Our founders & team

It all began when food technologist Sarah wanted to solve a challenge shared by many consumers at the Technical University of Munich's innovation competition (TUM IGL #9): meat alternatives often don't taste the way you want them to. They are often dry, spongy, and full of additives. In just three months, she developed a completely new, natural mushroom-based meat alternative—and convinced the jury. With this idea, Sarah won first place in the “Food” category.

Sarah and Timo met for the first time at the “Co-Founder Speed Dating” event at the Bits & Pretzels Festival. Enthused by the vision and technological potential, Timo, a business administration graduate, immediately joined the team. His business management expertise and business development experience perfectly complemented Sarah's technological expertise. An idea became a team – and a team became a start-up.

The team impressed the jury and won the Startup Booster Grant worth €50,000 (EIT Food and Technical University of Munich), supported by the Chair of Cellular Agriculture. With the grant, NEW ERA FOOD was able to further develop the technology, set up a small production line, and take the next big step towards market readiness.

Admission to the XPLORE Venture Creator Program run by Europe's leading start-up center, UnternehmerTUM, provided access to mentors, workshops, and a strong network. During the program, the business model was strengthened and the market approach further refined.

As one of only 50 selected startups, NEW ERA FOOD joined the EIT Food Seedbed Incubator batch. With international support and €10,000 in funding, market research was intensified and connections were made with investors, organizations, partners, and startups from all over Europe.

What drives this startup? The taste. The texture. The nutritional value. Consumer expectations. We are continuously developing our mushroom steak, testing, improving, and optimizing it - until it becomes a real favorite product.