Project Eaden, a Berlin-based food tech startup, has announced a successful $15.6 million financing round. This funding will enable the company to scale up production of its innovative, “ultra-realistic” plant-based meat products.
Project Eaden utilizes proprietary fiber spinning and compounding technology to replicate the texture of meat using plant proteins such as wheat, pea, and fava bean. This unique process, inspired by the textile industry, employs a spinneret to create fibers in various shapes, sizes, and properties. These fibers are then compounded to create specific types of plant-based meat.
“Plant proteins are round, while animal muscle fibers are more like strings,” explains co-founder Jan Wilmking. “So we need to unfold them before putting them together in a shape and solidifying that.”
The funding round included investments from REWE, a major German retail giant, and Planet A, an environmental venture capital firm, among others. This investment will support Project Eaden’s launch of its plant-based “ham” in REWE stores across Germany in mid-2025.
Project Eaden emphasizes that its fiber spinning method creates plant-based meats that closely mimic the look, taste, and chew of animal meat. Furthermore, the company states its products are healthier, nitrate-free, and more environmentally sustainable than traditional meat products. “Every kilogram of Project Eaden’s product reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 kg CO2-eq – equivalent to driving about 100 kilometers in an average fossil fuel car,” the company claims.
In addition to ham, Project Eaden is also developing a range of other plant-based meats, including sausages, pork loins, and beef steaks. The company highlights the scalability of its technology, noting its versatility across different meat types and its cost-effectiveness.
With two existing spinning machines capable of producing approximately 200 kg of plant-based meat fibers per day, Project Eaden plans to use the new funding to expand its production capacity, including the development of larger, industrial-scale spinning machines.
