Rival Foods secures €10 million to scale up whole-cut plant-based meat
Amersfoort - June 18, 2025

Dutch FoodTech scale-up Rival Foods has raised €10 million in Series B growth financing. The round was led by pension investor APG, on behalf of ABP, with participation from PYMWYMIC and ROM Utrecht Region, and follow-on investment from existing shareholder PeakBridge.

A New Benchmark for Beef Alternatives

Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Wageningen University & Research, Rival Foods has developed a proprietary platform that produces whole-cut meat alternatives—products that closely mimic the structure, flavor and mouthfeel of animal-derived meat cuts, while being fully plant-based, clean label and minimally processed. Free from artificial additives, these products are designed to meet the highest culinary standards in the industry. They are developed specifically for foodservice, retail, and brands that want to push the boundaries of plant-based innovation.

Next step: doubling production and driving down costs

The new funding will enable Rival Foods to double its production capacity at its facility in Geldrop and further scale its proprietary manufacturing technology. It also allows the further optimizing of production costs to achieve competitive pricing to animal meat —without compromising on taste, texture, or nutritional value.

“This investment marks a major milestone in our mission to make high-quality plant-based meat mainstream,” said Birgit Dekkers, CEO and founder of Rival Foods. “With the backing of world-class investors, we’re ready to scale fast and reshape the future of protein. We’re called Rival for a reason —we’re here to be one.”

A B2B approach with international ambition

Rival Foods takes a B2B-first approach. The company works with chefs, retailers and food brands across Europe to bring next-generation plant-based dishes to the consumer’s plate. In addition to scaling operations, the Series B funding will support team expansion and international growth, as well as new partnerships with major players in foodservice and retail.

“Rival Foods have built something special: a scalable process to turn standard plant proteins into exciting fibrous, meat-like structures. Rival Foods’ products offer a satisfying bite with high protein content and a clean label. With this investment, our client ABP seeks to achieve strong financial returns while simultaneously reducing the environmental footprint of food consumption. We are proud to support Birgit and her excellent team as they continue to add manufacturing capacity and expand market presence.” Lodewijk Meens, senior portfolio manager at APG.

“Rival Foods has cracked the code on clean-label, plant-based proteins that truly deliver the taste and texture of meat. With products already matching animal protein on cost, they’re set to accelerate the shift toward a more sustainable, plant-powered future.” Rogier Pieterse, Managing Director at PYMWYMIC.

“Rival Foods’ production technology is a game-changer. Its products are best-in-class while production process allows price parity with animal protein. We are therefore confident for Rival Foods to provide a strong boost to the further adoption of plant-based meat globally.” Juri van Dolderen, Senior Investment Manager at ROM Utrecht Region.

 “Real success in the alternative protein space demands three tough things to achieve: great taste, texture, and competitive prices. We’re proud to see Rival Foods achieving all three - and thrilled to expand on our investment and help the next crucial phase: international growth and scaling production capacity even further.” Martina Pace, PeakBridge Partner & COO.

With new funding and ongoing momentum from successful product launches across various partnerships, Rival Foods is poised to rival the meat industry, one whole-cut at a time.