No grit, no pearls

Forging Future
Food Champions

The way we nourish ourselves defines our future. It shapes our health, our thinking, our memories, and how we connect with one another on this one planet we all share.
We team up with the rare founders, who disrupt the food system for the better.
Both economically and ecologically.

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Our  portfolio

From agriculture to automation and robotics to innovative ingredients, from biotech breakthroughs to the next food brand you’ll crave, the portfolio speaks for itself.

01

Agrando

Write-off
01

Air Up

Partial exit
01

Arda

Active
01

Dropz

Active
01

Hooked

Active
01

La Vie

Active
01

Löwenzahn

Active
01

Mühlenkraft

Active
01

Nukoko

Active
01

Oatly

IPO
01

Peas of Heaven

Active
01

Seedalive

Active
01

Stenon

Active
01

True Gum

Exit
01

goodBytz

Active
01

purefood

Exit
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Agrando built a platform that digitised agricultural trade.

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Air Up turns pure water into a flavored experience using nothing but scent.

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Arda Biomaterials develops sustainable biopolymers used to create the next generation of leather alternatives.

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Dropz offers natural, instantly soluble flavour drops - from lemon to instant coffee.

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Hooked offers plant based and sustainable alternatives for fish & meat.

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La Vie crafts plant-based bacon and lardons that deliver full flavor with zero compromise.

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Löwenzahn Organics offers premium organic infant nutrition.

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Mühlenkraft is reinventing the flour category with high protein baking products.

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Nukoko creates a 100% cocoa-free chocolate alternative from locally sourced fava beans.

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Oatly is the world’s leading oat milk brand.

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Peas of Heaven reimagines classic comfort foods with juicy, pea-based burgers, sausages, and Sweden's beloved köttbullar.

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Seedalive's globally patented rapid-germination test reduces the time for seed testing from several days to several hours.

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Stenon is the global leader in real-time soil data.

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True Gum creates chewing gum made from natural ingredients.

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goodBytz is pioneering the future of food service with fully autonomous kitchen robots that cooks healthy, fresh foods, 24/7.

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purefood was the first german impact driven food company.

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01

Air Up

Partial exit

Air Up turns pure water into a flavored experience using nothing but scent.

More
01

Arda

Active

Arda Biomaterials develops sustainable biopolymers used to create the next generation of leather alternatives.

More
01

goodBytz

Active

goodBytz is pioneering the future of food service with fully autonomous kitchen robots that cooks healthy, fresh foods, 24/7.

More
01

Hooked

Active

Hooked offers plant based and sustainable alternatives for fish & meat.

More
01

La Vie

Active

La Vie crafts plant-based bacon and lardons that deliver full flavor with zero compromise.

More
01

Löwenzahn

Active

Löwenzahn Organics offers premium organic infant nutrition.

More
01

Mühlenkraft

Active

Mühlenkraft is reinventing the flour category with high protein baking products.

More
01

Nukoko

Active

Nukoko creates a 100% cocoa-free chocolate alternative from locally sourced fava beans.

More
01

Peas of Heaven

Active

Peas of Heaven reimagines classic comfort foods with juicy, pea-based burgers, sausages, and Sweden's beloved köttbullar.

More
01

Seedalive

Active

Seedalive's globally patented rapid-germination test reduces the time for seed testing from several days to several hours.

More
01

Stenon

Active

Stenon is the global leader in real-time soil data.

More
01

purefood

Exit

purefood was the first german impact driven food company.

More
01

Oatly

IPO

Oatly is the world’s leading oat milk brand.

More
01

Agrando

Write-off

Agrando built a platform that digitised agricultural trade.

More
01

Dropz

Active

Dropz offers natural, instantly soluble flavour drops - from lemon to instant coffee.

More
01

True Gum

Exit

True Gum creates chewing gum made from natural ingredients.

More
What makes our approach different

We only invest in 1-2 companies per quarter. We like to be the lead investor. We hate wasting time, yours and ours. Starting at Seed stage up to Series B, only impact driven companies along the food value chain.

Who we are

The people behind Oyster Bay

We know what it is like to build a company in the agri-food sector. The choices each founder will face - as we have faced them ourselves time and time again. This influences deeply how we invest - and how we work with our portfolio. All Oyster Bay team members invest their own money into our funds. Therefore, when we make an investment decision, the whole team invests. Once we invest, we are all-in. You get our whole team, experience, network and expertise.  

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Anja is handling all fund specific finance topics. Prior to joining Oyster Bay, she gained VC experience at BV Capital, Headline, June Fund and July Fund.

LinkedIn

Anja Sallen

Head of Finance
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As an entrepreneur himself, he knows to build something from the ground up. With 25+ years of experience in the food and beverage sector, you can access enormous experiences and a global network.

LinkedIn

Christoph Miller

Founding Partner
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Divya’s focus at Oyster Bay is on identifying and supporting early-stage AgriFoodtech founders driving food system transformation. With over a decade of experience in impact investing, M&A consulting, and corporate credit rating, she has worked with startups and corporations globally across different sectors. She holds an MBA and previously led investments at ProVeg Incubator, a global food-tech accelerator.

LinkedIn

Divya Murthy

Principal
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After completing her studies at the University of Hamburg, Elise joined Oyster Bay as an analyst. Her focus is to find promising deals within the food value chain, driving positive change for a sustainable future.

LinkedIn

Elise Schumacher

Analyst
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Felix was one of the first founders we at Oyster Bay invested in. He founded one of the first social businesses in Europe, which we exited together in 2020. He has been in the food sector since 2012, was an active business angel prior to joining Oyster Bay full-time as partner.

LinkedIn

Felix Leonhardt

Managing Partner
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Flynn is an ESCP graduate with an eager passion for sustainable development. He joined Oyster Bay to drive founders and innovation in AgTech & Food, aiming to contribute to an environmentally conscious tomorrow.

LinkedIn

Flynn Seeger

Analyst
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Heike ensures that all administrative and organizational matters run smoothly and is always motivated and open to new challenges at Oyster Bay. Not only does her experience as an assistant to CEO help here, but also her structured way of working.

LinkedIn

Heike Sommer

Operations Manager
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Lisa is the Executive Assistant at Oyster Bay, efficiently supporting the leadership team. She optimizes administrative processes, coordinates schedules, and ensures smooth communication. Additionally, she works closely with Heike to create a structured and efficient work environment.

LinkedIn

Lisa Thomsen

Executive Assistant
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After completing her Master’s in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Biomedical Engineering from UCL, She now brings her tech consulting and engineering expertise to Oyster Bay as an analyst, helping to identify and support the most promising founders across Food and AgTech for a sustainable future.

LinkedIn

Marie van Hove

Analyst
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Philip is constantly looking for the most ambitious founders who drive the food revolution. Prior to joining Oyster Bay, he gained VC experience at Berlin-based food funds Atlantic Food Labs and Be8 Ventures.

LinkedIn

Philip Stark

Principal
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Ragne is leading Oyster Bay’s impact and ESG efforts, focusing on strategy, processes as well as working with founders to help our portfolio companies grow in a sustainable way. She has prior sustainable finance and organizational development experience as Head of ESG in LHV – the largest domestic financial group in Estonia.

LinkedIn

Ragne Maasel

Head of Impact
Insights

How we can help

Where and at what stage do you invest?

We like to invest in Seed & Series A rounds - yet are also comfortable investing earlier and later opportunistically.

Do you have an industry or sector focus?

We invest across the food value chain, from ag-tech and food-tech products & services to innovative and better-for-you food & beverage companies.

How much money do you invest?

Our initial check size is usually between EUR 1m to EUR 5m - with significant follow-on reserves for the next rounds. We like to lead rounds and follow-on for the next 2 rounds after our initial investment.

When is the right time to approach you about investing?

It is never too early to get in touch. The earlier we know about you, the faster our investment process can be when you decide to raise funds.

What are your investment criteria?

The team is the center of our attention. We are looking for founders who are ambitious, resourceful and resilient. Second is the product/service that has to positively impact society according to our own impact framework. Finally, we want to see the potential for a healthy business model in large markets with strong initial customer traction.

What is your investment process, and how long does it take?

We make sure the process is as fast and transparent as possible, as we know that every second spent on fundraising is a distraction from improving and building your business. We like to meet in person as early as possible. Depending on how well we understand your part of the food value chain, we can be quick. At the same time, if we do not have a thesis around your topic, we will take time to dig deep and really understand why what you are doing is meaningful.

How are you different from other VCs, and how do you support companies?

We have first-hand operational and entrepreneurial experiences in the food & beverage sector and know what growing pains and challenges our founders face. We seek to be involved as much as we can and is required of us by our portfolio companies: we are as comfortable in getting involved on strategic matters at the board level as in operational items. Check our founder testimonials to see what real added value we provide, or reach out to our portfolio companies to hear about our input first hand.

More questions?
Let's Talk

This is what our founders say

Testimonial

Name
,‎‎
Brand

Testimonial

Name
,‎‎
Brand
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Oyster Bay is an amazing fund. Working with former entrepreneurs is simply a game-changer. I would highly recommend the team to any founder

Nicolas Schweitzer
,‎‎
La Vie
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I'm glad we met Oyster Bay early in our journey. They have incredible knowledge of the food and food-tech value chain. Working with former founders is truly special. The support they've given us has been invaluable.

Hendrik Susemihl
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GoodBytz
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The network from Oyster Bay is out of this world. They have played a key role in our successful Series-A round.

Jannis Kopitz
,‎‎
Air Up
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Without the experience brought to the table by Oyster Bay, we would not have dared to set up our own DACH sales organisation. But we did it, with great advise from Oyster Bay during the process. It was a critical business decision, but it turned out very well and we are very happy that we did it.

Jacob
,‎‎
True Gum
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With Oyster Bay, we have a partner who understands deep tech and long-term value creation. They move fast, think strategically, and challenge us to scale smarter.

Niels Grabbert
,‎‎
Stenon
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Get in touch

Become a part of our portfolio

You feel like your company fits well into our portfolio?
Please fill out the typeform to reach out - this ensures all of our team sees your submission. We like to meet you 6+ months before you are fundraising.

Our purpose

Food is life

Food is more than business—it’s culture, connection, and joy.
The food value chain is essential for human life.
It can only thrive in a healthy biosphere.
That’s why we invest in a future worth fighting for.

Get in Touch