The French startup Yeasty, which designed a unique protein from yeast not used by beer producers, recently raised 1.2 million euros in funding. Business Cool spoke with Juan Londoño Leon, co-founder and COO at Yeasty. He revealed to us the upcoming projects of his startup.
Everything you need to know about Yeasty
Who are you ?
The Yeasty adventure began in a laboratory in 2020. Nikola and Mathieu, then still students at AgroParisTech, looked into ways to get rid of the bitterness of brewer’s yeast, to finally bring this fantastic co-product to our plates . They managed to find a revolutionary process in 2021, in the Genopole laboratories, and then sought to accelerate and find the right strategy to enter the market.
I joined the co-founding team at the end of 2021 as COO, with a background in business (ESSEC) and data science (CentraleSupélec) and previous experiences in launching new B2B DeepTech products and in FoodTech entrepreneurship.
What does Yeasty do?
Yeasty protein responds to a dual challenge: for brewers, it is a matter of reusing an unused and costly raw material from an economic and environmental perspective, and, for manufacturers, of identifying better sources of protein.
Among the numerous ongoing research efforts to develop alternative proteins to animal proteins, Yeasty offers a rich solution, which combines nutritional qualities, taste, sustainability, and accessibility. Yeasty has designed the most complete protein ingredient on the market from unused brewer’s yeast, containing 50% protein, whose full potential can now be expressed thanks to a unique technological innovation: the elimination of bitterness . More than 30 players in the food industry have already endorsed Yeasty protein. The company’s objective for 2025 is the construction of a first industrial site with an annual capacity of 5,000 tonnes.
Yeasty’s fundraising
Why did you raise 1.2 million euros?
This fundraising will allow Yeasty to industrialize the production of samples which will allow food manufacturers to start testing recipes such as meat alternatives, pasta, protein biscuits or even sports bars and shakes. . We will be able to set up in our own 100m² laboratories from January, equipping ourselves with the necessary and expensive tools, and recruiting expert talent (there will be 10 of us in January).
Why did you choose to bring these investors into your capital?
Yeasty has chosen to bring Asterion Ventures, Cameleon Invest, Satgana and Bpifrance into its capital. We tried to surround ourselves, for this first lifting; partners who put impact at the heart of their vision and who can provide extra-financial resources to Yeasty. This is exactly the case with these actors. Asterion’s network of business angels, for example, is extremely rich and varied.
What will Yeasty look like in 5 years?
In 5 years, Yeasty will have developed sustainable ingredients that will be at the heart of eating habits! We will have built a first factory in France capable of producing more than 5,000 tonnes per year and we will have started our expansion abroad with a project for a second factory, in Asia or North America.
