Royal Greenland x REDUCED
REDUCED has raised an additional EUR 4 million in a Series A extension, bringing its total Series A financing to EUR 12 million.
Danish biotech company REDUCED and Royal Greenland, one of the world’s largest seafood suppliers, have signed an agreement to develop value from side streams.
The partnership aims to transform prawn processing side streams into clean-label, high performance taste solutions for future commercialisation. The partnership applies REDUCED’s proprietary fermentation-based platform to prawn shells and heads, which represent nearly half of the coldwater prawn biomass.
Traditionally used for low-cost food and feed ingredients, this material is now being upcycled into a natural prawn concentrate with exceptional flavour and broad application potential.
"At Royal Greenland, we work every day to use our resources responsibly. Therefore, we are also proud to enter into a collaboration that clearly demonstrates that good taste solutions and circular thinking can easily go hand in hand. By upcycling the by-products from prawn production, we not only create new high-quality products, but we also reduce waste and actively contribute to the future of food production. Every time we fish, we have a responsibility to manage the catch in the best possible way."
Royal Greenland, certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for its sustainable cold-water prawn fisheries, brings scale, supply chain credibility, and a clear route to market to the partnership.
Together with REDUCED’s fermentation expertise, the collaboration shows how circular processing can turn side streams with great potential into high-value taste solutions, demonstrating both strong commercial potential and a clear path toward more resource-efficient seafood production.
"Circularity only succeeds when it creates real value, says Emil Munck de Voss, CEO and Co founder of REDUCED. In this partnership, we are proving that by applying our fermentation platform we can not only address side stream utilisation but also deliver a product that chefs and manufacturers genuinely want to use because of its outstanding taste."
Product outcome
Based on prototype results, the parties are confident they will launch a new prawn product that offers:
Exceptional flavour profile, with distinct umami and roasted crustacean notes.
Clean-label credentials, free from yeast extracts, additives, or flavourings.
Culinary versatility, suitable for a wide range of applications, from soups, sauces, condiments, snacks and readymeals.
Shelf stability, with up to two years of tested lifespan.
Traceable circularity, directly tied to Royal Greenland’s own production.
Strategic value
This collaboration proves that circularity and gastronomy can go hand in hand, delivering scalable solutions that are both climate-smart and commercially viable. It also shows how REDUCED and Royal Greenland can jointly create value for large-scale food producers without requiring major infrastructure changes.
"At Royal Greenland, we are constantly looking for opportunities to improve what we do. The collaboration with REDUCED is a strong example that while we can achieve a lot on our own, a solid partner can help open new doors. In this case, REDUCED enables us to utilise our by-products more efficiently without the need for major infrastructural changes. It exemplifies so well how respect for the entire product forms the glue in our work."
"This is not just about one prawn ingredient,” adds Lorenzo Tirelli, R&D Manager at REDUCED. “It is proof that side streams can power the next generation of flavour."
Prawn Flavour & Market Potential
Marine flavour enhancers, often derived from shrimp shells, represent around 6% of the global flavour enhancer market, a segment growing faster than other flavour categories at 6.3% per year (Rubin, 2010; GEMBA Seafood Consulting for Danish Seafood Association, 2020).
Fish soups and sauces account for around 75% of the total market for marine extracts and powders, highlighting the broad appeal of prawn and shrimp-based flavourings in culinary applications (GEMBA Seafood Consulting, 2020).
In consumer trends, fish and seafood launches with clean label claims such as “no additives/ preservatives” (15%), “natural” (10%), and “organic” (9%) continue to grow, especially in Europe (Innova Market Insights, Dec 2024).
With established sales channels across retail (20%), foodservice (16%), and industry (62%), and a global presence spanning Europe (27%), Scandinavia (20%), Asia (33%), and North America (18%), Royal Greenland provides a strong platform to scale the commercialisation of new taste solutions developed in this collaboration.
Request a meeting +
20.02.2026, Copenhagen
The round, co-led by Delphinus Venture Capital alongside Novo Holdings, ECBF VC and EIFO, will support the industrial scale-up of REDUCED’s fermentation-based platform, which converts food side streams into natural, clean-label savoury ingredients for large-scale food manufacturers.
With the new funding, the company aims to expand production capacity, strengthen quality systems and supply chain integration, and deepen commercial partnerships across Europe and beyond.
Industrialising next-generation savoury ingredients
The global savoury ingredients market represents a multi-billion-euro opportunity, driven by increasing demand for natural alternatives. At the same time, food manufacturers face mounting pressure to reformulate products with clean-label ingredients while maintaining taste, functionality and cost efficiency. Existing natural flavour solutions often rely on HVP’s or meat and yeast extracts that lack the complexity, depth and top notes required in customer relevant applications.
To address this challenge, REDUCED has developed a proprietary fermentation platform that converts underutilised food processing side streams into high-value, clean-label ingredients at industrial scale. By combining solid state fermentation with controlled reaction processes, the company consistently generates complex flavour profiles tailored to the needs of multinational food producers and food service operators.
Unlike conventional clean-label alternatives, REDUCED’s platform produces a broad spectrum of naturally derived flavour compounds, including umami, kokumi and Maillard reaction notes, delivering roasted character, depth and sensory complexity comparable to traditional flavour systems. By valorising side streams from the food industry, the company also contributes to a more circular and resource-efficient food system.
From technology development to full industrial deployment
The Series A extension marks a decisive step in REDUCED’s transition from technology development to full industrial supply. The capital will be used to expand the company’s ingredient portfolio, scale production to meet growing demand from multinational customers, and further strengthen commercial capabilities.
Over the past year, REDUCED has doubled its industrial partnerships and expanded its product portfolio across multiple application categories, underlining the increasing market traction of its fermentation-based flavour platform. With this funding, the company is positioning itself as a long-term ingredient partner to global food and ingredient producers seeking high-performance, clean-label flavour solutions.
Emil Munck de Voss, co-founder and CEO, REDUCED, said:
2026 will be focused on continuing the industrialisation of our core technology, and this investment enables us to accelerate that journey. We are seeing strong momentum with industry and food service partners across Europe, and our ambition is to deepen these collaborations. Being well capitalised, with strong backing from both new and existing investors, is an important step in achieving this."
A strong investor syndicate to support next growth phase
The expanded investor group strengthens REDUCED’s capital base as the company scales its ingredient platform and increases its focus on industrial customers and large-scale production.
Mathias Brink Lorenz, Managing Partner, Delphinus Venture Capital, said:
“We are very pleased to join the strong investor group backing REDUCED and look forward to being part of the scaling journey in industrial food ingredients. REDUCED has the rare combination of a strong commercial founding team coupled with a solid technical platform to scale from. A perfect match for the investment focus of our fund.”
Thomas Grotkjær, Partner, Planetary Health Investments, Novo Holdings, said:
“Reduced has built a compelling enzyme- and fermentation-based platform for producing high-value, natural savoury ingredients. This financing will help strengthen quality systems, scale production, and accelerate progress with key industrial partners. We are pleased to continue supporting Reduced as the company advances into its next phase of growth.”
Jowita Sewerska, Investment Director, ECBF, adds:
“Industrial food ingredient production must become both more sustainable and more resilient. REDUCED’s scalable fermentation platform demonstrates how circular bio-based technologies can deliver competitive, high-performance solutions to global food manufacturers.”
Sara Færch Hansen, Senior Associate, EIFO, said:
“We see a robust technological foundation, strong market need, and a highly capable team at REDUCED. Their approach shows how innovative Danish foodtech can deliver both sustainability and high‑value industrial ingredients. We are pleased to contribute to the company’s continued development as it scales its platform and strengthens its collaborations with major industry partners”
About REDUCED
REDUCED has developed unique fermentation processes that deliver flavour solutions with low carbon impact by repurposing side streams and provide cost-effective, natural, and flavour-rich food ingredients.
About Delphinus Venture Capital
Delphinus Venture Capital is a Danish evergreen venture capital fund investing in research-driven innovation and deeptech with the potential to create global impact.
About Novo Holdings
Novo Holdings is a holding and investment company that is responsible for managing the assets and the wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The purpose of Novo Holdings is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet by generating attractive long-term returns on the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo Holdings is the controlling shareholder of Novo Nordisk and Novonesis and manages an investment portfolio with a long-term return perspective. In addition to managing a broad portfolio of equities, bonds, real estate, infrastructure and private equity assets, Novo Holdings is a world-leading life sciences investor. Through its Seed, Venture, Growth, Planetary Health Investments and Principal Investments teams, Novo Holdings invests in life science companies at all stages of development. As of year-end 2024, Novo Holdings had total assets of EUR 142 billion.
About EIFO
As Denmark’s national promotional bank and official export credit agency, EIFO works to open doors for global business, drive the green transition, advance innovative technologies, and contribute to Denmark’s security.
With total commitments exceeding EUR 22 billion and activities in more than 100 countries, EIFO provides financial solutions to Danish companies and their global partners.
EIFO is also Denmark’s largest venture investor, investing in both startups and funds. In 2024, EIFO made 78 investments in companies and 16 in funds.
About ECBF
ECBF is a specialist venture capital investor dedicated exclusively to the bioeconomy and circular economy. Launched in 2020 and backed by €300 million in committed capital, ECBF supports high-growth companies that turn breakthrough science into scalable businesses. Combining deep scientific expertise with a rigorous, impact-driven investment approach, the fund partners with outstanding entrepreneurs to build global category leaders that reduce pressure on planetary boundaries while delivering competitive, market-rate returns. www.ecbf.vc