Swiss Mycoprotein Startup Planetary Licenses Fermentation Technology to Indian Sugar Mill
- Gauri Khanna
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Too long to read? Go for the highlights below.
Planetary has signed a partnership with DCM Shriram Bioseeds to establish mycoprotein production at an Indian sugar mill, expanding its decentralised fermentation network beyond Switzerland
The company's mycoprotein already undercuts conventional chicken prices in European retail whilst achieving superior Nutri-Score ratings in blended meat products
Planetary targets the $1.3 trillion global meat market through hybrid products, capitalising on meat price inflation reaching 20% year-on-year in some markets
Alternative protein companies face a persistent tension: build expensive centralised production facilities or distribute manufacturing across multiple partners. Swiss startup Planetary has chosen the latter path, recently announcing a licensing agreement with DCM Shriram Bioseeds, a publicly listed Indian agro-industrial company, to produce mycoprotein at one of DBO's sugar mills.
The BioBlocks Licensing Model
Rather than constructing standalone greenfield plants requiring substantial capital investment, Planetary developed BioBlocks: a proprietary fermentation platform licensed to partners who co-locate production within existing agro-industrial infrastructure. This approach enables mycoprotein manufacture using agricultural side streams, the residual materials from food processing that would otherwise require disposal or low-value applications.
Founder and chief executive David Brandes explained that the technology allows strategically co-located production using partners' existing auxiliary industrial infrastructure. DBO intends to license Planetary's BioBlocks fermentation platform and install mycoprotein production capacity at one of their sugar mills in India.
The company operates its first facility in Aarberg, Switzerland, with India representing one of several planned hubs under this distributed production model targeting industrial volumes suitable for large-scale alternative protein applications. Specific timelines for the Indian partnership remain undisclosed due to legal obligations connected to the publicly listed counterparty.
Price Competitiveness in European Retail
Planetary's market entry strategy centres on blended meat products, hybrids combining conventional meat with fungal protein, rather than pursuing complete animal protein replacement. The company's Aldi Gourmet Filet launched below conventional chicken breast prices per kilogramme, undercutting a staple animal protein in one of Europe's most price-sensitive retail environments.
This pricing capability proves particularly relevant as meat costs rise substantially. The global meat market, valued at $1.3 trillion in 2026 with projections reaching $2 trillion by 2032, experiences price increases reaching 20% year-on-year in certain markets. Mycoprotein's neutral taste, fibrous texture, and nutritional profile position it as an attractive filler and functional ingredient, especially in chicken and beef formats.
Brandes noted that mycoprotein's characteristics make it ideal for complementing chicken and beef. Blended meat incorporating mycoprotein contains less fat and sodium, achieves higher Nutri-Scores—A versus C for conventional equivalents—and demonstrates drastically lower CO₂ footprints. Importantly, when paired with low-cost produced mycoprotein, equivalent chicken products can be offered at over 20% discount without taste concessions.
Consumer adoption signals suggest market readiness. Over 30% of meat mince sold at Lidl Belgium comprises hybrid products, indicating mainstream acceptance of blended protein formats beyond niche markets.
Dairy Applications and Nutritional Positioning
Beyond meat applications, Planetary holds a granted patent on milk production from mycoprotein, addressing persistent nutritional deficiencies in plant-based dairy alternatives. The company was selected as winner amongst 55 participants in a cheese alternative competition organised by Lidl Germany and ProVeg, opening pathways for dairy alternative market placement.
Whilst specific formats, geographies, and launch timelines remain undisclosed, Planetary positions mycoprotein-based milk and cheese alternatives as addressing nutrition gaps rather than merely mimicking sensory properties. This strategy targets the fundamental limitation of many plant-based dairy products: inadequate protein and fibre content compared to conventional counterparts.
Financing Distributed Infrastructure
Scaling fermentation infrastructure presents substantial capital requirements. Planetary assembled financing through multiple sources: a 7.5 million Swiss franc seed round, a 3 million franc strategic investment from Dutch agri-industrial cooperative Cosun, a 1.8 million franc grant from Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse, plus undisclosed additional funding.
Brandes indicated the company managed to finance its entire current industrial production installations through non-dilutive debt instruments: financing that doesn't require equity surrender. The company currently targets gross-margin positivity whilst aiming to reduce cost of goods sold when entering global markets.
Whether Planetary's distributed licensing model proves superior to centralised production approaches remains uncertain. The strategy reduces capital requirements and manufacturing risk whilst potentially complicating quality control and intellectual property protection across multiple jurisdictions. The Indian partnership represents a critical test of whether decentralised fermentation can deliver industrial-scale mycoprotein production at costs enabling mainstream market penetration.
