Heura Foods

This award recognises Heura Foods for advancing the decarbonisation of the food system through Mediterranean plant-based protein, backed in 2025 by significant institutional confidence. In May 2025, the Barcelona-based foodtech secured a EUR 20 million loan from the European Investment Bank, backed by the InvestEU programme, to expand its research, development and production of innovative plant-based alternatives to meat and cheese.

The financing—part of a broader EU strategy to foster healthier, more sustainable food systems and strengthen the bioeconomy—enables Heura to scale legume-based proteins whose Comparative Life Cycle Assessments demonstrate substantially lower climate, water and land impact than animal-based counterparts. A certified B Corp distributing across 18 countries, Heura has positioned itself as the plant-based category leader in southern Europe by anchoring its products in Mediterranean culinary traditions that pair high nutritional density with a lower environmental footprint.

In 2025 it opened a new innovation laboratory in Barcelona and advanced clean-label, additive-free technologies across new food categories. By proving that plant-based protein can be both commercially competitive and a measurable lever for reducing agricultural emissions, Heura has built a replicable model for decarbonising European diets. For turning sustainable food into a credible climate solution, Heura Foods receives this recognition.

Validation link: https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2025-204-eib-finances-with-eur20-million-heura-foods-to-develop-innovative-and-sustainable-plant-based-food-products