planetary Switzerland: Scaling Mycoprotein Production Through Strategic Expansion

Geneva-based biomanufacturing platform planetary is making significant strides in the alternative protein sector through a combination of strategic acquisitions, IP breakthroughs, retail partnerships, and government-backed expansion plans. The company has positioned itself as continental Europe’s only viable industrial mycoprotein producer, leveraging cutting-edge fermentation technology to create sustainable protein alternatives.

Strategic Acquisition of Libre Foods

In a move that strengthens its technological capabilities and market position, planetary acquired Spanish mycelium meat firm Libre Foods, gaining access to the startup’s brand, intellectual property, and key assets. Founded by Alan Iván Ramos, Libre Foods had established itself as an innovator in fungi-based ingredients, including a notable mushroom bacon that reached over 30 points of sale in Spain.
The acquisition was driven by practical considerations around manufacturing access and capital efficiency. “We realised how important access to manufacturing was for commercial success,” explained Ramos, who noted the complexities of raising private capital for manufacturing infrastructure in the current market environment.
Libre Foods brought valuable assets to the partnership, including its Fung.AI platform developed in collaboration with Spain’s Microfy Systems and Germany’s Software Logistik Artland. This artificial intelligence-powered tool accelerates R&D processes through rapid experimentation and high-throughput screening to optimize growing conditions for various fungal strains.

Retail Success with ALDI Switzerland

The integration has already yielded commercial results. In July, ALDI Switzerland launched a chicken fillet alternative made with naturally fermented mycoprotein by planetary and featuring the recently-acquired Libre® B2B brand. The product, sold under ALDI’s MyVay brand, is available in 242 stores across Switzerland at price parity with traditional chicken fillet—a significant achievement in making sustainable protein alternatives accessible to mainstream consumers.
The MyVay Gourmet Filet represents a breakthrough in both affordability and quality, featuring minimal processing with just four natural ingredients while providing high protein and fiber content with low saturated fats. This launch marks the first major milestone in planetary’s B2B ingredient sales scale-up strategy.

“With ALDI, amongst other customers selecting our naturally fermented mycoprotein, we are proving sustainable proteins can match the price and experience of animal-based protein,” said David Brandes, CEO of planetary.

Government-Backed Expansion Plans

To support its ambitious growth trajectory, planetary secured a CHF 1.8 million grant from Innosuisse, Switzerland’s innovation agency, under its Startup Innovation Project scheme. This funding, combined with previous investments, will enable the company to maximize production capacity at its Aarberg (canton of Bern, Switzerland) facility.
The expansion strategy centers around planetary’s BioBlocks™ platform, a comprehensive biomass and precision fermentation system designed to support the development and industrialization of future-facing food and bio-based ingredients using diverse feedstocks (both main and side-streams to foster circularity). The company plans to license its award-winning BioBlocks™ technology (as recently illustrated by the WIPO Global Awards) across the agricultural industry, enabling the conversion of various feedstocks into higher-value bio-based ingredients (including mycoprotein).

Market Context and Future Outlook

planetary’s success comes amid a challenging period for the alternative protein sector, which saw a 27% decline in investment in 2024. However, fermentation-focused companies have bucked this trend, with a 43% increase in funding, suggesting strong investor confidence in this particular technology vertical.
Thanks to its team of fermentation experts, established industrial footprint, existing retail partnerships, and proven IP and technological advantages, planetary is poised to lead the next phase of sustainable protein production in Europe and beyond, demonstrating that fermentation technology can deliver commercially viable alternatives to traditional animal proteins at industrial scale.

➡️ planetary | 📸 David Brandes, CEO, ©planetary