MATR Foods: blending biotech and tradition

Danish startup MATR is redefining plant-based food by using the ancient art of fungi fermentation to transform a blend of Nordic organic vegetables, legumes, and grains into delicious and healthy products. Behind the innovations is a team combining three essential ingredients: food scientists, acclaimed chefs from the Copenhagen scene, and experts in building international consumer brands. The final products are fresh, tasty and simple, which has raised interest from investors.

Globally, meat consumption is increasing. On current trends, demand for livestock products will grow 70% by 2050. [1] Environmentally, the problem is that producing animal proteins – especially beef and lamb – requires vast amounts of land, water, and feed, while also producing significant greenhouse gas emissions. [2]

Bucking the global trend, 51% European consumers say they have reduced their annual meat intake, and data suggests there is a shift across Europe towards more plant-based eating. [3,4] As well as environmental motives, there are also health reasons why consumers are looking to diversify the protein they eat. [5]

To meet this rising demand, startups are developing a new generation of plant-based products.

Founded in 2021 in Copenhagen, Danish food-tech startup MATR Foods blends fresh local food with cutting-edge biotechnology, refining an age-old technique: fermentation with fungi. By pairing this method with a modern, clean recipe, they create tasty, versatile, and healthy whole food that can replace meat on the plate.

MATR’s innovation is designed to deliver measurable environmental and social benefits. Independent assessments show that MATR products have a carbon footprint of around 1.6 kg CO₂e per kilogram – approximately 95% lower than the footprint of average beef. Once up and running in late 2026, the company’s new production facility in Ansager, Denmark, is expected to cut more than 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ from European meals each year, demonstrating the potential of fungi fermentation to contribute to Europe’s climate goals.

All MATR products are made from organic ingredients, ensuring they do not contribute to soil degradation, water toxicity, or pesticide use during cultivation. The fermentation process brings the added value of extending shelf life, helping to reduce food waste while delivering healthy, sustainable proteins. MATR now employs 35 staff, and this is expected to expand significantly once the new factory opens.

Since 2024, MATR Foods has been part of EIT Food’s RisingFoodStars (RFS) entrepreneurship programme, which identifies Europe’s most promising agrifood and foodtech scale-ups and helps boost their chances of long-term business success.

MATR first joined the investment track, where the programme supported them in their efforts to raise funds and strengthen their financial position. "[The track] was a great opportunity to learn how VCs are thinking and how you as a start up position yourself best to secure VC funding," says Randi Wahlsten, MATR's CEO. "This has been a great learning experience and helped us navigate the many dialogues with investors we have had in raising our current fundraising round."

MATR has since engaged in the RFS commercialisation track, which is focused on helping them build their commercial capabilities and expand market opportunities. Elm notes that this EIT Food programme is helping his team to structure to its commercialisation process, as they prepare for the launch of the new production facility.

In 2025, MATR secured funding of €40m, which includes a Series A funding round of €20 million co-led by Novo Holdings and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO). This financing was complemented by a €20 million loan from the European Investment Bank.

The investment will scale operations at MATR Foods’ Ansager site in Denmark, increasing production of its fungi-fermented products to 4,000 tonnes annually. The new production line is expected to be operational by early 2027, resulting in approximately 60 new jobs locally, and accommodating customers in Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark.

MATR is already on a pathway to scaling, backed by its EIB loan and growing interest from private investors. But Europe needs to think bigger: if we are to truly transform our food system, these innovations must be produced at an industrial scale. Worldwide, the potential impact is huge. Research shows that if 50% of pork, chicken, beef, and milk were substituted globally by 2050, agriculture and land-use greenhouse gas emissions would fall by nearly a third, while the loss of forests and natural land would be almost fully halted. [7]

To accelerate this transition to more diverse protein, companies can play their part by putting more options on workplace menus. Governments can help by setting clear plant-based food targets in public institutions, or via tax mechanisms that incentivise healthy plant-based products. And consumers and chefs can pave the way by embracing fungi-fermented foods in their favourite recipes. For more, see the EIT Food Policy Brief ‘Accelerating Protein Diversification for Europe’. [8]

1. FAO: Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock. Date accessed 8 September 2025
2. Our World in Data: Environmental Impacts of Food Production. Date accessed 8 September 2025
3. Smart Protein Project: Evolving appetites: an in-depth look at European attitudes towards plant-based eating. (2023)
4. EIT Food Consumer Observatory: Eating fewer animal products: Which policy ideas are acceptable to consumers? (2023)
5. EIT Food: Healthier Lives through Food Insight Report. (2023)
6. GFI/PAN: Where does plant-based meat fit in the ultra-processed foods conversation? (2025)
7. Nature Communications: Feeding climate and biodiversity goals with novel plant-based meat and milk alternatives. (2023)
8. EIT Food: Accelerating Protein Diversification for Europe. (2023)