Novameat: rethinks meat with hybrid protein technology

Is the future of meat all or nothing? For consumers who want to change what they eat, choosing between conventional meat and a fully plant-based alternative does not have to be the only option. 

Barcelona-based Novameat is developing another route. Its protein technologies are designed to combine plant and animal proteins while maintaining the texture, taste, affordability and familiarity consumers expect from meat products.

How Europe meets its protein needs is becoming an increasingly important food-system challenge. Global animal protein production is projected to increase by 14% between 2020 and 2030,[1] while access to nutritious food is already unequal: 8.3% of Europeans cannot afford a protein-rich meal every day.[2] Meeting growing demand therefore means considering not only how much protein is produced, but how it can be made more accessible while reducing pressure on natural resources.

Diversifying the proteins we eat is one way to address these interconnected challenges. This does not mean eliminating animal protein but expanding the range and balance of protein sources available. For new options to become part of everyday diets, however, they also need to respond to what matters to consumers, including affordability, nutrition, taste, texture and familiarity.[1]

Novameat’s hybrid approach responds to this challenge by combining plant and animal proteins in familiar meat products, giving manufacturers a way to diversify their protein offering while retaining the eating experience consumers expect.

Founded by Giuseppe Scionti, Novameat began by developing technology to recreate the fibrous structure of meat using plant proteins. Today, the company is applying that expertise as a B2B ingredient and technology provider, working with food manufacturers to bring more balanced protein products towards industrial scale.

In 2026, Novameat launched its Balanced Proteins platform,[3] marking its evolution from a plant-based startup towards a B2B technology and ingredient provider for meat manufacturers.

The company is active in five European markets and has industrially scaled its proprietary MicroForce technology for creating fibrous meat textures. This progress follows a €17.4 million Series A funding round in 2024 and the expansion of its plant-based product portfolio in 2025.

By developing hybrid protein technologies that combine plant and animal proteins, Novameat helps reduce the environmental footprint of meat production while supporting a gradual and realistic transition towards more sustainable diets.

Studies on hybrid meat products show they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30-40%, land use by around 20-30%, and water consumption by up to 15-20% compared with conventional meat products, depending on formulation and production methods.

At the same time, hybrid products maintain the taste, texture and familiarity consumers expect, making sustainable food choices more accessible and easier to adopt at scale.

EIT Food has supported Novameat at different stages of its development through funding, acceleration and access to Europe’s food innovation ecosystem.

Novameat participated in the EIT Food Accelerator Network in 2019, gaining access to industry stakeholders, research organisations, investors and opportunities for international visibility. It later participated in the MAEL project from 2022 to 2024.

1. Adapt the business model as markets and consumer needs evolve.
2. Design new protein products around taste, texture and affordability as well as sustainability.
3. Build industry partnerships early to support commercialisation.
4. Use technology as an enabler for change that can work at industrial scale.

Novameat’s next chapter is focused on bringing its hybrid protein technology further into industrial manufacturing. Through its Balanced Proteins platform and MicroForce technology, the company aims to work with manufacturers to scale products that combine animal and plant proteins.

Its journey reflects EIT Food’s wider work to grow Europe’s food innovation ecosystem and accelerate protein diversification through science, entrepreneurship and collaboration.

1. FAIRR, Protein Diversification: A Tool to Address Climate, Nature, and Public Health Risks, 6 March 2024. 
2. EIT Food, Why protein diversification matters, 8 June 2023.
3. Sofinnova Partners, Novameat launches Balanced Protein ingredient for meat makers, 6 March 2026.