Polish biotech startup Proteine Resources has gained significant momentum by securing nearly €12 million in funding this year. The investment round, which includes support from Radix Ventures and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, showcases a growing interest in alternative proteins and innovative solutions in pet nutrition. Here’s the breakdown, one female entrepreneur perspective to another, of why this development matters and what we can learn from it.
A Rising Star in Biotech and Pet Nutrition
Proteine Resources has a clear, ambitious mission: to revolutionize pet nutrition. While players in the pet food industry tend to stick to traditional ingredients, the team at Proteine Resources took a drastically different direction, creating EntoPro™, a patented alternative protein derived from insects. Not only does it boast a nutritional profile comparable to high-quality beef, but it also offers prebiotic properties to support gut health.
From a scrappy start to a €12 million equity-driven boost, the company’s focus on impactful innovation has set it apart. What’s especially exciting here is their investment in an autonomous protein production facility in Poland’s Mazowieckie region. By increasing production capacity tenfold, they are scaling at a pace that many small businesses, especially in deeptech, can only dream of.
How do startups raise €12 million? (The Method)
First, some context. As an entrepreneur bootstrapping several startups myself, one thing stands out here: grants and strategic venture funds are lifelines for high-growth startups in complex fields like biotech. Proteine Resources secured €9.5 million earlier this year through the EIC Accelerator. Their subsequent equity raise capped their funding at nearly €12 million for 2025.
If you’re navigating your pathway as a fellow entrepreneur in Europe, here's the secret: grants, particularly EU-driven ones like EIC, can be transformative. And no, they’re not the “impossible task” they can seem to be, if you’ve got a clear mission and a groundbreaking idea.
Why investors like Radix Ventures dive into startups like this
- Market demand: Alternative proteins, particularly sustainable ones, are becoming an essential part of global food systems for both humans and pets.
- Defined niches: Unlike generalist players, Proteine Resources has focused solely on pet nutrition using insect-based proteins, a smart strategy to dominate a nascent, yet booming category.
- Strong science: Proteine Resources is banking on EntoPro™. Their combination of prebiotics and postbiotics demonstrates not just innovation but a tangible solution to common pet health issues.
Radix Ventures likely saw more than just financial returns here, they recognized a company that aligns with future industry growth trends and has massive scaling potential.
What female entrepreneurs in Europe can learn
After 20+ years in business and working independently on my projects, one consistent truth has emerged: to succeed, you need to be three things in business, focused, proactive, and strategic in raising funds. Proteine Resources ticks all three boxes.
What works:
- Differentiation is everything. By narrowing its product niche to functional, sustainable pet food, Proteine Resources succeeded in standing out.
- Patents and uniqueness help secure interest. Every entrepreneur should consider how to protect what makes their product special. For Proteine Resources, EntoPro™ became their intellectual property trump card.
- Grants aren’t unreachable goals. Female founders often self-select out or avoid applying due to fear of bureaucracy. My takeaway? Jump in, and ask for help from our networks. Resources like the EIC Accelerator specifically reward experimentation and impact projects.
Things to avoid based on this story:
- Just doing what everyone else in your industry does. Proteine Resources didn’t settle for established trends in pet nutrition. Whatever niche you’re exploring, find that underdeveloped problem and focus relentlessly on solving it better.
- Assuming grants or equity are out of reach. Too many startups wait for years in bootstrapping mode or refuse to consider grants. Competitions and accelerators like Vestbee are platforms where anyone with a scalable idea can compete, and win.
- Overlooking Europe’s deeptech landscape. Whether it’s Poland, the Netherlands, or beyond, there’s a strong support system for ventures that push technology forward. Connect with incubators or work through initial grant applications, movements like Fe/male Switch are here to help fellow women entrepreneurs crack this code.
The bigger picture for deepthought entrepreneurs
From securing strategic partnerships to scaling tenfold, Proteine Resources shows us what’s possible when science aligns with sustainable trends, and when funding partners like Radix Ventures back the mission. But for those of us reading this as solo founders or bootstrapping entrepreneurs, here’s what excites me even more: lessons on staying small but navigating strategically.
They didn't just throw premium labels out, they built functional innovation like animal gut health into their brand identity. Standout founders create products that speak to a mission. This focal point ensures that even when your concept is small, it becomes memorable and reliable in perception.
Why this inspires future collaborations
In many ways, I see parallels between Proteine Resources and my work within Fe/male Switch, educating female entrepreneurs while standing for ambitious innovation. Collaboration access like the one Radix lends offers multiplier power. But channels for collaboration, including female-centric angel networks or European consortia, could make entrepreneurship opportunities equally vast for underrepresented groups and equal-scale founders alike.
Striking partnerships often just start as visibility moments like these. That much stays my takeaway for the week ahead too.
For professional insights around their future-stage roadmap (if functional roles hit Q1-2026 pet-sector-scale access continually documents blogs upcoming), .references aides both Snarl!
FAQ
1. What is Proteine Resources?
Proteine Resources is a Polish biotech startup specializing in functional pet nutrition through the use of alternative proteins, including a patented insect-derived protein called EntoPro™. Read more about Proteine Resources
2. What is EntoPro™?
EntoPro™ is a patented alternative protein developed by Proteine Resources. It has a nutritional profile comparable to high-quality beef and offers prebiotic properties to support gut health in pets. Learn about EntoPro™
3. How much funding has Proteine Resources raised in 2025?
Proteine Resources raised nearly €12 million in 2025, including €9.5 million from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator and additional funding from Radix Ventures. Explore the funding details
4. What will the funding be used for?
The funding will be used to build the world’s first fully autonomous alternative protein factory, expand production capacity tenfold, and invest in clinical research and new product development. Find out how they will use the funding
5. Why is Proteine Resources focusing on alternative proteins?
Proteine Resources aims to provide sustainable and functional solutions to pet nutrition by using insect-based proteins, aligning with trends in global sustainability and animal health. Discover the rationale behind this focus
6. Who are Proteine Resources' key investors?
The main investors include Radix Ventures and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator. Learn more about Radix Ventures' involvement
7. What production advancements will Proteine Resources implement?
Proteine Resources plans to use its funding to develop an AI-driven, autonomous production facility capable of scaling their capacity to 100 tons annually. Read about the production advancements
8. Why did Radix Ventures invest in Proteine Resources?
Radix Ventures identified the growing demand for sustainable alternative proteins and recognized Proteine Resources’ potential to dominate the functional pet nutrition market with its innovative technologies. Understand Radix Ventures' motivation
9. When will Proteine Resources’ functional pet food hit the market?
Proteine Resources plans to launch its market-ready functional pet food using EntoPro™ in Q1 2026. Learn about product launch plans
10. What can entrepreneurs learn from Proteine Resources’ success?
Entrepreneurs can take inspiration from Proteine Resources’ focus on innovation, niche differentiation, and strategic utilization of grants and venture funding to scale their business. Explore entrepreneurial advice based on this success
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.