Polish biotech startup Proteine Resources has raised €9.5 million in blfinished funding from the EU EIC Accelerator program, creating it one of 40 companies selected in this round. The funding supports the company’s insect-based platform that transforms mushroom waste into sustainable pet nutrition ingredients.
Their solution tackles two key challenges: creating taurine-rich, allergen-light pet food from upcycled biomass and reducing CO₂ emissions by repurposing 6.5 million tons of mushroom waste discarded annually in Europe.
Backed by the European Innovation Council, SMOK Ventures, Bitspiration BoosterVC, BNP Paribas, and others, Proteine Resources now sees ahead to scaling production and pushing the boundaries of circular economy innovation.
“This was harder than Y Combinator,” shared Bartłomiej Roszkowski, co-CEO of Proteine Resources, in a LinkedIn post celebrating after a 12-month application marathon. “This #EUeic marathon took 12 months of writing proposals, talks, 3 weeks 2-3h per day preparing for the panel – and this one tastes just better.”
Last year, Proteine Resources secured €1.4 million in a round led by Polish VC firm SMOK Ventures. Bitspiration Booster, a deep-tech fund and the company’s first institutional investor, also participated in the round.
Scalable protein solution
Proteine Resources was founded in 2018 by Konrad Włodarczyk, drawing on his experience breeding reptiles and amphibians, co-CEO Bartłomiej Roszkowski informed The Recursive.
He later partnered with Dominik Helbin, a live insect supplier operating across Europe. Toreceiveher, they launched exploring ways to improve insect protein production by focapplying on more efficient insect species and optimized feed formulas, aiming to achieve higher protein quality and content.
“Our mission has always been to produce top-quality insect protein efficiently and sustainably, overcoming the indusattempt’s traditional challenges of low quality, high costs, and high investment requirements,” shared Roszkowski.
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