From Mushrooms to Digital Kitchens: PeakBridge Backs Four Startups Reinventing the Food Sector

By Agroempresario.com
In a bold move to reshape the future of food, PeakBridge’s FoodSparks fund has closed four strategic seed investments in startups that span from gut-friendly botanicals to plant-based innovation and culinary digitization. The €30 million ($33 million) fund—launched in 2021 in collaboration with EIT Food—targets early-stage foodtech ventures across Europe and Israel that demonstrate scalable potential and long-term impact.

The newly funded companies are GanEden (Netherlands), KÄÄPÄ Biotech (Finland), SOUS (Netherlands), and Evinature (Israel). Each firm offers a unique technological solution to challenges in nutrition, sustainability, and consumer demand for functional foods.

GanEden, based in Amsterdam, is disrupting the plant-based dairy sector with its low-sugar, high-fiber pre-mix designed for ice cream, yogurt, and cream alternatives. With its ice cream already on shelves in over 300 Israeli retail locations, the startup is now eyeing expansion into the B2B market.

KÄÄPÄ Biotech taps into the surging interest in medicinal mushrooms. This vertically integrated Finnish company utilizes ultrasound-assisted extraction technology to produce functional mushroom extracts—such as lion’s mane, reishi, and chaga—for wellness brands across 20+ countries.

SOUS provides an AI-driven digital platform for chefs and culinary entrepreneurs, enabling them to move beyond the limitations of physical locations. By offering no-code storefronts, integrated logistics, and CRM tools, SOUS has already helped over 120 merchants generate €10 million in new sales within just two years.

Evinature, an Israeli nutraceutical startup, combines traditional botanicals with clinical research to tackle gut health. Its flagship product, CurQD, blends Qing Dai and turmeric root extract and is now used in more than 40 U.S. medical centers to support patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Yoni Glickman, Managing Director at FoodSparks, emphasized that these startups “each address an emerging and significant gap in the food sector.” To qualify for the fund, companies must be based in Europe, the EFTA region, or Israel, and present scalable, protectable technology with a strong environmental and health focus.

With these investments, FoodSparks continues to lead the charge in fostering sustainable, health-focused food innovations, reaffirming its commitment to a future where technology, nutrition, and nature go hand in hand.