Berlin’s Pacifico Biolabs Secures €7M to Scale Mycelium-Based Protein
Berlin-based mycelium fermentation company Pacifico Biolabs has closed a €7 million Series A funding round. The capital will scale production to 200 tonnes per month and support commercial launches across DACH and Nordic Europe, with operations based in Saxony. Backers include Stray Dog Capital, TGFS, Sprout & About Ventures, Simon Capital, FoodLabs, and a regional brewery partner.
Established in 2022 by Zac Austin and Washington Logroño, Pacifico Biolabs produces meat alternatives using mycelium fermentation. This addresses a persistent challenge in the alternative protein sector, where products have struggled to match traditional meat on cost, texture, and nutrition simultaneously. The company’s fermented mycelium offers a natural meat-like structure and neutral flavour, reducing the need for additives.
The production model leverages existing brewery infrastructure. Instead of building costly bioreactors, Pacifico runs fermentation in standard beer tanks, capitalising on idle capacity from declining European beer consumption. This approach achieves immediate cost parity with conventional meat while avoiding multimillion-euro investments. Saxony’s skilled workforce and industrial base further support rapid scaling.
Andres Manzanares of Stray Dog Capital states, “After a decade backing alternative protein companies, we see Pacifico as a clear leader in overcoming the bottlenecks that have held back the category.” CEO Zac Austin adds, “We aren’t just building a food ingredient company, we’re putting European industrial infrastructure to work for the future of food. German brewing heritage meets modern industrial biotechnology.”
The company also strengthens European protein sovereignty by producing locally. Sören Schuster of TGFS comments, “Pacifico solves the industry’s scaling problem with an elegant, asset-light model. The combination of European sovereignty and high capital efficiency makes them a key player in the emerging bio-economy.”
Funds will expand the Leipzig team and accelerate commercial partnerships, with retail availability expected by late 2026.
