Novameat, the startup of Giuseppe Scionti that grounded the process of creating a vegetable steak thanks to 3D printing, it grows again and closes an investment round of 6.4 million dollars.
The capital increase was led by Praesidium and was attended by Unovis Asset Management, Rubio Impact Ventures, Volta Circle, Ataraxia and VU Venture Partners. The round adds to the resources the startup is receiving from the European Innovation Council Accelerator. The collected resources will be used to further develop the project. In particular, the company’s goal is to produce whole plant-based cuts (of meat) in a more efficient and scalable way and to refine the technology.
According to PitchBook’s Annual Foodtech Report 2021, venture capital investments have reached $ 39.3 billion and the momentum for bioengineered foods is expected to continue this year as well.
Novameat steak is 100% plant based, is made up of pea protein, beet juice and other plant-based ingredients and was named the “most realistic plant-based steak” globally in 2020. Since 2020, the startup has been working to perfect its prototypes and technology, moving from 3D printing to microextrusion technology capable of creating uniquely textured meat alternatives.
In 2019, Discounts had already been included among the “Nine innovators to keep an eye on” by Smithsonian Magazine, and his invention was selected by NewsWeek International as one of the Moonshots of the Year. The Spanish think tank KM ZERO Food Innovation Hub then named Scionti among the 50 people driving the future of food in its “Fooduristic 2022” report, published in February of this year.
Italian Tech Week 2021, Giuseppe Scionti (Novameat): how to print a steak in 3D
In recent years, Novameat has been designing whole cuts that could replicate beef, pork, and chicken: “We have obtained exciting results and we feel very confident in our products,” said Scionti, who added that Novameat has also tried to create alternatives for other animal species. So far the company will have at least two whole sizes for each meat alternative, including fillets, steaks and fillets.
Novameat’s plant products will be on the market as early as 2022, where the Spanish catering service (Novameat is based in Barcelona) from steak houses, to vegan, vegetarian and traditional restaurants, will be the test case. In 2023, Scionti plans to launch Novameat products in retail outlets in collaboration with companies already established in the food and beverage sector.
Italian Tech Week 2021, the 3D printed (and vegetable) steak that arrives in supermarkets in 2022
“On the one hand, society needs to drastically reduce its consumption of meat and on the other, we find it very difficult to abandon our beloved steaks – said Tijl Hoefnagels, vice president of Dutch Rubio Impact Ventures – in this segment there is a lack of credible alternatives to further push the transition. towards a more plant-based diet. The Novameat team has the skills to bring them to our plate ”.