Project Eaden funding news – Foodtech Startup Project Eaden Secures €15 Million in Series A Round Funding

Livestock farming contributes to 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Project Eaden believes that current meat alternatives don’t match the taste, texture, or nutritional value of real meat, so they haven’t changed consumer behavior.

Founded by Jan Wilmking, a former Zalando manager, and Dr. David Schmelzeisen, a textile engineering PhD, the company uses textile-inspired technology to create affordable and scalable plant-based meat products.

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Each kilogram of Project Eaden’s product reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 kg of CO₂, which is like driving 100 kilometers in a typical car. It also saves up to 56 cubic meters of water, which is the daily water usage of 660 people in Europe, and reduces land use by up to 20 square meters, about the size of a small urban garden.

Planet A and REWE Group led the funding round, with support from DeepTech & Climate Fonds (DTCF), Happiness Capital, AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, and existing investors Creandum and FoodLabs.

Christoph Gras, General Partner of Planet A, said: "Project Eaden is leading this shift with its new fibre technology, which delivers a meat alternative that will appeal even to the most sceptical consumers."

The company will start selling in several European countries in 2025, beginning with Germany. Eaden’s realistic ham products will first appear in thousands of REWE supermarkets across Germany in the first half of the year.

Hans-Jürgen Moog, Chief Procurement Officer of REWE Group, said: “Project Eaden is setting a new standard in alternative meat by delivering the meat-like experience that today's consumers crave. As a launch partner, we’re excited to bring their innovative products to our stores."

Dr Elisabeth Schrey, Managing Partner of DTCF, said: "Germany has long been a global leader in innovation and engineering. We are proud to back Project Eaden, whose proprietary high-tech production technology for alternative meats positions them as a shaper of the next generation of German engineering companies.">

About Project Eaden

Project Eaden was founded in 2022 by Dr. David Schmelzeisen, Jan Wilmking, and Hubertus Bessau. It went viral online when it revealed its whole-muscle steak next to regular beef, with many people questioning if the image was edited.