planetary Raises CHF 16 Million to Advance Microprotein Production

planetary, a Geneva-based startup developing sustainable food ingredients through fermentation, has secured a CHF 16 million Series A funding round, complemented by CHF 6 million in credit. Over the last few month, the startup raises nearly CHF 34 million. The new financing will support the expansion of its fermentation infrastructure and the development of its licensing platform.

The round was led by Radikal Capital and Oetker Ventures, with participation from a strong group of investors including Royal Cosun, arc investors, Green Generation Fund, AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, Astanor Ventures, XAnge, and others.

Cofounder and CEO David Brandes highlighted the broader context of the raise:

“Raising capital outside AI and defense now requires far more focus and resilience than it did just a few years ago. Yet recent geopolitical turmoil and commodity volatility only strengthen the case for a sovereign, circular, and high-quality food system: stay the course and hold the line, nothing worth building comes easy.”

He added:

“Planetary will selectively engage with mission-aligned investors interested in participating in a second closing of the round, planned for later this summer”.

A dual business model

planetary operates a two-pronged business model. On one side, it produces and sells mycoprotein as a B2B ingredient from its Swiss facility, co-located with a sugar mill. On the other, it licenses its BioBlocks fermentation platform globally, enabling agricultural partners to transform low-value side streams into high-value ingredients.

This approach reflects a strategic focus on controlling the value chain. As Brandes explained:

“Category leaders controlling the full value chain… are emerging as the winners. We have seen companies failing due to multi-party dependencies and too little self-control.”

He emphasized the importance of infrastructure ownership in achieving cost competitiveness:

“The production infrastructure needs to be owned or co-owned or at least exclusively accessible. In the food space, unit economics are everything and for bulk fermented commodities, contract manufacturing is not viable.”

Scaling sustainable protein

planetary is already bringing products to market, including a mycoprotein filet launched with ALDI Suisse at price parity with conventional chicken. The company is also supplying its ingredient under the Libre brand to partners in alternative meat, dairy, and hybrid products.

Looking ahead, planetary is exploring international expansion, including a potential collaboration with Dhampur Bio Organics in India to produce mycoprotein at industrial scale.

While precision fermentation continues to attract attention, Brandes sees immediate opportunity in existing technologies:

“The precision fermentation space also holds great promise but is a field requiring further improvements in productivity, whereas biomass fermentation is economically viable at an industrial scale today.”

With its integrated platform and growing industrial capabilities, planetary aims to position itself at the forefront of the transition toward more resilient and sustainable food systems.

➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸 planetary’s team ©planetary