Dreamfarm, a plant-based cheese start-up, has secured a new investment of €5 million to expand production, distribution and R&D.

Dreamfarm, based in Parma, Italy, was founded in 2021 with a mission of creating 100% plant-based cheese alternatives that are delicious, healthy and clean label. The company launched its first products to market in May this year after two years of R&D, debuting a plant-based mozzarella alternative and a spreadable variant.

The start-up claims its mozzarella is the world’s first plant-based alternative with government-certified liquid status and a Nutriscore A rating. The cheeses are created through the fermentation of almonds using selected cultures.

Founders Maddalena Zanoni and Mattia Sandei wanted to create a plant-based cheese range that is ‘nutritionally superior’ to existing products worldwide. They were recently joined by Giovanni Menozzi as CEO.

The new investment has been used to establish a production facility in Sala Baganza, Parma, equipped with specific machinery to optimise a unique, patented production process. Investments will also be utilised to expand distribution channels in Italy and abroad, as well as for further R&D to enhance the product portfolio.

Investments came from Giampaolo Cagnin, a serial entrepreneur who founded Italiana Ingredienti, Campus and Hi-Food, and Francesco Mutti, the owner and CEO of the Mutti Group.

Dreamfarm’s CEO Menozzi said: “Dreamfarm’s alternative to mozzarella is an innovative product with less than 1% saturated fat, making it appealing to consumers increasingly conscious of sustainability and nutritional profiles, but unwilling to compromise on the goodness of a typically Italian product”.

He added: “It’s a dream come true to create a venture like Dreamfarm right here and have entrepreneurs of this calibre as part of our team. The sector is experiencing significant growth, and we are confident that we can make a global impact with the type of products we have and will continue to develop.”

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