If there’s a thread running through this week’s stories, it’s momentum – even when the headlines don’t all point in the same direction.

We lead with a fresh example of ingredient innovation finding value in unlikely places, as sunflower side streams were reimagined into a functional protein play designed with scalability in mind. It’s a reminder that efficiency and creativity increasingly go hand in hand.

From there, attention turned to regulation, where an early court ruling raised fresh questions about how state-level cultivated meat bans might hold up under legal scrutiny. Could this signal a more contested phase for food tech policy in the US?

On the funding front, there was plenty to balance the mood. A mycelium-focused ingredient developer secured seed capital to move from concept toward scale, while an oat-based dairy challenger raised growth funding aimed squarely beyond the vegan niche. Add a further capital injection backing precision fermentation of dairy proteins, and the investment picture looked more resilient than the click counts might suggest.

Not every story was upbeat. The closure of a plant-based seafood startup after a long push to crack the category underlined how tough the current market remains – especially for brands caught between innovation and economics.

Finally, a familiar plant-based name stepped into functional beverages, reflecting how protein formats continue to diversify as brands chase new occasions and consumers rethink what protein looks like.

As ever, the mix tells a more nuanced story than any single headline.

Enjoy reading, and as always, let us know which developments you think will have the biggest impact next.

🍄 Maia Farms secures US$3.75 million seed round as mycelium ingredient strategy moves into scale-up

🥤 Beyond Meat steps into functional drinks with Beyond Immerse protein beverage

🌻 Time-Travelling Milkman taps sunflower side streams in Sunflopro protein push

🧀 Mö Foods banks US$2.6 million to take Finnish oat cheese beyond the vegan aisle

🥛 Danone's Silk raises the protein bar with 13g plant-based milk aimed at mainstream shoppers

📉 Hooked Foods files for bankruptcy after seven-year push to crack plant-based seafood

♻️ CSIRO joins global effort to turn agrifood waste into competitive protein using AI and fermentation

🧬 New Wave Biotech links up with Nurasa to fast-track biomanufactured ingredients from lab to market

⚖️ Wildtype and UPSIDE Foods notch early court victory as Texas cultivated meat ban faces scrutiny

We’re back early this year – and this time we’re heading to the USA. The Future of Protein Production Chicago, co-located with the Cultured Meat Symposium, will take place 24-25 February 2026 and is set to bring together 500 attendees, 100 speakers, and +40 exhibitors. Expect two days packed with insights across cultivated meat, fermentation, plant-based innovation, and scale-up solutions – plus unbeatable networking with industry leaders, investors, and innovators. Book your tickets today to secure the best rate.

Then in the autumn, we return to Europe for The Future of Protein Production Amsterdam, taking place 4-5 November 2026. This flagship event will welcome 1,000 attendees, 100 speakers, and +60 exhibitors, all gathering under one roof to explore the breakthroughs shaping the next wave of alternative protein commercialization. From technical deep dives to strategic discussions, this is where the global industry meets. Reserve your place now to lock in the lowest rate.

💰 Financing a First-of-a-Kind: How Growth-Stage Fermentation Companies Bridge the Capital Gap

If you’re navigating the leap from pilot success to commercial-scale fermentation, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Join us on Thursday, January 29, 2026 (2pm London / 3pm Berlin / 9am New York City) for a timely deep dive into how growth-stage fermentation companies are financing first-of-a-kind industrial assets.

As fermentation businesses mature, many hit the same wall: equity alone is no longer enough, yet traditional lenders and infrastructure investors often hesitate to step in. The result is a capital gap that can stall even the most technically promising projects.

This free-to-attend webinar, held in partnership with Unibio, will explore what ‘bridging the gap’ really means in practice – and how companies are combining multiple forms of capital to move from pilot to production while managing risk on all sides. Whether you’re preparing for your first commercial facility, assessing finance-readiness, or evaluating biomanufacturing investments, this session will offer grounded insight into what’s working now – and what investors actually expect to see.

Join us to learn:

⚙️ Beyond venture capital: Why equity alone rarely funds industrial fermentation – and what comes next

🏗️ Blended finance in action: How debt, offtakes, strategic partners, and public–private capital can work together

📈 Investor expectations: The technical and operational milestones financiers look for before committing capital

🔍 Finance readiness: What it really means to be “bankable” at the point of scale-up

🤝 Risk-sharing models: How companies and capital partners are structuring first-of-a-kind projects today

Designed for founders, CFOs, scale-up leaders, investors, infrastructure specialists, and public-sector stakeholders, this session will take a clear-eyed look at the financial innovation needed to turn fermentation technology into productive industrial capacity.

🎙️💡 Listen to our latest episode now! How do you make alternative proteins truly craveable? 🤔 IFF’s Sonia Huppert breaks down how consumer insight, AI, and taste modulation are reshaping flavor, texture, and mouthfeel – and why multi-sensory experiences are key to winning over consumers. 👅🧠🌱.🎙️💡

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