COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – Today, Novo Holdings announced an initial investment in Danish food-tech start-up MATR Foods (‘MATR’) to support the scaling-up of its production of sustainable meat alternatives.

Established in Copenhagen in 2021, MATR specialises in developing organic innovative plant-based meat alternatives using traditional fungal fermentation techniques. Locally sourced organic ingredients like oats, split peas, lupins, beetroots, and potatoes are transformed into patties and mince with a juicy texture and meaty flavour, offering a nutritious and sustainable alternative without the need for additives or heavy processing.

The company’s flagship product, MATR Fungi Mince, is made entirely from natural ingredients grown in Scandinavia. Rich in protein and fibre and low in fat, the product has an amino acid profile like meat, but with a carbon footprint of just 1.4 kg CO₂ e per kg, which is 94% lower than that of beef.

Currently MATR’s customer base comprises several B2B contracts with restaurant chains in Denmark including Gasoline Grill and Sticks & Sushi and with the online supermarket Nemlig.com. The new financing will enable MATR to scale up its production capacity in order to meet a growing demand from both existing and new customers.

Randi Wahlsten, CEO of MATR, said: “We have been extremely well received by chefs and consumers alike to the point where we are experiencing a much higher demand than we can currently supply. We are therefore very excited to have Novo Holdings joining us now to really accelerate the journey by scaling up our production and expanding our customer base. We share a clear vision of creating a truly impactful international food business based on our sustainable, clean fungi food technology.”

Thomas Grotkjær, Partner, Planetary Health Investments, Novo Holdings, said: “MATR has managed to develop a product that tastes great, is highly nutritious and has a strong sustainability profile. I am very pleased with the opportunity to contribute to the scaling-up of MATR Foods and thereby offering end-consumers a new product that combines the savoury experience we know from meat with the health and sustainability benefits of a plant-based diet. Further, I am excited about the collaboration with Randi and the MATR team whose attributes encompass a very strong drive anchored in gastronomy, science and entrepreneurship.”

About MATR Foods
MATR Foods is a Danish start-up that combines microbiology and gastronomy to create new solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges: the climate, biodiversity and health. MATR was founded in 2021 and has production facilities in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn. The people behind MATR are an international team of researchers, chefs and entrepreneurs with food industry experience.

MATR Foods fungi products are currently available at Gasoline Grill, Sticks n’ Sushi, Mother Pizza, Sokkelund Brasserie, Meyers canteens and Nemlig.com among others.

About Novo Holdings A/S
Novo Holdings is a holding and investment company that is responsible for managing the assets and the wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The purpose of Novo Holdings is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet by generating attractive long-term returns on the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo Holdings is the controlling shareholder of Novo Nordisk A/S and Novonesis A/S (Novozymes A/S) and manages an investment portfolio with a long-term return perspective. In addition to managing a broad portfolio of equities, bonds, real estate, infrastructure and private equity assets, Novo Holdings is a world-leading life sciences investor. Through its Seeds, Venture, Growth, Asia, Planetary Health and Principal Investments teams, Novo Holdings invests in life science companies at all stages of development. As of year-end 2023, Novo Holdings had total assets of EUR 149 billion. www.novoholdings.dk

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation
Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society. www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en