The Hamburg-based food-tech startup ValueGrain has successfully closed a seed funding round, securing up to EUR 3.3 million in fresh capital. The round is led by Bernhard Schadeberg, managing partner of Krombacher, who is investing up to EUR 3 million as a strategic partner. Krombacher operates Germany's market-leading beer brand (inside.beer, 16.1.2025). This latest investment brings ValueGrain's post-money valuation to EUR 10.3 million.
The financing round is also supported by a follow-on investment of EUR 300,000 from Joachim Friedsch, owner of the global beverage pump manufacturer Fristam. They join existing early-stage investors, including Jeff Maisel of Brauerei Gebr. Maisel and the brewing equipment manufacturer BrauKon. ValueGrain was founded in 2024 by Tim Gräsing and Janosch Thomsen, initially backed by EUR 250,000 of the founders' own capital and a EUR 150,000 grant from the city of Hamburg.
ValueGrain has developed a technology that upcycles brewers' spent grain—a brewing byproduct traditionally relegated to animal feed or biogas plants—directly at the brewery. The startup's low-tech plant processes the spent grain into an intermediate food ingredient that can be used in baked goods or meat alternatives. At a cost between EUR 200,000 and EUR 400,000, the installation requires an investment comparable to a standard stainless steel tank. Amid structural pressures and shrinking beer volumes in the industry, this solution offers breweries a pragmatic way to generate additional revenue, reduce disposal costs, and enhance their carbon footprint.
With the newly acquired funds, ValueGrain aims to expand its team, advance its research and development, and establish scalable logistics solutions. A major milestone will be the collaboration with Krombacher. A processing facility is scheduled to be installed at the brewery's Kreuztal site by early 2027, tapping into the approximately 100,000 metric tons of spent grain generated there annually. Additionally, a plant will be integrated into the Maisel’s new, highly efficient Bayreuther Brauerei facility, which is expected to be completed by the end of October 2026. Combined, these sites will secure ValueGrain long-term access to nearly 10 percent of Germany's total spent grain output. The startup is also pursuing international expansion, having already initiated talks with Kirin and Asahi in Japan, Snow in China, Duvel in Belgium, and Stiegl in Austria.
