Beneo joins Grillido

The Südzucker subsidiary secures a 14 percent stake in the Munich-based foodtech.

Beneo, a subsidiary of the Mannheim-based Südzucker Group, has acquired a 14 percent stake in the Munich-based foodtech Grillido. The company hopes that the partnership will give its agricultural products a direct route to supermarket shelves. End-to-end market coverage is a decisive competitive advantage for the food group. "Grillido is our stethoscope on the market and a decisive source of inspiration thanks to its proximity to customers," says Südzucker Executive Board member Helen Arnold.

The Südzucker Group wants to continue to grow in the plant-based food sector. Beneo already acquired the Dutch company Meatless, which also produces such products, in 2022. Grillido founders Manuel Stöffler and Michael Ziegler also see the deal as a basis for further growth. The next step for Grillido is to set up its own production facilities. With the support of the Südzucker Group, the Munich-based food tech company wants to become more visible on the German market before expanding abroad.

Stöffler and Ziegler founded Grillido in 2016 and initially sold their meat-free products at Christmas markets. Following an appearance on "Die Höhle der Löwen", the food tech company won the German Founders Award a year later and prominent investors such as Immoscout founder Birgit Ströbel and tech series founder Josef Brunner. The product portfolio now includes meat, vegetarian and vegan products. The start-up wants to transform itself from a food start-up into a sustainable gourmet company. "It has to taste good," says Stöffler. "The joy of enjoyment is paramount. Otherwise consumers won't switch permanently."