Zürich – The Venture Kick funding initiative is backing Planted Foods to the tune of 150 thousand Swiss francs. The spin-off affiliated with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich manufactures alternatives to meat products using yellow peas. Planted chicken is even used by Gault-Millau chefs.

Venture Kick supports start-ups from the initial idea right through to founding. “In Corona times, when start-ups need it the most, Venture Kick continues to support and finance Swiss start-ups without interruption”, the funding initiative states in a press release.

In the most recent financing round, Planted Foods was awarded a grant of 150 thousand Swiss francs. The spin-off affiliated with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) manufactures meat alternatives from proteins and fibers of yellow peas. Planted chicken, which is already available on the shelves of more than 200 co-op stores, has even won over Gault-Millau chefs. At the moment, the start-up is working on expanding its product portfolio to include additional meat-free chicken products and pulled pork.

“Venture Kick creates a very energetic environment that's necessary to challenge yourselves, the business plan as well as execution to get to the next level”, explains Pascal Bieri, Co-Founder of Planted, in the press release. He adds: “The feedback helped us to refocus on the things that really matter”.

In 2020, Venture Kick is planning to award a total of 5 million Swiss francs to Swiss tech start-ups. The aim here is to help them tap into global markets. For the implementation of this initiative, the Venture Kick Foundation turned to the Institute for Young Enterprises (IFJ), which is represented in Schlieren, St.Gallen and Lausanne.

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