Heura Foods Receives EIB Loan to Expand Plant-Based Product Range and Boost Sustainable Food Systems

Heura Foods Receives EIB Loan to Expand Plant-Based Product Range and Boost Sustainable Food Systems

(IN BRIEF) Heura Foods has secured a €20 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to enhance its research, development, and production capabilities for plant-based, sustainable food products. The loan, backed by InvestEU, will support the development of innovative alternatives to meat and cheese, using legume-based proteins and healthy fats. This investment is part of a broader EU strategy to foster healthier, more sustainable food systems while strengthening the bioeconomy sector. Heura’s commitment to innovation aims to provide nutritious, accessible, and environmentally friendly food solutions.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 13-May-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Heura Foods, a Spanish startup focused on producing 100% plant-based, sustainable, and healthy food products, has secured a €20 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to further develop and market innovative plant-based products. This agreement will boost Heura’s research, development, and innovation (RD&I) capabilities, enabling the company to expand its product range to include plant-based meat, cheese alternatives, and higher-protein products.

Heura Foods, based in Barcelona, is a leader in the bioeconomy sector, pioneering plant-based foods designed to improve food composition by replacing saturated fats and cholesterol with ingredients rich in fiber, antioxidants, and high protein content. The loan will enable Heura to develop new plant-based products, incorporating legume-based proteins and healthy fats, to provide nutritious alternatives to traditional meat and ultra-processed foods. It will also support the scaling up of production capacity by financing equipment for Heura’s laboratories and co-manufacturers’ facilities in Spain.

This investment is part of the European Investment Bank’s broader strategy to support European innovation and the bioeconomy sector, while fostering healthier and more environmentally friendly food systems across Europe. The agreement is backed by InvestEU, an EU program designed to unlock over €372 billion in investments by 2027, aimed at supporting sustainable business growth and innovation in the food industry.

Nadia Calviño, President of the EIB Group, commented, “The EIB’s support for innovation and biotechnology is vital to maintaining Europe’s technological leadership. With this financing, we are strengthening Spain’s startup ecosystem and responding to consumer demand for sustainable food products.”

Alessandro Izzo, EIB Director of Equity, Growth Capital and Project Finance, added, “This agreement exemplifies how the EIB is enhancing its support for companies at the forefront of the bioeconomy. Investing in plant-based foods is a significant step towards building a healthier, more sustainable food system in Europe, contributing to EU food security and sustainability goals.”

Marc Coloma, co-founder and CEO of Heura Foods, stated, “Innovation is essential to improving our lives and health. Our commitment to simple processes, legumes, healthy fats, and science helps create nutritious, delicious food aligned with today’s challenges. Our goal is to make this food accessible to everyone.”

Lucas González Ojeda, Acting Director of the European Commission Representation in Spain, emphasized, “Innovation is key to improving the competitiveness of Europe’s agri-food industry. This investment, supported by InvestEU, will create economic opportunities, jobs, and reinforce Europe’s leadership in the global food sector.”

The EIB loan, guaranteed by InvestEU, is a critical component of the EU’s strategy to empower businesses, drive innovation, and build a more sustainable food future.

EIB

The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. Built around eight core priorities, it finances investments that pursue EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund, signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Agreement, as pledged in the group’s Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects that contribute directly to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment.

In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024, helping power the country’s green and digital transition and promote economic growth, competitiveness and better services for inhabitants.

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InvestEU

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investment for EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that invest in projects, leveraging on the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increasing their risk-bearing capacity and mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.

Heura Foods

Heura Foods is a 100% plant-based food technology startup founded by activists in Barcelona. It creates solutions that make the problems of the current food system obsolete, and that accelerate change towards a world in which our daily eating habits have a positive impact on humans, the planet and other animals. While based on scientific discoveries and cutting-edge technologies, Heura’s innovations maintain the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean, including high nutritional density, positive climate impact and exceptional taste. Already a market leader in Spain, Heura is expanding its plant-based foods across Europe.

Media contacts:

Maite Cordero
m.corderomunoz@eib.org
+34 606 66 82 62

Press Office
press@eib.org
+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank