Project description
Esencia Foods: sustainable whole-cut alternatives, starting with fish first
Our food system is under growing environmental pressure. However, many plant-based alternatives still lack the texture and flavour that consumers expect. In this context, the EIC-funded start-up Esencia Foods is pioneering an approach that uses mycelium solid-state fermentation to create realistic, whole-cut alternatives. Grown in tray bioreactors, the mycelium naturally forms fibrous, layered textures. No additives or heavy processing are needed. The process is fast, scalable and low in resource use, making it sustainable. In response to a particularly strong environmental strain on our oceans and greater shortcomings of plant-based fish, Esencia starts with whole-cut seafood alternatives. With strong interest from chefs, caterers and retailers across Europe, Esencia Foods is well-positioned to redefine this segment and the alt-protein market.
Objective
Esencia Foods is the first company in Europe to exploit the unique properties of mycelium combined with the advantages of an enhanced solid-state fermentation for whole cuts of any kind, starting with fish and seafood.
We stand as the pioneering company in Europe, employing solid state fermentation with mycelium to achieve natural textures with minimal processing, two ingredients and a lower price point than animal-based counterparts.
Solid state fermentation utilising tray bioreactors allows novel texturizing technologies to mimic the texture of whole cuts when exploiting the natural fibrous texture of mycelial fibres and mycelium’s gelation properties. This is a key step for re-producing complex textures; it also significantly reduces the need for expensive additives and intensive post-processing for texturization. By harnessing solid-state fermentation, we can cultivate mycelium (filamentous fungi) in controlled conditions that surpass natural growth and do so quickly and on a scalable level. Additionally, this process can be carried out locally, close to where (otherwise unused) side streams arise, and it requires minimal water compared to Liquid State Fermentation (most used technology today for the production of mycelium-based alternative products)
We anticipate operating within a serviceable obtainable market (SOM) of approximately €5.3 billion by 2028. We project that we can realistically capture approximately €18 million of this market share by 2029. We have received LOIs from 9 restaurants based in Barcelona, Spain, 1 Canteen and 1 business caterer in Germany, 2 Catering companies based in Barcelona, Spain, 2 Chefs based in Germany and Spain, 4 Food Producers from Germany and The Netherlands, and 3 Food retailers/Grocers from Switzerland, The Netherlands and Germany. Potential customers who have provided LOIs have expressed a strong demand for our products which translates into a market opportunity of €20M+ per year.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation bioreactors
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology bioprocessing technologies fermentation
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC-ACC - HORIZON EIC Accelerator
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-ACCELERATOR-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08006 BARCELONA
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.