Rival Foods Doubles Down on Whole-Cut Ambitions with €10M Series B

Courtesy: Rival Foods

Dutch food tech scale-up Rival Foods has closed a €10 million ($11.6 million) Series B funding round to double its production capacity and accelerate international expansion. The round was led by pension investor APG, on behalf of ABP, with participation from PYMWYMIC, ROM Utrecht Region, and returning investor PeakBridge.

At the center of Rival Foods’ strategy is shear cell technology—a patented process that uses heat and pressure to transform plant proteins into structured, fibrous meat alternatives that resemble traditional whole cuts of chicken, beef, and fish. Unlike the more common high-moisture extrusion method, Rival’s platform allows for greater control over texture, significantly lower energy use, and a clean-label formulation—without binders or artificial additives.

Shear Cell Technology: Moving Beyond Mince

Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Wageningen University & Research by Dr. Birgit Dekkers and Ernst Breel, Rival Foods is among the few companies tackling the whole-cut challenge head-on. While many plant-based products on the market today focus on ground or reconstituted formats like burgers or sausages, Rival’s focus is on what many see as the most complex—and commercially significant—segment of alternative meat: structured whole cuts.

“Shear cell tech is like a pressure cooker with rotating parts,” Dekkers explained. “It lets us recreate that really fibrous, meat-like texture, but also achieve flakier consistencies, similar to fish, depending on the inputs and conditions. The result is a versatile platform that opens the door to a whole new category of culinary experiences.”

This novel production method has also demonstrated favorable efficiency metrics. Once in series production, Rival expects the capital intensity per unit of output to be lower than extrusion, with reduced operational costs and stronger gross margin potential. “That gives us a clear path to breakeven even at moderate volumes,” Dekkers added.

Industrial Growth, Modular Design

With the new capital, Rival plans to install its largest-ever shear cell unit alongside its existing infrastructure in Geldrop, enabling it to double output to several hundred tons per year by early next year. The company’s modular manufacturing approach supports phased expansion, allowing production to grow in step with market demand.

“This investment marks a major milestone in our mission to make high-quality plant-based meat mainstream,” said Dekkers. “We’re not just scaling—we’re setting the bar for what clean-label, high-protein, and minimally processed alternatives can deliver.”

Investor confidence reflects this view. “Rival Foods has built something special: a scalable process to turn standard plant proteins into fibrous, meat-like structures,” said Lodewijk Meens, senior portfolio manager at APG. “ABP is seeking both strong financial returns and impact through sustainable food systems, and Rival delivers on both fronts.”

Martina Pace, Partner and COO at PeakBridge, reinforced this sentiment: “Real success in the alt-protein space demands three tough things—great taste, texture, and competitive prices. Rival is one of the very few companies getting all three right.”

B2B-First, With Traction Across Sectors

Unlike other whole-cut challengers building consumer-facing brands, Rival Foods is pursuing a B2B-first model, collaborating with chefs, retailers, and institutional partners across Europe. Its alt-chicken and beef cuts are already served in restaurants across the Netherlands and Germany and have entered institutional catering channels, including hospitals and universities, sectors where nutrition, taste, and ingredient transparency are critical.

“We recently launched our first retail product with a branded food company,” Dekkers noted, “though we’re not yet able to share the name. What matters is that we’re getting product onto plates, in environments where plant-based options become the default—not the niche.”

The company’s approach to out-of-home dining reflects broader behavioral shifts. “When you make plant-based meals the default option in public settings, people respond positively,” she said. “There’s less friction, and more discovery. But people rightly demand good taste and texture, reasonable prices, and ingredient lists they understand—and that’s what we’ve focused our technology on delivering.”

Courtesy: Rival Foods

A Competitive Edge in Clean Label

Rival’s platform is designed to meet the growing demand for simple, nutritious plant-based foods. Its products contain zero additives, are high in protein, and low in saturated fat and salt—a nutritional profile that meets modern health standards without compromising culinary appeal.

This clean-label positioning sets Rival apart from other players in the increasingly crowded whole-cut segment, which includes companies like Planted, Juicy Marbles, and Chunk Foods. While many of these companies are still proving their scalability or are reliant on complex ingredient systems, Rival’s combination of taste, texture, nutrition, and cost control makes it one of the most advanced in the field.

“Rival’s production technology is a game-changer,” said Juri van Dolderen, Senior Investment Manager at ROM Utrecht Region. “It enables best-in-class products and a cost structure that can support true price parity with animal meat.”

PYMWYMIC’s Managing Director Rogier Pieterse agreed: “With products already matching animal protein on cost, and no trade-offs on label or performance, Rival is poised to drive real impact at scale.”

Patent-Protected, Research-Led

Rival’s innovation is backed by a strong IP portfolio. The company holds two of the three patents necessary to scale shear cell technology, and has exclusive rights to the third—licensed from the original Plant Meat Matters consortium, which included Givaudan, Ingredion, and The Vegetarian Butcher.

The result is a rare blend of cutting-edge science, proprietary technology, and practical commercial execution. As Rival builds toward breakeven and global expansion, the company may also become a licensing or co-manufacturing partner for others in the space—offering an alternative to companies struggling to scale extrusion-based methods.

Redefining the Center of the Plate

With €10 million in fresh funding, a growing footprint across Europe, and an operational model designed for scale, Rival Foods is positioning itself not just as another alt-protein startup, but as a core enabler of the next generation of sustainable food.

As Dekkers puts it, “Our name was never about confrontation—it’s about competition. We believe plant-based can rival the very best of animal protein, not just ethically or environmentally, but on the plate. That’s the future we’re building—one whole cut at a time.”