Quazy Foods, a Berlin-based biotech startup, has raised a pre-seed funding round of over €800k. The round involved ProVeg International, a global NGO running accelerator programmes to support startups that are driving food system change, Antler, the most active private early-stage investor in Europe and Sprout and About Ventures, a family office impact investment firm.
A number of business angels from diverse backgrounds and strong entrepreneurial networks have also participated in the round. In addition, Quazy Foods has secured a number of local and European innovation grants.
The funding will allow Quazy Foods to make key strategic hires and produce the first samples of its product. This will allow the startup to prepare for the pilot stage of its microalgae production.
Microalgae as a sustainable food alternative
The United Nations Environment Programme predicts that the global population will reach 10 billion by 2050, leading to a 56% increase in food consumption. As a result, there is a global search for plant-based foods that will meet this rising demand. Microalgae is often cited as a potential solution, as it grows significantly faster than plants, not to mention animals.
Quazy Foods unleashes the power of microalgae as a super-efficient, healthy, and sustainable source of functional ingredients for the food sector and beyond. It is developing improved strains and processes designed to unleash the potential of microalgae as an efficient, healthy and sustainable source of functional ingredients that can help meet the growing food needs of the global population.
The company uses biomass fermentation to produce high-quality proteins and functional compounds at exceptional land productivity and with great resource efficiency. Its natural algae-based ingredients help replace established animal-based or synthetic ones. This allows companies in the food sector to produce better or entirely new products, satisfying the expectations of today‘s consumer base.
Brainchild of brother-sister duo
Quazy Foods was founded by a brother and sister team of Berenike (Nixe) Zimmer and Arvid Seeberg-Elverfeldt in 2021. Having spent their childhood summers in the Alps and at the oceans, they are passionate about nature and addressing the challenges of climate change. Both siblings have experience working in a number of different leadership roles in corporates and startups.
Frederik Brandis, associate director at Antler, said, “Quazy Foods is building world-class products to address a challenge that will define humanity in the coming decades. Finding new and innovative ways of feeding the global population could transform our eating habits and save the planet in the process. We are delighted to have backed Quazy Foods and have every confidence that the founders can realise their ambitions and bring microalgae into the mainstream.”
Nixe Zimmer, co-founder of Quazy Foods, commented, “Microalgae combine exceptional nutritional profiles with outstanding functional properties, which predestines them as a powerful renewable resource of the future. With Quazy Foods, we want to unleash that potential, now.”
Divya Murthy, Co-Head and Investments Lead at ProVeg Incubator, commented, “Microalgae has the potential to be a powerful food ingredient with strong sustainability credentials. We invested in Quazy Foods, because we believe in Arvid and Nixe’s vision and believe that they are a stellar team.”
