Formo

Formo completes Series B funding round

© Formo
Cheese Alternatives

Formo Secures €35M From European Investment Bank to Scale Animal-Free Cheese & Eggs

German food tech company Formo, which specialises in fermentation processes for the production of animal-free cheese alternatives, has secured a €35 million venture debt loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The loan is guaranteed by the European Union’s InvestEU program and will enable Formo to further develop and scale its fermentation processes for the production of dairy and egg alternatives. The agreement comes after Formo raised $61 million (€59.43 million) in a Series B funding round in September 2024, and takes the company’s total financing to €135 million. Formo uses two technologies to develop its products — microfermentation and precision fermentation. The former, which involves using microorganisms such as koji fungus to produce taste-neutral proteins, is said to be ideal for the production of …

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Formo, REWE Group, and Infinite Roots discuss fermentation at German parliament

Image: Formo on LinkedIn
Politics & Law

Formo, REWE Group & Infinite Roots Discuss Fermentation Technology With MPs at German Parliament

Fermentation startup Formo recently joined forces with REWE Group and mycelium producer Infinite Roots to host a “political breakfast” at the Bundestag (German parliament). The event explored the potential of fermentation technology to address key challenges such as improving food security, reducing the impact of food production on the climate, and reducing dependency on global supply chains. It was held shortly before the collapse of Germany’s coalition government, which was caused by disagreements on how to revive the country’s economy. According to Formo, the timing underlines the need for European innovation and resilience. Speakers at the event included Formo founder and CEO Raffael Wohlgensinger, Gerald Dohme from the agricultural association Deutscher Bauernverband, Philip Tigges from Infinite Roots, and Clément Tischer from REWE. It was held …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

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Charity & Campaigns

World Vegan Day: Celebrating 80 Years of Veganism with a Spotlight on Plant-Based Cheese Innovations

The Vegan Society, the world’s oldest vegan charity, is celebrating its 80th anniversary today, marking World Vegan Day. The society was founded in 1944 by Donald Watson and five other non-dairy vegetarians, who sought to create a movement distinct from vegetarianism and coined the term “vegan.” Over the past 80 years, the vegan movement has grown significantly, with veganism now recognized as a protected philosophical belief in the UK. Vegan options are available in supermarkets, restaurants, fashion, and cosmetics in Europe and North America, and the offer is slowly increasing in other continents. To celebrate its 80th anniversary, the charity is launching a virtual reality campaign, “The Future is Vegan.” The campaign features an AI-created avatar of co-founder Donald Watson, guiding users through a virtual world to …

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Formo completes Series B funding round

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Fermentation

Formo Raises $61M, Launches Fermented Cheese Alternatives at 2,000+ Stores

Formo, a German producer of fermented cheese alternatives, has raised $61 million in a Series B funding round. The round saw participation from existing investors such as Foodlabs, EQT Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Happiness Capital, Elevat3 Capital, and Grazia Capital. New investors, including Sazaby League, Seven Ventures, Woodline Partners, The Nature Conservancy, and REWE Group, also took part. Formo will use the funding to achieve several objectives, including expanding internationally, diversifying its product range, driving revenue growth, and achieving net profitability by 2027. The company is also working to accelerate the commercialisation of animal-free casein, which will enable the production of hard cheeses. Product launches Additionally, Formo has announced that two of its cheese alternatives — Frischhain and Camembritz — are now available at over 2000 …

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Formo animal-free cream cheese

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Fermentation

METRO Germany Becomes “First” Wholesaler to Sell Formo Animal-Free Cream Cheese

METRO Germany is now offering Frischain, an animal-free cream cheese produced by the German startup Formo. The wholesaler claims to be the first in the world to stock the product. Frischain is made using microfermentation, which produces functional proteins that can be processed using traditional dairy cheese production methods. These proteins are derived from koji, a fungus traditionally used in soy sauce, miso, and sake to break down complex molecules and enhance flavours. The resulting cheese alternative is said to be almost indistinguishable from dairy cream cheese. METRO is offering the product on its refrigerated shelves in a 1.5 kilogram catering container. The wholesaler operates 102 stores and 11 delivery depots across Germany, boasting around three million customers. “With Frischhain, we are pleased to be …

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Formo cheese pull

© Formo
Cheese Alternatives

Small Organisms Instead of Big Cows: Formo Discusses Benefits of Microfermentation to Create Animal-Free Cheese and Eggs

They taste like cheese, but are produced without the milk of cows. They are completely vegan, but have a much higher protein content than their plant-based counterparts. We are talking about Formo products. Formo’s microorganisms can perfectly recreate cow proteins such as whey or casein, or make entirely new proteins. A study published last year regarding consumer demand for animal-free cheese in the UK conducted by Formo in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan in Canada revealed that at price parity, animal-free cheese has the potential to share 33% of the UK cheese market. Moreover, figures suggest that if demand grows and technologies improve, the market share could increase significantly, and such products could become mainstream. A further study from early 2024 also found that …

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Raffael Wohlgensinger and Hille van der Kaa – Image courtesy of Those Vegan Cowboys
Cheese Alternatives

Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys Reveal “First-of-its-Kind” Collab to Expedite Production of Cow-Free Cheese

Two precision fermentation companies — Germany’s Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys from Belgium — today announce a strategic R&D alliance to accelerate the production of animal-free casein and finally retire cows from cheese production. This “first-of-its-kind” collaboration will bring together over 60 world-leading scientists to create a “powerful and experienced” research team that will improve technological efficiency, including efforts in strain engineering, bioprocessing, and large-scale production of caseins. The companies believe that by joining forces, they can more quickly achieve price parity with milk proteins, thus making cow-free cheese more competitive and accessible to consumers. The companies explain that they plan to combine their manufacturing outputs to achieve economies of scale; nevertheless, each firm will maintain its distinct identity and market its lines of cow-free …

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Precision fermentation egg products by Formo

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Egg Alternatives

Formo to Launch “New Class of Products” With Precision Fermentation Eggs

A peer-reviewed study conducted by Formo in partnership with Singapore Management University has found considerable demand for precision fermentation eggs, as the company prepares to launch what it describes as a “new class of products”. Through its existing protein production platform, which is already used to produce precision fermentation dairy proteins, Formo will use bio-designed microbes to make animal-free eggs. Since fermented proteins have a precedent of consumption in the EU, they are not considered a novel food, meaning Formo could introduce its first fermented egg products as early as this year. Curiosity The study surveyed over 3,000 consumers from Germany, the US, and Singapore, finding that a majority (51-61%) would be willing to try the products across all three countries. German consumers were predominantly …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo

Fermentation

Study Finds Animal-Free Cheese Could Capture 33% of Market and Go Mainstream

New research on consumer demand for animal-free cheese in the UK conducted by German precision fermentation company Formo in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan in Canada reveals promising figures for the nascent category and its capacity to disrupt the dairy industry. The study shows that at price parity, animal-free cheese has the potential to share 33% of the UK cheese market. Moreover, figures suggest that if demand grows and technologies improve, the market share could increase significantly, and the products could become mainstream. The study suggests that 79% of the precision fermentation cheese market will come from traditional cheese consumers. But while the industry lowers production costs to reach the same prices as conventional cheese, what is the market’s potential? Study findings show that at a premium …

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Animal-free cream cheese

© Formo
Fermentation

Formo Unveils Animal-Free Cream Cheese Made With Microbes Instead of Milk

German alt dairy producer Formo has developed an animal-free cream cheese made with precision fermentation. “Introducing Frischhain, a fresh and creamy spreadable cheese that’s perfect for elevating your bagels, pasta, and cheesecakes,” said Formo on LinkedIn. “The best bit? It’s made with microbes instead of milk from cows, so guilt-free indulgence is guaranteed!” The cheese takes the total number of products developed by Formo to five. The others are: Le Kreuzberg — A soft, creamy cheese said to be ideal for use on grilled potatoes, crusty bread, and quiches. Athena — Tangy and salted, this cheese can be used on dishes such as salads and grilled vegetables. Charlottenbourg — A nutty cheese for cheeseboards, crackers, and sandwiches.  Cité Bleu — A pungent, veined alternative to …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Food Tech Leaders Launch Food Fermentation Europe to Bring Sustainable Animal-Free Foods to EU Market

A group of leading players in precision fermentation announce they have come together to form Food Fermentation Europe (FFE), a new alliance working to create a more resilient and sustainable food system in Europe. Representing the region’s fermentation food and food ingredient sector, along with its surrounding ecosystem, FFE says it will work with regulators to bring more sustainable animal-free foods to the European market.  FFE’s founding members include Better Dairy, Formo, Imagindairy, Onego Bio and Those Vegan Cowboys. The group says its members are united in the pursuit to improve current unsustainable food systems and have three primary objectives:  To raise awareness and build a supportive, forward-looking policy framework for fermentation food and food ingredients in Europe. To advocate for a predictable, non-discriminatory and …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo

Science

Dutch Government Funds Project to Assess Characteristics of Microbial Proteins 

A Dutch public-private consortium is collaborating on a multi-year project to optimise the processing conditions for different microbial organisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. The project’s aim is to assess which microbial proteins have the functional, economic, and sustainability characteristics needed to create protein-rich ingredients for food applications.  Rianne Ruijschop, Department Head of Health at NIZO and the consortium’s coordinator, explains that the project is divided into four experimental sections to address the challenges of producing microbial proteins. These are efficient culturing of organisms, growing industrial sidestreams, ensuring feasible biomass yields with high protein/low nucleic acid composition, and developing scalable processes. At the end of the project, food application trials will be performed on a selected set of proteins, focusing on dairy, meat, and …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo
Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

Dutch Government Funds Project to Assess Characteristics of Microbial Proteins 

A Dutch public-private consortium is collaborating on a multi-year project to optimise the processing conditions for different microbial organisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. The project’s aim is to assess which microbial proteins have the functional, economic, and sustainability characteristics needed to create protein-rich ingredients for food applications.  Rianne Ruijschop, Department Head of Health at NIZO and the consortium’s coordinator, explains that the project is divided into four experimental sections to address the challenges of producing microbial proteins. These are efficient culturing of organisms, growing industrial sidestreams, ensuring feasible biomass yields with high protein/low nucleic acid composition, and developing scalable processes. At the end of the project, food application trials will be performed on a selected set of proteins, focusing on dairy, meat, and …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo

Fermentation

Study Finds Open-Minded Consumer Attitudes to Animal-Free Dairy

Research published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition has examined consumer attitudes to animal-free dairy. Produced using precision fermentation of microorganisms, animal-free dairy contains proteins identical to those found in conventional dairy products. While fermentation has long been used to produce various animal-free ingredients, the technique is facing growing scrutiny due to its use in alt-protein products. The new research was carried out by Professor Garrett Broad of Rowan University, along with researchers from the charity Mercy for Animals and animal-free dairy company Formo. The researchers conducted interviews with focus groups of potential consumers from the US, Germany, the UK, and Singapore. These groups were presented with both positive and negative framings of animal-free dairy and asked to evaluate them. Results showed that consumers were …

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Formo

© Formo
Studies & Numbers

Report by Formo Finds Promising Consumer Attitudes to Animal-Free Dairy

New research by German precision fermentation company Formo, in collaboration with Mercy for Animals and Fordham University, has examined consumer attitudes to animal-free dairy products. Study participants were introduced to the concept of creating animal-free dairy proteins, such as whey and casein, by encoding microorganisms with milk-protein DNA. They were then asked for their response. Overall, consumers across multiple countries were enthusiastic and curious about the technology. Many readily saw the advantages, including improved animal welfare, more choice, and lower environmental impact. However, some participants were confused about precision fermentation and unsure how to categorise products made in this way. Naming Consumers were then asked to choose their favourite of five potential names for dairy products produced using precision fermentation. “Animal-free dairy” was by far …

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FoodLabs

Christophe Maire and Patrick Huber ©FoodLabs
Company News

Atlantic Food Relaunches as FoodLabs, Dedicates €100M to Expedite European FoodTech

As research reveals global sustainability to be overtaking personal health as consumers’ biggest concern, Atlantic Food Labs relaunches as FoodLabs, with a dedicated €100 million food tech fund for investment in food, health and sustainability startups. “The food industry is the largest industry in the world, and it accounts for more than a quarter of greenhouse emissions globally” An offshoot of the Berlin fund Atlantic Labs, and headed by tech investor Christophe Maire, the €100 million Early-Stage fund aims to help European innovators achieve a paradigm shift in the world of food production.  Over the last five years, the VC organization has been building and investing in fast-growth companies with positive sustainability impacts, including Mushlabs and Formo. With its new Food Fund, the brand claims …

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Formo

© Formo
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Cultured Cheese Producer Formo Secures a Record-Breaking $50M in Series A

Alt dairy startup Formo has completed a $50 million Series A funding round – a record for a European foodtech. Berlin-based Formo uses precision fermentation to create nature-identical dairy products without cows. “Our excellent investor setup paired with our team of interdisciplinary experts makes us uniquely positioned to define the new gold standard of cheese” The startup will use the new funding to build a pilot plant, fast-track commercial-scale production, and expand the molecular biology and food science team. With the resulting increase in R&D capacity, as well as techniques designed in collaboration with artisan cheesemakers, Formo plans to grow its product portfolio to represent a wide range of dairy products, including mozzarella and ricotta. Formo has previously teamed up with the University of Bath …

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Formo Cheese

©Formo

Studies & Numbers

Study Reveals That Consumers Want Animal-Free Cheese & Alt Dairy is Set to Immediately Disrupt $240Bn Cheese Market

Despite precision-fermentation-made animal-free cheese not yet hitting the mass market, the first-ever large-scale study of consumer acceptance for animal-free cheese has revealed that such products will immediately challenge conventional dairy in the $240 billion cheese market. The response was overwhelmingly favourable for precision fermentation-made animal-free dairy, with 71% of respondents willing to buy and 79% willing to try. Precision-fermentation company Formo and the University of Bath co-published the study, having surveyed 5,054 individuals from Brazil, Germany, India, the UK, and the USA. The study reveals strong consumer enthusiasm for animal-free cheese across various countries, age groups, as well as dietary preferences. Crucially, these products have mass-market potential far beyond the vegan category, with the recent study showing flexitarians to have the highest levels of enthusiasm. …

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Raffael-Wohlgensinger Formo

Formo CEO Raffael Wohlgensinger, image courtesy of ProVeg
Interviews

Formo: “We See Our Technology as a Solution to Many Supply Chain Risks Around Food Security”

Cellular agriculture enables the production of real dairy proteins through precision fermentation, thus removing animals from the production process. In this insightful interview, Raffael Wohlgensinger, CEO and co-founder of Formo, talks to ProVeg about their work on bringing the next generation of sustainable, healthy, and equitable dairy products to consumers. “Our product is not like cheese, it is cheese,” Raffael Wohlgensinger Formo, formerly known as LegenDairy Foods, is a European player in the precision-fermentation space, focusing on animal-free dairy products. Formo uses microorganisms instead of cows to produce their milk proteins. Cracking the Cheese Code – the potential of precision fermentation To produce animal-free milk proteins, the respective genetic information is introduced into a culture of microorganisms, such as fungi or yeast. This culture is …

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