Russia’s first plant-based start-up accelerator has attracted support from Europe’s meat-free proponents under the ProVeg Incubator. The program is steered by the newly-formed non-profit Association of Alternative Food Products Producers (AAFPP). 

Through a partnership, the two organizations are targeting companies that are developing alternatives to animal-based products. This includes start-ups developing plant-based ingredients, cultured meat and seafood, and food-tech products such as 3D bioprinting. 

This accelerator, based in the Moscow and Kaluga region, will be welcoming its first cohort of start-ups this spring.

Participating entrepreneurs will be either based in Russia or the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), or focused on targeting those markets.

FoodIngredientsFirst reached out to both ProVeg and AAFPP for further insights on Russia’s evolving appetite for meatless.

An alternative food market in its infancy
Julia Marsel, co-founder of the AAFPP and of ProVeg Incubator alumni start-up Greenwise, notes that the accelerator began with a plant-based brand focus, but has broadened in its scope in the food-tech sphere over the years.

“In Russia and other Russian-speaking regions, the alternative food market is still in its infancy and needs support,” she remarks.

“That’s why we decided to set up an organization that, together with the ProVeg Incubator, will support start-ups and help to achieve our shared goal of a future food system that doesn’t rely on animal ingredients.”

Greenwise is one of Russia’s first plant-based meat companies. The start-up graduated from the ProVeg Incubator in 2019 and is now selling products at over 2,000 retailers in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. 

The brand’s plant-based jerky was one of the products highlighted at the Innova Market Insights tasting bar at Fi Europe & Ni 2019. This offering comes in a dry form without added flavor, acquiring a fibrous structure and meaty chewiness after hydration.

Next to Russia, Greenwise currently exports its meat alternatives to Hungary, Estonia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Shifting the diets of 240 million consumers
The “Plant-Forward” trend forecasted by Innova Market Insights has sustained its extended reach into new categories and markets, driven forward by critical agri-food shifts. 

As a challenger of contemporary animal farming systems, ProVeg has called intensive livestock rearing the “single most risky human behavior” amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing climate crises.

Albrecht Wolfmeyer, Head of the ProVeg Incubator, details that the potential impact of the newly spearheaded accelerator in Russia is particularly significant, given that the target region has a population of around 240 million people. 

“We will bring our experience and know-how to the table, having already built a pioneering food incubator, and look forward to mentoring start-up founders and connecting them to partners from Germany and beyond.”

Since its launch, two years ago, the ProVeg Incubator has supported over 45 start-ups from all over the world, helping them to raise a collective €30 million (US$36 million) and launch more than 100 products.

The ProVeg Incubator is currently accepting star-tup applications to join the upcoming edition of its accelerator program, which will kick off in April 2021.