PRESS RELEASE
Heilbronn, November 21st 2024 – The German food-tech company ProteinDistillery marked a significant milestone with the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Heilbronn. On the historic #KnorrCampus, a Protein Competence Center is being constructed and will enable the large-scale production of its innovative protein, Prew:tein®, starting in Q2 2025. Among the attendees of the ceremony were Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture, Education, and Research Cem Özdemir, Heilbronn’s Head Mayor Harry Mergel, Member of Parliament Zoe Mayer, as well as artist Tim Bengel and former goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand, who co-founded the vegan restaurant vhy! in the heart of Stuttgart.
ProteinDistillery uses an innovative process to transform brewer’s yeast—a sidestream of beer production that has often gone underutilized – into a highly functional, animal-free protein. Prew:tein® offers unique properties such as emulsification and gel formation, comparable to animal-based proteins, but without any additives. With this technology, ProteinDistillery addresses key challenges in the food industry: reducing environmental impact and creating sustainable alternatives to animal products.
“With the Protein Competence Center in Heilbronn, we are taking an important step toward establishing sustainable and locally produced proteins that are resource-efficient and independent of agricultural land. This brings a real revolution to the food industry,” says Marco Ries, co-founder and managing director of ProteinDistillery.
The Protein Competence Center aims to produce up to 200 tons of Prew:tein® annually starting in spring 2025. “On a footprint of less than 1,000 square meters, we will be producing as much protein as found in 20 million chicken eggs,” says Christoph Pitter, co-founder and managing director of ProteinDistillery. Comparatively, approximately 1.9 million kg of CO2 emissions will be saved – a significant step toward achieving global climate goals. To make this possible, the coming months in Heilbronn will be focused on installing the remaining equipment, with technical assembly followed by electrical installations in January/February 2025. Production of Prew:tein® is set to begin in April 2025, according to Michael Baunach and Prof. Dr. Tomas Kurz, co-founders of ProteinDistillery. Additionally, the valorization of our own sidestreams is planned, with scaling up from the lab stage made possible by the Protein Competence Center.
The choice of Heilbronn as the site was deliberate, as the region is known as a key hub for research and production. With this project, ProteinDistillery is making a significant statement for the economic potential of Baden-Württemberg and Germany: As a startup, it has succeeded in scaling its technology from the lab to a production facility in just a few years. The Protein Competence Center will not only advance the production of Prew:tein® but also promote exchange between science and industry.
The groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday brought together inspiring figures from politics, business, and research. The founders shared the company’s mission and vision, followed by a speech from the guest of honor, Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture as well as recently additionally of Education and Research. He emphasized the importance of innovative companies like ProteinDistillery and their positive environmental impact:
“Our agricultural and food industries are full of innovative potential, as shown here at ProteinDistillery. Turning what’s left from brewing beer into valuable plant-based protein is future-forward. And it hits the spirit of the times: while meat consumption is decreasing, demand for and variety in alternative plant-based proteins are increasing. To promote such innovative approaches, we’re evolving our Plant Protein Strategy into a broader Protein Strategy. I’m also advocating in Brussels for the Commission to strengthen local protein supplies with an EU-wide Protein Strategy,” the federal minister added.
Additionally, a thought-provoking panel discussion addressed how politics could improve collaboration between machine manufacturers and startups. The event concluded with a speech by Timo Hildebrand, co-founder of Stuttgart’s vhy! restaurant and former goalkeeper, who introduced their new Maultaschen – the first consumer product made with Prew:tein®.
This regional collaboration between ProteinDistillery and vhy! showcases how innovative products can emerge from Baden-Württemberg. While Prew:tein® is produced in Heilbronn, the raw materials, including brewer’s yeast, come directly from Stuttgart. “From the region, for the region,” as Timo Hildebrand puts it. However, the Maultaschen with Prew:tein® not only impress with their sustainability but also their exceptional taste. The classic, hearty character of Swabian Maultaschen is complemented by the innovation of Prew:tein®, achieving a perfect balance between tradition and modernity.
The Maultaschen also benefit from a streamlined production process thanks to Prew:tein®. The now spreadable filling has enabled faster production, lowering costs and allowing vhy! to expand its operations. In addition to their restaurant, they now supply plant-based dishes to local canteens at companies like Daimler and Porsche.
With ProteinDistillery’s recent win of the German Sustainability Award for the second time (in the Products category for 2025), the company used the symbolic groundbreaking to bring guests one step closer to a sustainable future for food.
