Grassa Raises EUR 3.6 Million; Grass Protein Consumption by Humans Draws Closer

 

Wageningen, 19/03/2025

Grassa has raised EUR 3.6 million for the further development of its grass protein production technology. The investment comes from Perspectieffonds Gelderland (PFG), a fund from the province of Gelderland managed by Oost NL, along with existing shareholders Fransen Gerrits and Brightlands Venture Partners.

The funding will be used to scale up the process, demonstrate the benefits to dairy farmers, and develop grass protein that is suitable for human consumption.

Grassa processes grass into “Opened grass” and grass juice, from which the grass protein is extracted. This grass protein provides a sustainable alternative to imported soy, reducing the ecological footprint of food production.

Tackling the Nitrogen Problem at its Source

Grassa’s technology reduces nitrogen emissions in two ways: by lowering the protein content of grass, which results in cows emitting less nitrogen, and by using  grass protein as an alternative to soy, thus preventing nitrogen imports through soy. Grassa aims to demonstrate with 25-50 dairy farmers that 50% of the protein can be extracted from grass without affecting milk production. The grass protein produced will ultimately not end up as nitrogen in the manure.

Rieks Smook, CEO of Grassa, emphasizes the potential: “Every hectare processed reduces around 35 cubic meters of manure disposal; if 20% of the Netherlands’  grass is processed, the manure surplus disappears. With 60% processed, the amount of grass protein produced can meet the entire Dutch soybean demand.”

Accelerating Sustainability in the Sector

Sindy Vreugdenhil, investment manager for Food at Oost NL, sees the investment as a crucial step: “It helps address the nitrogen problem, accelerates the transition to plant-based proteins, and offers farmers new revenue models.”

Perspectieffonds Gelderland supports Grassa as part of its strategy to accelerate the sustainability of the agricultural sector and promote sustainable food production. Grassa’s initiative contributes to a vital countryside and a sustainable food supply.

Huub Fransen, CEO of Fransen Gerrits: “As a feed producer, we are constantly looking for ways to feed animals more efficiently and reduce the footprint of meat, milk, and eggs. With Grassa, we make better use of grass, which reduces the milk footprint and allows farmers to better value their grasslands. A win-win situation.”

Marcel Zijp, senior investment manager at Brightlands Venture Partners: “We invest in innovations that contribute to a future-proof agrifood system. Grassa’s technology, which turns grass into locally available plant-based protein for human consumption, is groundbreaking. The fact that cows produce the same amount of milk with the same nutritional value from the remaining grass makes this innovation globally relevant.”