Fenaco launches Sproudz, a flexible production hub for food start-ups in Zollikofen

Sproudz, a new production hub in Zollikofen, offers start-ups in the food industry space and equipment for producing innovative plant-based products.

Sproudz, a unique hub in Zollikofen (canton of Bern), enables food start-ups to rent spaces and facilities for producing innovative plant-based products. The hub also offers shared services in procurement, quality management, logistics, and HR, allowing start-ups to scale cost-efficiently.

With BakeryBakery AG and Outlawz Food AG already on board, the hub has potential for three to four more start-ups. The infrastructure is provided by the Fenaco cooperative, aiming to promote Swiss agricultural raw materials and better utilize by-products from their processing plants.

Sproudz addresses the challenges faced by food start-ups, which often operate in production structures that meet initial market entry needs but lack scalability. The hub’s model allows start-ups to share production, storage, and office infrastructure, along with other essential services. This approach is unique in Switzerland, combining rentable spaces with shared production facilities and services, promoting resource efficiency and flexibility. Start-ups also become minority shareholders in the operating company, fostering a collaborative environment.

Two Bern-based start-ups, BakeryBakery AG, Switzerland’s first vegan bakery, and Outlawz Food AG, a producer of plant-based meat substitutes, have committed to moving their production to Zollikofen by the end of 2024. These companies played a crucial role in the project’s initiation. Kevin Schmid, founder and main owner of both companies, stated: “Sproudz offers ideal conditions for sustainable development. It allows us to use cross-company synergies and adjust the needed spaces to our requirements.”

Closing gaps in the domestic value chain

The infrastructure in Zollikofen is provided by Fenaco, an agricultural cooperative. Fenaco aims to encourage start-ups to use Swiss raw materials, addressing availability and cost challenges that often lead to reliance on imports. Michel Nick, Head of Innovation in Fenaco’s food industry division, explained: “We want to close gaps in the domestic value chain and find solutions to make the cost structures of start-ups compatible with using Swiss agricultural raw materials.”