Agriculture now accounts for roughly a third of worldwide emissions, while food insecurity is rising in parts of Europe. Berlin-based FoodLabs has raised its third fund of €105m to back startups working where food, health, and climate collide.
The new €105m fund will focus on three main pillars: agriculture, food security, and health. In agriculture, FoodLabs is betting on smarter machinery and financial tools to help farmers increase yield and reduce chemical inputs — for example, Spain’s Voltrac, which develops autonomous tractors, and Deutsche Agrarfinanz (DAF), an agri-fintech offering short-term loans to farmers.
The firm is also supported by a diverse group of investors, including Bitburger Holding, Nestlé, Red Bull, and Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank, Germany’s development bank for rural industries.
Founded in 2016 by Christophe F. Maire, FoodLabs grew out of a simple observation: food sits at the centre of the climate crisis, yet the sector hadn’t seen the same wave of innovation that reshaped mobility or fintech.
The firm describes itself as a “company builder and early-stage investor in sustainable food innovation.” Its goal is to tackle what it sees as one of the world’s most urgent but underserved challenges: transforming a huge, inefficient, and still mostly analogue industry.
The firm aims to create a food system that is healthier, more resilient, and regenerative. Its portfolio already includes startups such as Formo, which makes animal-free cheese using precision fermentation; Klim, a regenerative agriculture platform; and Infinite Roots (formerly Mushlabs), known for its mycelium-based meat alternatives.
FoodLabs stands out in Europe’s food tech scene for its hybrid model, marrying classic venture investing with company-building support. Beyond capital, the team works with founders to test ideas, refine technology, and build early partnerships with manufacturers or research institutions.
FoodLabs plans to invest in 25 to 30 startups across Europe, writing first cheques between $100k and $2m. The team is focused on deeptech ventures emerging from research labs and on founders who can balance scientific innovation with commercial execution.
