The Hamburg-based biotech startup Infinite Roots has acquired Bosque Foods from Berlin. Both companies are working on developing meat alternatives from fungal mycelium. Through the merger, Infinite Roots is expanding its expertise in the field of fermentation, which is essential to the manufacturing process.
Infinite Roots broadens its scope through the acquisition
The two startups have different approaches to fermentation. Whilst Infinite Roots concentrates primarily on scalability in production, Bosque Foods focuses on ‘whole cut’. This refers to products modelled on steaks or fillet cuts rather than minced meat or sausages. Infinite Roots hopes this will enable it to expand its future range. At present, food products made from the mycelium used by the Hamburg-based startup are not yet authorised in the EU. However, mushroom-based balls and burger patties are already available in retail under the brand name MushRoots.
Infinite Roots was founded in 2018 and now employs over 60 people. A funding round of 58 million US dollars in early 2024 set a European record for the industry at the time. Bosque Foods was founded in 2020. In 2022, the startup secured 3 million US dollars in its first funding round. But in autumn 2024, it was forced to file for insolvency as, like Infinite Roots, it was unable to market its products in the EU due to the Novel Food Regulation. The acquisition now offers the opportunity to further develop Bosque Foods’ technology.
