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Revo Foods: eating our way out of the ocean crisis

Revo Foods is printing a new future for seafood, one that saves water, slashes emissions and spares marine life. Their products deliver all the satisfaction, with none of the sacrifice.

16 Jul 2025
4 min reading time

Featured startup

Making waves for sustainable seafood

Revo Foods didn't start with a factory, it started with a frustration. Marine biologist Robin Simsa was researching sustainable food systems when he saw firsthand how overfishing, pollution, and climate change were driving marine biodiversity into crisis. In 2021, he launched Revo Foods, a Vienna-based food tech startup that uses 3D printing to reimagine seafood with a major difference: no fish.

Their plant-based fillets, created with precision extrusion technology, deliver the taste, texture and nutritional value of conventional fish, but without the environmental cost. With support from EIT Food, new technology, and a radically faster route to market, Revo Foods is redefining the possibilities of sustainable seafood.

Fishing for solutions

Our marine ecosystems have reached a breaking point. One-third of global fish stocks are overexploited, and the world's fishing fleets emit 73–159 million tonnes of CO2 annually, accounting for 0.1–0.5% of global carbon. However, these numbers are considered an underestimate because emissions have not been measured consistently in many countries. On top of that, the fishing method of trawling – disturbing sediments on the seabed – could release an additional 1 Gt of carbon globally (1).

As climate pressure intensifies and wild fish stocks dwindle, the world urgently needs low-impact protein. But alternatives must go beyond imitation. They need to be better: cheaper, scalable and trusted. Consumers want sustainable alternatives, but without compromising on taste, texture, or nutrition. The challenge is clear: how do we feed a growing global population without further emptying our oceans?

Scaling the blue revolution

Revo Foods has gone from lab to lunchbox in under four years, evolving from a university spinout into a category-defining food tech disruptor. Their 3D-printed salmon-inspired fillet, made with mycoprotein from mushroom roots, launched in 2023 and landed on supermarket shelves across 20+ markets, including Germany, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands.

In 2024, The Kraken, their mycoprotein (mycelium)-based octopus alternative, sold out within 48 hours, prompting a permanent launch. This product, rich in protein, fibre, and microalgae-derived omega-3 fatty acids, helped drive a 250% sales increase following the opening of their Vienna-bmid-2025ste Famid-2025roduction hub. (2)

By mid-2025, Revo's revenues had already surpassed total 2024 sales, fuelled by expanded distribution, new product launches like El Blanco (a black cod-inspired fillet developed in just three months), and over €11 million in funding raised, including €1.5M in crowdfunding. Revo has also adopted a new labelling strategy focused on transparency and unique ingredients – shifting from fish comparisons to “fermented fungi protein” – earning both consumer trust and shelf space.

Internationally, Revo has partnered with Slovenia’s Juicy Marbles to develop cod alternatives tailored to the US market, with plans for further product launches and distribution expansion underway. (3)

Kraken the code for impact

Revo Foods aren't just cutting carbon, they're cutting through the noise of greenwashing with real, measurable change. Their 3-D printed seafood alternative helps reduce emissions by up to 77% and water use by 95%, offering climate friendly solutions the consumers actually want to eat. With over 1 million portions served and counting, they're turning lab innovation into everyday action, reducing pressure on oceans, creating high skilled jobs, improving sustainable food can be bold, delicious and scalable. As they put it, “together we've rescued 23,487 salmon, 149 tuna, and eight octopus”, a powerful reminder that every bite can drive change. And with products up to 30% cheaper than traditional fish, price parity is no longer the barrier.

Here is some of the company's impact in numbers:

Revo Food's products use

95%
less water usage
77%
less carbon emissions

and they are

30%
cheaper than traditional fish

Fuelled by forward thinking

EIT Food has been a launchpad at every stage of Revo Foods’s growth. Their journey began in 2020 with support from our Global Food Venture Programme, sharpening their pitch and business model. This was quickly followed by their participation in the EIT Food Accelerator Network (our entrepreneurship programme focusing on tech validation and commercial acceleration) in 2021 which helped connect them with corporates, investors and partners, driving their market entry.

Fast forward to 2023, and as EIT Food’s Marketed Innovation Prize winners, Revo Foods launched Europe's first 3D printed salmon-inspired fillet, created using its mycoprotein derived from mushroom roots. Alongside funding and technical mentoring, the EIT Food network unlocked critical retail and research partnerships, helping Revo Foods secure €10 million and investment, scale production, and land shelf space in major supermarkets across Europe.

  • “EIT Food has supported the mission of Revo Foods to end overfishing with better alternatives from day one, and is one of the most important startup networks for us in Europe. It is truly astonishing what EIT Food have been able to accomplish with entrepreneurs in a short period of time, and we are sure that they will continue to be a driver of innovation for a sustainable food future in Europe and across the world."

    - Robin Simsa, CEO and Co-founder Revo Foods
  • “The Global Food Venture Programme encourages strategic and critical thinking in executing your business plan effectively. We, at Revo Foods, are now a company with a team of 35 people, and we are selling our products in 20 countries across Europe.”

    - Robin Simsa, CEO and Co-founder Revo Foods

How to make waves with food innovation. Revo Foods’ journey to success has proved:

  1. Prototype boldly but pilot smart. Testing limited markets to build buzz and gather feedback.
  2. Tech alone isn't enough, taste will always win. Consumer trust is earned bite by bite.
  3. Scale with strategy. Invest early in operational efficiency to meet demand when it hits.

Full steam ahead

Revo Foods’s potential is oceanic. With growing consumer demand, policy shifts towards sustainable seafood improving tech driving innovation, Revo Foods is ready to scale globally. They’re making great strides forwards, but regulatory harmonisation, investment in biomanufacturing, and public trust in food innovation remain hurdles. Continued R&D, retail partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration are key to bringing seafood-inspired foods to every plate and unlocking a future where sustainability is standard, not an exception.

Catch up on more from Revo Foods on The Food Fight Podcast

Learn about the latest opportunities, research and innovations shaping the food industry.

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