Europe Embraces the Tentacle: Revo Foods Brings Back 3D-Printed Mycelium Octopus

Courtesy: Revo Foods

After selling out within weeks of its 2024 debut, a lifelike 3D-printed octopus tentacle is making a comeback. Revo Foods, the Vienna-based food tech startup behind the product, has officially brought The Kraken back as a permanent offering — answering persistent calls from chefs, distributors, and curious consumers who missed their first chance to try it.

Originally launched as a limited edition, the product captivated audiences with its striking realism and unusual origin: not from the sea, but from mushrooms. Now available online and through major retail partners including Billa in Austria and distributors in Germany, Italy, the UK, France, and Spain, The Kraken is poised to test whether a mycelium-based seafood alternative can become a staple rather than a curiosity.

From Fungi to Fine Dining

Inside Revo’s production facility in Vienna, the tentacle is made using mushroom mycelium—a filamentous fungal network known for its fibrous texture and high-protein content. Using a patented 3D food printing process, the company shapes the material into a structure that mimics the complex anatomy of an octopus tentacle, complete with visible suckers and a chewy, pulpo-style bite.

But the appeal isn’t purely visual. Each 100-gram portion delivers 6.3 grams of complete protein and 7 grams of dietary fibre, bolstered by DHA- and EPA-rich microalgae that offer omega-3s without relying on fish. The product has earned a Nutri-Score rating of A and can be served raw in salads or pan-fried for a more traditional seafood experience.

Its versatility and nutrient profile make it more than just a novelty. “We’re seeing consumers looking for new textures, new protein sources—and most importantly, real alternatives that don’t feel like a compromise,” said Robin Simsa, Revo’s co-founder and CEO.

The Problem With Real Octopus

Revo’s re-release of the octopus analogue also comes at a time of growing discomfort with the idea of farming octopus at scale. Intelligent, solitary, and carnivorous, octopuses are poorly suited to captivity, and proposed industrial systems have sparked global outcry. In Spain, plans to raise octopuses in enclosed tanks drew criticism from scientists and animal welfare groups, prompting backlash over both ethics and environmental costs.

For every kilogram of farmed octopus, roughly three kilograms of feed—often sourced from wild marine life—are required. With global octopus landings declining and public sentiment turning against cephalopod farming, several jurisdictions have acted preemptively. The UK has included octopuses in its animal welfare legislation, and U.S. states such as Washington and California have introduced bans or restrictions on commercial farming.

Against this backdrop, Revo’s tentacle serves as both a culinary experiment and a pointed critique of how seafood is sourced.

Courtesy: Revo Foods

Scaling a 3D Seafood Alternative

Despite broader volatility in the plant- and fungi-based protein market, Revo Foods has quietly built momentum. With more than €11 million in funding and recent upgrades to its 3D extrusion platform, the company has increased production output by 50% while cutting down on waste.

In the first half of 2025, Revo surpassed its total 2024 revenue, and its products—including The Prime Cut, a more neutral-flavored mycoprotein block—are now available at over 1,000 distribution points across Europe. The company is also looking beyond the continent. A new collaboration with Slovenian alt-meat maker Juicy Marbles focuses on developing a whole-cut cod analogue for the U.S. market, where interest in seafood alternatives is increasing.

For Simsa, partnerships like this point to a future where food tech firms build ecosystems, not just brands. “We see collaboration—not competition—as key to scaling truly sustainable solutions,” he said.

Tentacle as Symbol

With its surreal shape and unexpected ingredients, The Kraken is undeniably attention-grabbing. But its quiet success story reflects something deeper: a growing willingness among consumers to embrace alternative proteins not just for environmental reasons, but for taste, nutrition, and creativity.

In that sense, the return of Revo’s 3D-printed octopus isn’t just a second launch - it’s a signal - that the future of seafood may not come from the sea at all. That mycelium, once hidden underground, might surface on menus from Paris to Palermo. And that the technologies used to build our food are becoming just as important as the ingredients themselves.