Project Eaden Raises €15 Million Oversubscribed Series A For Launch of Ultra-Realistic Meat Made Via Breakthrough Fiber Technology

  • Oversubscribed €15 million Series A supported by new backers Planet A, REWE Group, DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Happiness Capital, and AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance as well as returning investors Foodlabs and Creandum
  • The new funding supports the European retail launch of Project Eaden’s ultra-realistic hams along with the research and development of whole cut meats 
  • Starting mid-2025, German consumers will be able to buy the company’s products at REWE supermarkets across the country

BERLIN (January 22, 2025) – Project Eaden, the German climate tech startup that creates ultra-realistic plant-based meats using proprietary fiber spinning technology inspired by the textile industry, closed an oversubscribed €15 million Series A funding round led by Planet A and REWE Group, with participation from DeepTech & Climate Fonds (DTCF). Happiness Capital, AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, and existing investors Creandum and FoodLabs also joined the A round.

Billions of people eat meat every day. Global demand for meat is growing. Livestock farming is responsible for 12% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions. Current meat alternatives do not stack up to the taste, texture, or nutritional benefits of animal meat, creating no real shift in consumer behavior.

Jan Wilmking, co-founder of Project Eaden, said: “We are here to make the switch away from animal meat consumption a no-brainer. Our products deliver on taste, texture and nutrition.”

The company plans to use the funding to support a pan-European retail launch, scale up its production capacity and expand its product portfolio, continuing to push the boundaries of plant-based whole cuts meats through dedicated R&D activities. Project Eaden is expanding its team with strategic hires in operations, engineering, marketing and sales.

“Our proprietary tech is versatile across meat types, cheap and highly scalable,” adds Dr. David Schmelzeisen, co-founder of Project Eaden.

Project Eaden’s fiber spinning and compounding technology creates ultra-realistic plant-based meats with look, taste and chew matching animal meat quality. Its products are healthier than animal meats — unlike processed pork meats, Eaden’s ham products are nitrate-free and antibiotic-free — at a fraction of the environmental cost of animal meat: Every kilogram of Project Eaden’s product reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 kg CO₂-eq – equivalent to driving about 100 kilometers in an average fossil fuel car. It also cuts water use by up to 56 m³, comparable to the daily water consumption of 660 European citizens, and decreases land use by up to 20 m², roughly the size of a small urban garden.

Christoph Gras, General Partner of Planet A, said: “Research suggests that plant-based products could replace 11–22% of global meat consumption by 2035—but only if improvements are made in taste and texture. Project Eaden is leading this shift with its new fiber technology, which delivers a meat alternative that will appeal even to the most skeptical consumers. This first-of-a-kind approach is a crucial step toward decarbonizing the food sector.”

The company will launch in multiple European markets in 2025 starting with Germany, where Eaden’s ultra-realistic ham products will make their retail debut in thousands of REWE supermarkets across the country in the first half of the year. Ham is an everyday product and consumer staple for Europeans. The market is worth over €2 billion in Germany alone.

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.”

The new investment brings the climate tech startup’s total funding to €27 million. In early 2022, the company raised an oversubscribed €10 million seed round led by Pan-European tech investor Creandum with participation by Berlin-based Magnetic, FoodLabs, Mudcake and Shio Capital, later receiving research grants of €2 million.

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.”

Tobias Weissgerber, Investment Manager at DTCF, adds: “Plant-based nutrition with its significant impact on animal welfare, CO₂ and health in particular is an important element of a sustainable foodindustry. Project Eaden has developed a market-ready plant-based meat alternative with an innovative fiber technology. This meat immitation with its unprecedented realistic degree in taste and mouthfeel has convinced us immediately.”

Project Eaden was founded by Wilmking, a former Zalando manager, and Schmelzeisen, who holds a PhD in textile engineering. The two came together to start the company when they realized they could apply proprietary spinning and compounding technology inspired by the textile industry to recreate meat in scalable and cheap ways.

Project Eaden applies proprietary spinning and compounding technology inspired by the textile industry to recreate meat in scalable and cheap ways. Its products are endorsed by butchers, Michelin chefs and retail buyers.

About Project Eaden
Project Eaden was founded in 2022 in Berlin, Germany, by Dr. David Schmelzeisen, Hubertus Bessau, and Jan Wilmking. It creates ultra-realistic plant-based meat alternatives including whole cuts and deli products using proprietary fiber spinning technology inspired by the textile industry. In early 2022, the company successfully raised a €10M seed round from leading global venture capital funds including Creandum, Magnetic and Food Labs, and received an additional €2M in public grants. In January 2025, the company closed a €15M Series A to support their upcoming European retail product launch. The company is headquartered in Berlin’s buzzing Kreuzberg neighborhood where a small but mighty team of 30 material and food scientists, mechanical engineers, and business professionals are creating the future of meat. For more information, visit www.projecteaden.com and Linkedin.

About The Founders:
Jan Wilmking: Co-Founder & Managing Director
Former SVP Private Brands at Zalando and Project Manager at McKinsey & Company, Jan Wilmking co-founded Project Eaden with David Schmelzeisen, where he leads the business side of the company. Jan holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Dr. David Schmelzeisen: Co-Founder & Managing Director
David has a background in materials science and in-depth experience in the textile industry, with special expertise in automation, and has led international projects in textile production as a technical consultant. David holds a PhD in Engineering from RWTH Aachen University.

For Media:
Media Contact: Jan Wilmking, press@projecteaden.com
Media Kit (incl pictures and product videos): Project Eaden Media Kit 2025