Food tech startup Infinite Roots is entering the retail sector with four mushroom-based food products under the MushRoots brand name. They are now available in over 500 REWE Nord stores and at BILLA in Austria.
© Infinite Roots: mushroom culture
MushRoots aims to establish a new product category
Founded in 2018, the startup Infinite Roots completed a financing round of 58 million US dollars in 2024, in which the REWE Group participated, among others. It develops innovative foods from mushrooms, focusing on the cultivation and processing of mycelium, the underground root-like network. However, the resulting products are not yet available in Europe. The reason for this is the Novel Food Regulation, which stipulates a complex approval process for foods that were not common before 1997. As MushRoots only uses the above-ground mushroom body, this regulation does not apply.
MushRoots is launching four varieties in the cooling shelf: a mince alternative, burger patties and two types of balls. The company puts great emphasis on the classification that the products are not seen as meat substitutes, but as representatives of a category of their own. The edible mushrooms used serve as a source of protein with a comparatively low ecological footprint, as they can be cultivated locally and in a resource-efficient manner. In addition, natural ingredients are used – no artificial flavours, flavour enhancers or colourings are added.
“For years, consumers have seen the same logic in the cooling shelf: animal protein here, plant protein there... With MushRoots, we are not only bringing a third option to the shelf, but also returning to foods with a natural main ingredient. Mushrooms offer a hearty flavour, are versatile, can be used in all the usual recipes and are very easy to prepare.”
Philip Tigges, CCO/CFO of Infinite Roots
