Italian plant-based cheese startup Dreamfarm has secured €5 million in investment from accomplished food industry entrepreneurs Giampaolo Cagnin and Francesco Mutti.

 

The funding comes after the company achieved a “groundbreaking milestone” by developing a unique almond-based mozzarella alternative. Like conventional dairy mozzarella, the plant-based cheese is sold as a ball suspended in liquid. According to Dreamfarm, it is the first plant-based mozzarella to ever achieve government-certified liquid status.

 

The product also contains less than 1% saturated fat, far lower than conventional mozzarella and other plant-based alternatives. It is made from Italian almonds and has received a Nutriscore of A, the highest possible rating.

 

New facility and expansion

Some of the funding has already been used to establish a production facility in Sala Baganza, equipped with the machinery required to optimize Dreamfarm’s patented production process. This involves using proprietary selected cultures to ferment the almonds, which are then combined with simple ingredients like salt and agar agar to replicate the taste and texture of cheese.

 

The remainder of the investment will predominantly be used to expand Dreamfarm’s distribution channels in Italy and abroad, along with conducting further R&D to develop more products. The startup launched its first cheese alternatives — mozzarella and spreadable plant-based cheese — in May of this year.

 

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