Ones to Watch: Speed culture

26 FOOD TECHS TO WATCH IN 2026

‍MicroHarvest Co-founder & CEO Katelijne Bekers on why moving fast – in biology, engineering, and decision-making – is becoming essential to building microbial protein at scale

Protein usually takes time. Months in a field. Years on pasture. Inside MicroHarvest’s fermentation tanks, the timeline looks nothing like agriculture. Microbial cells grow at extraordinary speed, creating a seamless process that separates protein production from climate, land, and seasonality. “At MicroHarvest, we deliver ‘Better Protein: Sustainable. Nutritious. Scalable’,” says Katelijne Bekers, Co-founder & CEO, referencing the company’s tagline. “By harnessing microorganisms and natural fermentation, our technology produces high-quality protein year-round and independent of external conditions.”

The ambition is clear: redesign the pace and predictability of how protein reaches the world, without carrying the environmental weight of conventional agriculture.

A protein system under strain

We all know the world’s protein needs are rising while ecological limits tighten. Bekers doesn’t overcomplicate it. “We address one of the food system’s most urgent challenges: how to meet the world’s rising protein demand sustainably and at scale,” she continues.

MicroHarvest works with microbial strains selected for their ability to convert agricultural side streams into nutrient-rich biomass with minimal resource inputs. “Our solution lies in biomass fermentation using fast-growing bacteria that transform feedstock into high-quality protein while emitting 98% less CO₂ and requiring far fewer natural resources,” Bekers explains.

As the production model relies on fermentation rather than farmland, facilities can be located where raw materials are already abundant, strengthening local food resilience. In fact, MicroHarvest’s platform is designed to fit inside the industrial systems already used by fermentation companies worldwide.

The process runs on standard bioreactors, enabling the company to scale in regions where fermentation capacity already exists. This compatibility is central to why MicroHarvest entered aquafeed and pet food first. These sectors depend on consistent performance and face growing pressure to move away from fishmeal and other resource-intensive ingredients. “By first serving the aquaculture and pet food sectors, MicroHarvest reduces reliance on resource-intensive ingredients like fishmeal,” Bekers says.

Turning validation into momentum

2025 marked a decisive shift from development to market validation. MicroHarvest’s protein featured in Gut Bites in the UK, created with THE PACK, and Pure Bites in Germany with VEGDOG. “Our collaborations with THE PACK and VEGDOG led to the successful launches of Gut Bites and Pure Bites – the world’s first microbial-protein-based dog treats,” Bekers says. These products showed functionality, palatability, and safety in commercial settings rather than controlled trials.

Building on this success, the company expanded into feline nutrition in November 2025 with an animal-free snack designed to meet one of pet food’s toughest challenges: palatability for cats.

The company also strengthened its regulatory position. “One of our working strains has now been listed on the QPS list,” Bekers reveals. Achieving QPS status in under a year materially shortens the pathway toward broader approvals.

In parallel, MicroHarvest expanded its Hamburg operations, secured registrations in international markets, and introduced a technology platform intended to help partners understand and integrate microbial protein into diverse applications.

Scaling fermentation blends scientific precision with industrial pragmatism. Bekers sees this tension as the company’s core constraint. “Our hardest challenge has been scaling a biotech process quickly while maintaining commercial viability in a capital- and regulation-intensive sector,” she says.

To avoid common pitfalls, MicroHarvest focused early on processes that translate cleanly to industrial scale. “We prioritized process scalability over full product optimization,” Bekers explains. This enabled production volumes via contract manufacturers, lowering capital expenditure while supplying meaningful quantities for trials and early adoption.

Regulation demands equal attention. “Another challenge is lengthy regulatory processes, especially for novel foods in Europe,” Bekers says. MicroHarvest addresses this through a phased entry, pairing early traction in feed and pet food with progress in regions offering faster regulatory pathways.

Changing the narrative

Alongside technical challenges, the company also faces public perception. “Many people still find the idea of eating bacteria unfamiliar or unappealing,” Bekers says. MicroHarvest addresses this by linking microbial fermentation to familiar foods like yogurt, bread, and kimchi.

Economic assumptions also need recalibration. “There’s a belief that new protein technologies can instantly rival commodities like soy, which isn’t realistic,” she says. Instead, the company targets markets that value performance, functionality, and reliability over lowest-cost volume.

MicroHarvest evaluates its impact beyond emissions alone. “We look at three main dimensions: environmental sustainability, nutritional performance, and social
resilience,” Bekers explains.

Across all three, the results are tangible. Emissions, water use, and land requirements are significantly lower than animal protein, while aquaculture trials show strong feed efficiency and pet-food testing demonstrates high palatability and consistent functionality. The company’s Lisbon pilot plant has also become a training ground for scientists and engineers, drawing talent from 17 nationalities and maintaining 67% female leadership in the C-suite.

The next leap in production

“In 2026, our main focus will be to boost sales by accelerating commercial traction across key markets and to advance the development of our 15kt production facility,” Bekers says. The facility will serve as a template for future decentralized production sites across the world.

The long-term ambition, however, is global. “Success for us five years from now means proving that microbial protein can be produced at global scale, profitably and sustainably, while reshaping how the world sources nutrition,” Bekers says.