Paulig invests in Amatera, a biotech startup and game-changer for coffee cultivation
Paulig’s venture arm, PINC, is investing in the French startup Amatera, an innovative biotech platform for the sustainable cultivation of perennial crops. Amatera’s first solution speeds up the breeding of coffee beans four to five times compared to conventional breeding, without GMOs. Their goal is to create a new coffee variety that combines the rich flavour of Arabica with the robustness and higher yield properties of Robusta. This investment supports Paulig’s aim to develop a food culture that promotes the well-being of people and the planet.
Each year, about a trillion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide, and demand is expected to continue to grow1. Meanwhile, coffee is one of the crops in the world most threatened and affected by climate change. Rising temperatures will reduce the area suitable for growing coffee by up to 50 per cent in 20502 3, in particular affecting areas with high-quality Arabica beans.
The increasing demand for coffee calls for new solutions, with higher resilience to climate change, to ensure that coffee is available and affordable for future generations and that coffee production is economically and environmentally sustainable. This is true for many other crops as well.
“As an investor, we love the disruptive potential and versatility of the platform. Coffee has traditionally not received as much research and innovation as many other crops globally. As coffee is one of Paulig’s core products, we are of course happy that Amatera’s first solution involves coffee and we can see huge interest from our discussions with trading houses and customers. It is still early days, but the team and its partners are world class, and we are very excited to see what they can do”, says Marika King, Head of PINC.
Using cells to speed up coffee breeding
Conventional breeding techniques are very long and can last up to 20 years. Amatera speeds up conventional breeding by working on a cell level, accelerating the natural evolution of plants, their selection and hybridisation, none of which include GMOs.
“The technology as such is not new but applying it to perennial crops like coffee is, since they are more complicated and require several breakthroughs in cell biology. This is also why gene-editing techniques are struggling. Our technology is a real game-changer and opens up the avenue to applying it to several other crops, such as cacao, bananas and grapes, or even pharmaceutical plants”, says Lucie Kriegshauser, Co-founder and CTO of Amatera.
Rich flavour and caffeine-free beans to meet consumer demands
Amatera’s goal is to create a coffee variety that blends the rich flavour of Arabica with the robustness and higher yield properties of Robusta. The bean is called “Robustica”.
In addition to the “Robustica”, the team is working on a naturally caffeine-free Arabica bean to satisfy the growing demand of consumers who prefer decaffeinated coffee.
“Our plan is to launch the naturally caffeine-free bean and the new Robustica to the industry within approximately 3–5 years. With this round financing, we both have the funds and a great set of investors who can contribute to our journey. PINC is a perfect match, sharing knowledge of the coffee industry and facilitating connections with interesting trading companies”, says Omar Dekkiche, Co-founder and CEO of Amatera.
The round of MEUR 1.5 was led by PINC, with participation from Exceptional Ventures (UK), Mudcake (previous Trellis Road, SWE), Joyance Partners (US), AgFunder (US) and several experienced biotech entrepreneurs, including Nicolas Morin-Forest from Gourmey.
About PINC
PINC is Paulig’s venture arm for investments in early-stage startups in and around the future of food. PINC’s objective is to help Paulig renew itself and prosper as well as contribute to a more sustainable planet and tastier food.
About Paulig
Paulig is a family-owned food and drink company, growing a new, sustainable food culture—one that is good for both people and the planet. Paulig provides all things tasty: coffees and drinks, Tex-Mex and spices, snacks and plant-based choices. The company’s brands are Paulig, Santa Maria, Risenta, Poco Loco and Zanuy. Paulig’s sales amounted to EUR 1.1 billion in 2022. The company has 2,300 passionate employees in 13 different countries working to fill life full of flavour.
About Amatera
Amatera Biosciences develops a non-GMO breeding platform optimized for perennial crops, accelerating the selection and crossing of plants by pushing the boundaries of in vitro culture. The first applications of their technology are on coffee, before expanding to other perennial crops threatened by climate change and massive diseases, such as cacao and grapes.
For more information, please contact:
Nils Sjöberg
Communications Manager Sweden
nils.sjoberg@paulig.com
+46 70 085 24 11
Sources:
- Global consumption is forecast to grow with a 2.3% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) in 2023–2027 (source: Euromonitor International Limited [2023] © All rights reserved)
- National Geographic: What Climate Change Means for the Future of Coffee, Cashews, and Avocados
- Climate and Pest-Driven Geographical Shifts in Global Coffee Production by Ainhoa Magrach and Jaboury Ghazoul
