FoodLabs Research
Investment Thesis
FoodLabs is a Berlin-based venture capital firm and venture builder founded in 2015/2016 with a mission to "revolutionize the food system and improve both planetary and human health." The firm treats climate change, food security, and human health as interconnected problems and backs entrepreneurs building technology-driven solutions across the food value chain, from precision fermentation and alternative proteins to regenerative agriculture, carbon removal, and nutrition. Their tagline captures the ambition directly: "Backing the bold to make cheese from microbes, not cows."
The firm operates two complementary arms: a traditional venture capital investment team, and FoodLabs Studio, a venture-building unit that works with founders pre-idea and pre-seed, providing hands-on operator support "from day 0." Studio has directly built or co-founded companies including Formo, Klim, Microharvest, Infinite Roots, Holy, Torg, Pacifico BioLabs, and DSB.
Stage Focus
FoodLabs invests from pre-seed through growth stages, with the bulk of first checks written at pre-seed and seed. The portfolio also shows selective participation in later rounds (Series A and Series B+) as follow-on for existing portfolio companies rather than new-logo entries at those stages.
Check Size
Typical first checks range from $100K to $2M, consistent across public statements from the firm's manifesto and press coverage of Fund III. The firm plans to back 25-30 new startups per fund cycle.
Lead Tendency
Evidence is mixed. FoodLabs led the 2026 seed round in DITTO alongside participation from Eka Ventures, indicating willingness to lead, but the broad portfolio (49+ visible companies spanning pre-seed to Series B+) suggests a mix of leading and following, particularly as portfolio companies mature into later rounds led by growth investors.
Recent Activity
FoodLabs closed its third fund (Fund III) at over €105 million in December 2025/January 2026, its largest to date, backed by strategic and institutional LPs including Rewe Group, Henkel, Bitburger Holding, Nestlé, Red Bull, and Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Germany's agricultural development bank). Fund III targets three pillars: agriculture, food security, and health, and is structured to combine venture investing with active venture building via FoodLabs Studio.
Recent investments in 2026 include:
- DITTO (menstrual health supplements, London) — led $6M/€5.2M seed round, July 2026
- Aardaia (novel crop development) — €5M raise, July 2026
- Pacifico BioLabs (mycelium protein/fermentation) — €7M Series A, May 2026
- Evanium (ingredient technology) — €2.2M seed, April 2026
As of mid-2026, the firm has backed over 80 companies since inception, with roughly 60 active portfolio companies and 5+ new investments in the trailing 12 months, indicating an actively deploying fund.
Portfolio Highlights
The portfolio spans nearly 50 visible companies. Notable names include Formo (precision-fermentation dairy/cheese), Infinite Roots (mycelium-based food), Klim (regenerative agriculture/soil health), InPlanet (enhanced rock weathering carbon removal), Microharvest (alternative protein production), Voltrac (autonomous smart tractors), and Gorillas (rapid grocery delivery, notable exit/scale-up). Known exits or wind-downs in the visible portfolio include Freda, Rollo Robotics, and Sanity Group. The firm is also a certified B Corp, underscoring its impact orientation alongside financial returns.
Team
FoodLabs has a large, structured team spanning investment, studio, and operations functions:
- Christophe Maire — Founding Partner
- Patrick Noller — General Partner, Managing Director
- Thilo Winter — Operating Partner
- Florian Breiner — Operating Partner, Growth
- Franz Crux — Chief of Staff
- Adrian Friederich — Principal, Investment
- Julius Strauss — Principal, Investment
- Nicolaus Norden — Associate, Investment
- Nora Spiekermann — Senior Analyst, Investment
- Valentin Bula — Head of Studio
- Till Hoelzer — Managing Director, Asia
Decision-making appears to run through a multi-partner structure (Founding Partner + General Partner + Operating Partners) rather than a solo-GP model, consistent with a firm of this scale (~26 people).
Decision Process
Partnership-led, spanning investment principals/associates who source and diligence deals, with General Partner and Operating Partner sign-off. The presence of a dedicated Studio team suggests deep, hands-on involvement with portfolio companies beyond passive capital.
Founder Preferences
The firm's manifesto explicitly prioritizes "audacious entrepreneurs" with courage, vision, and tenacity, stating it backs "people over metrics" and values "the individuals behind the startups" as much as early traction. It looks for founders committed to both commercial outcomes and planetary/human health impact — resilience and mission-driven conviction are explicit selection criteria.
Geographic Focus
Primarily Europe, with Berlin, Germany as headquarters, and an explicit strategy (per Fund III) to invest in 25-30 startups "across Europe." The firm also maintains an Asia presence via a Managing Director, Asia (Till Hoelzer), suggesting selective activity or LP/portfolio ties in that region.
Sector Focus
FoodLabs sits at the intersection of food systems, agriculture, climate, and human/animal health: precision fermentation and alternative proteins, regenerative agriculture and carbon removal, food supply chain and retail-tech, nutrition/supplements and longevity, and adjacent deep-tech/robotics applied to food and agriculture (e.g., autonomous farming equipment, robotics).