COCUUS

Based in Navarra, Spain, Cocuus is a food technology company established in 2017, engineering industrial-scale solutions for alternative protein production. The company was co-founded by Patxi Larumbe, a serial entrepreneur and electronics expert, and Daniel Rico Aldaz, an industrial designer. Their journey began approximately seven years prior to the company's founding, leveraging two decades of experience in the 3D printing sector, where they designed spare parts for printers in the UK and US. This extensive background in 3D technology, combined with a desire to enter a less competitive field than plastic printing, led them to pioneer food applications.

Cocuus operates on a business-to-business (B2B) model, targeting food industry corporations, retailers, and the hospitality sector. Its revenue model is multifaceted, encompassing the sale and lease of its proprietary machinery, royalty payments based on production volume, and the sale of consumables like bio-inks and proprietary ingredients. The company also provides research and development and technical assistance services. A significant milestone was achieved in June 2022, when Cocuus secured €2.5 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by international investors including Big Idea Ventures and Cargill Ventures, enabling the firm to scale its technology and pursue international expansion.

The company's technological platform, named MIMETHICA, integrates several advanced manufacturing processes including 2D/3D laser printing, bioprinting, and robotics. This platform deconstructs food products like bacon or salmon into data points—capturing texture, flavor, and nutritional information—and then uses this data to reconstruct the food from plant or cell-based materials. Cocuus develops and manufactures the advanced machinery required for this large-scale production. This process allows for the creation of a diverse range of products, from plant-based bacon, foie gras, and shrimp to hybrid items that combine animal meat with vegetable fat to introduce new micronutrients like Omega-3. One of their first products to market, a plant-based bacon, can be produced at a rate of 1,000 tons per year. Another key application is the 'softmimic' technology, which transforms purées into appealing, easy-to-swallow food forms for people with dysphagia in hospitals and nursing homes.

Keywords: food technology, 3D food printing, alternative proteins, plant-based meat, bioprinting, industrial food production, cell-based meat, food manufacturing solutions, sustainable food, mimetic food, food engineering, cultivated meat, food-tech platform, industrial biotechnology, B2B food solutions, food production machinery, plant-based seafood, hybrid meat products, functional foods, food texture replication