Record-Breaking Crowdfunding for Belgian Start-Up in Precision Fermented Dairy

Those Vegan Cowboys, a Belgian start-up focused on precision fermented dairy, has achieved a significant milestone by raising €2.5 million in one day through a crowdfunding campaign on Invesdor. This achievement marks a new record for the platform, with over 600 new shareholders participating before the official launch of the campaign.

Overall, the company has raised more than €6.7 million from over 1,100 shareholders, with the campaign set to close on March 23. The funds raised will support the scale-up and commercialisation of Their animal-free casein ingredient, a protein central to the nutritional and sensory characteristics of cheese.

The start-up previously secured €6.25 million in December 2025 in its first funding round. Hille van der Kaa, founder and CEO, expressed her excitement, stating that the campaign is about more than just raising capital but also about building a community of co-owners connected to their mission.

Precision fermentation technology, used by Those Vegan Cowboys, involves training microbes to produce proteins like casein and whey in bioreactors. This method provides a novel approach to creating alternative proteins for plant-based food, promising ingredients indistinguishable from traditional dairy.

In related developments, French start-up Verley closed a $38 million Series A funding round to support its precision fermented beta-lactoglobulin, while Australian company All G raised $6.6 million for the production of its precision fermented lactoferrin.