Pascual Innoventures increases its investment in research into future foods to €2M with the third edition of Mylkcubator
Description
Pascual Innoventures , the Corporate Venturing arm of the Pascual Group, has increased its investment in research into innovative and sustainable foods, providing a total of 2 million euros over the first three editions of its Mylkcubator program. This program, a pioneer in the food sector, specializes in fostering innovation by supporting startups that are developing disruptive solutions in the food industry , with a focus on sustainable and alternative products.
The third edition of the program, called “More than Mylk” , has introduced important novelties, highlighting the participation of two Spanish startups : Cultzyme and Innomy. These companies are transforming biomanufacturing and the production of alternative proteins. Cultzyme, based in San Sebastian, focuses on advanced bioprocesses, employing smart bioreactors with artificial intelligence and cloud computing to accelerate the development of sustainable alternative proteins . Innomy, based in Bilbao, uses biotechnology based on fungal mycelium to develop sustainable solutions for the food industry , as well as taking advantage of by-products from other industries as raw materials.
One of the most notable investments of this edition has been made in Onego Bio, a biotechnology company of American-Finnish origin that produces egg whites through precision fermentation. This innovative process makes it possible to avoid contamination and create vegan products with egg whites, in addition to reducing the environmental impact by up to 90%. This technology is being recognized as a key advance in the production of more sustainable alternatives to traditional foods.
In addition to the Spanish startups, this new edition of Mylkcubator includes the participation of two other international startups: Nosh.bio, a German company dedicated to the production of new functional and nutritional proteins from the fermentation of natural fungal biomass; and California Cultured, an American startup that is developing advanced plant cell culture technologies to create a more scalable and sustainable supply of chocolate and coffee. These projects reflect Mylkcubator’s commitment to finding innovative solutions that respond to the growing sustainability needs in the food industry.
Mylkcubator has thus broadened its focus beyond dairy to include technologies related to other products such as egg components, coffee, fats and cocoa. The third edition of the programme also explores the development of sodium substitutes and sweeteners, with the aim of generating food products that are not only healthier but also environmentally sustainable. In this regard, the use of functional ingredients and various food technologies is being investigated to address the current challenges of the sector.
The impact of the program has been remarkable. Gabriel Torres Pascual, CEO of Pascual Innoventures, highlighted that, to date, the Foodtech ecosystem generated by Mylkcubator has reached a total value of 280 million euros, with 96 million euros raised in investments . These results underline the success and relevance of the program, which has been driven in collaboration with the food innovation consultancy Eatable Adventures. The success of Mylkcubator has led to the inclusion of startups from several continents, including countries such as Argentina, Israel, South Africa, India and New Zealand, highlighting its global approach.
Torres Pascual emphasized that Pascual Innoventures' goal is to continue identifying and supporting startups that can offer sustainable solutions to the sector's current challenges , strengthening an ecosystem prepared to lead the next generation of food technologies. The company says that this program consolidates Pascual's commitment to open innovation to address the major challenges of the food sector .
Mylkcubator, launched in 2021, is designed to support startups in various strategic areas such as scientific development, assessing the viability of projects, as well as business development, helping startups identify new business models. Special attention is also paid to patent protection and intellectual property, key aspects to ensure the long-term success of these new food technologies.