outbreak …

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Bjöern Witte © Blue Horizon
Interviews

Blue Horizon: “One of the Clear Leaders in Sustainable Food Investing”

Björn Witte is Managing Partner and CEO of Blue Horizon Corporation.  He was also a Co-Founder and acted as CEO of the LIVEKINDLY Collective. Björn talks to vegconomist about the future of protein and how Blue Horizon is on track to reach the 1 billion dollar mark in funding this year. Where does Blue Horizon currently stand, in terms of funding and number of investments etc? We had an intensive start to the new year. Especially in our seed portfolio we have been very active and have made some extremely exciting new seed investments. One of them, for example, is Arkeon, an Austrian company that produces proteins from carbon dioxide. Arkeon’s technology makes it possible to convert CO2 directly into all 20 amino acids that …

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Syocin develops platform to protect food crops from bacteria

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Investments & Acquisitions

Blue Horizon Invests in Syocin to Protect Food Crops Without Harming the Environment

Pure play impact investor Blue Horizon has announced an investment in Syocin, a company that is developing treatments to protect food crops from bacterial disease. The bactericides currently in common use can disrupt soil microbiomes, damage ecosystems, and pose a danger to agricultural workers. But Syocin’s high-precision protein-based solutions will be non-toxic and fully biodegradable. The company is working on a proprietary Synthetic Biology Platform which will allow it to develop new biobactericides in the space of months rather than years. Syocin will begin by developing bactericides for diseases affecting citrus fruits and tomatoes, but it is hoped that the technology could ultimately be used to develop solutions for any plant bacterial disease. LATAM biotech fund GRIDX and the European GISEV Family Office have also …

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Investments & Acquisitions

Blue Horizon Invests in Arkeon, a Company Turning Carbon Dioxide Into Protein

Blue Horizon Ventures has announced a seed investment in Austrian company Arkeon Biotechnologies. Using proprietary fermentation technology, Arkeon is turning carbon dioxide into proteins with a very low environmental impact. The technology makes it possible to generate all 20 essential amino acids from carbon dioxide, using a microorganism that produces them in just one fermentation process. The resulting proteins require 99% less land and only 0.01% of the amount of water used by conventional agriculture. Additionally, the process is carbon negative, using carbon captured from industry and absorbing more CO2 than is created. Arkeon will use the funding to scale up its production of amino acids and peptides, creating clean-label ingredients that can be used in plant-based and cultivated foods. Blue Horizon investments Blue Horizon …

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Blue Horizon Invests in California Cultured and the Future of Chocolate

Blue Horizon announces an investment in California Cultured, the cell cultivated chocolate leader. The move represents Blue Horizon’s first investment in plant cell culture, with California Cultured’s pioneering cellular agriculture tech set to revolutionize the chocolate industry.  Based in Davis, California Cultured is making waves in the industry as it develops its products which could disrupt the destructive and unethical chocolate industry, which relies on a fragile cocoa supply chain. Similar to cultivated meat, plant cell culture allows the growth of authentic cocoa cells in bioreactors without the need for genetic modification. The company is currently working on scaling its cultured chocolate production.  Blue Horizon has made previous investments in the sustainable chocolate industry in companies such as Love Raw. To date, Blue Horizon has …

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Investments & Finance

Tomorrow Foods Receives Blue Horizon Funding to “Drive the Protein Transformation” in South America

Blue Horizon today announces the completion of seed financing round for Tomorrow Foods, marking its first investment into South America. The funds will allow Tomorrow Foods to accelerate business expansion across the region and additionally, the company reports its plans to open an industrial facility unique to the region this month.   Tomorrow Foods, a fast-growing brand which secured $3 million from local angel investors and biotech companies last September, is to build what the company says is the first plant-based R&D centre on the continent. The facility will include a “powerful and resourceful team with very specific expert knowledge in each area” according to the press release. Through the new centre, Tomorrow Foods states it will have access to capabilities in extraction, isolation and functionalization, …

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Manu Gupta Blue Horizon

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Company News

Blue Horizon Appoints “Well-Renowned Venture Capitalist” Manu Gupta

Blue Horizon announced yesterday the onboarding of Manu Gupta, a leader in US and European venture capital, to its Board of Directors, as part of the company’s mission to accelerate the global transition to a new sustainable food system.  “Manu brings an invaluable perspective grounded in more than a decade of personal experience” Previously an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, Manu has been investing in tech for more than 12 years across the US, Europe, and Asia. He founded Blue Lion, a venture capital firm that invests in multi-stage technology companies, and is also a founding member and ex-Partner of Lakestar, one of Europe’s largest tech venture funds.  The news follows Blue Horizon’s recent appointment of a General Counsel, a new Partner as well as …

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Company News

To a Forward-Looking Future: 67% of Blue Horizon’s Investment Team is Now Female

Blue Horizon today announces the appointment of a new female Partner and two female Directors to its investment team. In five years, Blue Horizon has grown to 28 employees, including nine in the investment team which is now 67% female. In this time, the company has raised more than $850 million and invested in over 50 companies spanning agriculture, biology and technology. As we reported last year, research done by Jenny Stojkovic, founder of the Vegan Women Summit, found that female-led companies performed 63% better than all-male founding teams, and businesses founded by women deliver twice as much per dollar invested than those founded by men. The company states that the three new female leaders join “at a time of increasing interest in sustainable food …

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Ela Musat Blue Horizon Corporation

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Company News

Blue Horizon Announces the Appointment of Ela Musat as General Counsel

Blue Horizon, a pure play impact investment firm based in Zurich, has announced the appointment of financial law expert Ela Musat as General Counsel to further expand operations.  Blue Horizon has raised over $850million for more than 50 companies in the alt protein field. The appointment of Ms Musat is the latest in several strategic hires by Blue Horizon as part of the company’s mission to accelerate a sustainable transition in our global food systems through the funding of alt protein, agriculture and innovation. Last November saw the hiring of Przemek Obloj as a Managing Partner in the Executive Team; in January former Olympic windsurfer and ex Executive Director at Goldman Sachs Sedef Köktentürk joined Blue Horizon’s management team; five new Board Directors were appointed …

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