Heura receives 20 million euros: plant-based revolution in Spain!

Heura receives 20 million euros: plant-based revolution in Spain!

Heura, an emerging Spanish plant-based brand, recently secured €20 million in financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fuel its expansion beyond plant-based meat. This investment aims to develop new products with improved nutritional density for mass consumption. Loud vegconomist Heura sees this financing as important support for its scientifically based, sustainable and health-oriented business model.

In addition to this funding commitment, Heura opened the Innovation Hub in the 22@ district of Barcelona at the beginning of 2023. Six new patents will be filed in the next nine months, underlining the company's innovative strength. Alessandro Izzo, Director at the EIB, highlights that supporting companies in the bioeconomy is crucial to promote innovation and sustainability.

Growth strategies and market position

Heura is aiming to become the first start-up in its category to reach profitability after cutting its losses by more than half. The forecasts for the fourth quarter of 2025 indicate that profits will be achieved for the first time. The company reported stable sales of 38 million euros for 2024, which is unchanged compared to the previous year.

With a market share twice as high as its next largest competitor, Heura remains the market leader in Spain. The company reported strong growth of 34.5% in markets such as Italy, France and Portugal. To expand its presence in the food service sector, Heura has partnered with notable companies such as Royal Caribbean, Vueling and Rodilla and will participate in high-profile events such as Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour."

Successful financing rounds

As part of its growth strategies, Heura has also successfully completed a Series B financing round worth 40 million euros. This round was supported by companies such as Upfield, Unovis Asset Management, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF VC) and New Tree Impact. The combination of these partners is expected to form one of the largest alliances in the field of plant-based products. Heura plans to use the additional funds raised to accelerate its international expansion and explore new cooperation models to further consolidate its position as an industry leader.

The company filed an additive-free nutritional patent in April 2023 that is applicable to various plant-based food categories. Within five months of this patent application, the first additive-free “York-style” product line was developed and quickly established itself as the best-selling product per business day. David Haines, CEO of Upfield, spoke positively about the partnership and emphasized the focus on clean label technologies.

The partnership with ECBF VC is recognized by Marie Asano, partner at ECBF, as evidence of Heura's strong brand and commitment to quality and health. Heura aims to overcome consumer barriers and reach a wider audience by expanding its technology portfolio and developing products with high repurchase rates.