Better Nature Secures €1.2 Million to Fuel Growth of Its UK-Born FoodTech Vision

Better Nature, a UK-based FoodTech startup best known for its clean-label tempeh, has secured €1.2 million in fresh investment following an impressive quarter in which sales surged by 128 per cent. The majority of the funding came from angel investors, with seventy per cent being returning backers. This capital will be channelled into scaling sales and marketing, fuelling new product innovation, and strengthening the brand’s appeal among health-conscious and flexitarian consumers.

Elin Roberts, Co-CEO of Better Nature, said: “We’re now the UK’s number one tempeh brand by volume, with 38.1% market share, leading the category’s impressive 41% growth.”

“Our latest fundraising round is a brilliant boost for the business at a point when the tempeh category is rapidly gaining momentum, and we are seeing strong brand growth,” she added.

Founded in 2018 by Elin Roberts, Fabio Rinaldo, Chris Kong, and Indonesian food scientist Dr Ando Ahnan-Winarno, the company has built its identity around blending health, sustainability, and heritage. Its tempeh, crafted from fermented whole soybeans, is now stocked at Tesco, Asda, and more than 1,300 stores in Germany. Better Nature’s ambition is bold: to challenge the UK’s €3.7 billion chicken market with high-protein, gut-friendly alternatives that stay true to whole-food principles.

The funding arrives at a time when investor caution in the plant-based sector is high, with global alternative protein investment dropping by nearly half in the first half of 2025. Yet, this round represents a decisive vote of confidence in the company’s UK and European expansion strategy.

Consumer sentiment is shifting away from heavily processed meat substitutes and toward simpler, nutrient-rich plant-based options. Earlier this year, Better Nature reformulated its flagship tempeh to pack in 22 grams of protein per 100 grams—matching the protein content of three eggs—while keeping the ingredient list short and recognisably natural.

Now marketed as “supercharged protein,” the brand draws a direct contrast with conventional animal protein, which co-founder Elin Roberts has playfully labelled “so-so protein.”

The company’s momentum is striking. In 2024, Better Nature was ranked the second-fastest-growing meat-free brand in the UK, with sales growth of 457 per cent. Its original tempeh became Tesco’s top seller in the category, while Asda now carries the entire range exclusively. The German market has been equally promising, with Q2 2025 sales climbing 330 per cent. Austria is set to join the distribution network soon, alongside two other European markets, before the end of the year.

“Internationally, we’re also making waves – in Germany, our revenues skyrocketed [by] 330% year-on-year in Q2 2025, making us the leading tempeh brand in the market,” Roberts noted. “We’ve expanded into Austria and we’re gearing up for launches in two more international markets later this year.”

These achievements reflect wider changes in the UK protein market. While sales of traditional meat alternatives fell by almost ten per cent in 2024, whole-food staples such as tofu, tempeh, and seitan have been gaining ground. Tempeh sales alone jumped 85 per cent year-on-year, driven by rising interest in high-fibre, high-protein plant-based foods.

To capitalise on this momentum, the company recently appointed Helen Atkinson, formerly of Dr Oetker and Bel Group, as head of sales. Her arrival coincides with preparations for Better Nature’s most extensive marketing campaign to date.

“As a brand, we’re perfectly poised to capture the huge trends in health right now: high-protein, gut-friendly, natural, fibre-rich and plant-based,” said Roberts. “With the new funding, we will continue to drive mainstream brand growth, going beyond the plant-based aisle to tap into the growing market for natural, gut-friendly proteins.”

About Better Nature:

Founded in 2018, Better Nature is dedicated to offering plant protein in its purest form through tempeh. Made from fermented whole soybeans, tempeh is naturally rich in fibre, protein, and prebiotics, making it a delicious, gut-friendly alternative to meat. The B Corp™ brand is stocked across major UK and EU retailers and is committed to sustainability, producing low-emission products while supporting childhood nutrition initiatives in Indonesia.