Media Giant SevenVentures Invests in Next Gen Foods to Promote TiNDLE Across Germany

Next Gen Foods, the food tech startup behind the popular plant-based chicken brand TiNDLE, has announced a high-value media-for-equity deal with SevenVentures, the investment arm of ProSiebenSat.1, Germany’s largest media and digital company.

The strategic partnership, valued at at least $10 million, marks the first media collaboration for Next Gen Foods and aims to increase awareness of TiNDLE throughout Germany.

TiNDLE made its initial launch in Germany last summer, and the new media partnership follows the startup’s recent entry into nationwide grocery stores. As part of the deal, SevenVentures will work closely with Next Gen Foods to expand TiNDLE’s brand recognition and educate consumers about plant-based food, which is growing in popularity across Germany. According to USDA data released last year, more than half of Germany’s population wants to reduce their meat consumption.

‘A more sustainable food system’

The investment from SevenVentures also comes after Next Gen Foods’ successful Series A fund raise, which yielded $100 million last year. This media-for-equity agreement will provide Next Gen Foods with the resources to expand its marketing efforts, promote the TiNDLE brand, highlight the range of delicious and versatile plant-based chicken offerings, and contribute to the advancement of plant-based foods in the market.

“With a strategic partner like SevenVentures, there is potential to introduce TiNDLE to new audiences and educate consumers about the broader role that plant-based foods play in combating our global climate crisis,” Andre Menezes, CEO and co-founder of Next Gen Foods, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome them as our latest mission-aligned investor and leverage their media expertise to raise greater awareness for our category and our efforts to create a more sustainable food system.”

SevenVentures, founded in 2009, specializes in securing media partnerships for early-stage to growth-stage B2C companies. As an investor, SevenVentures focuses on companies targeting the German and Austrian markets, leveraging the reach of ProSiebenSat.1 to raise awareness for impact and sustainability.

Florian Hirschberger, CEO of SevenVentures says the Next Gen Foods partnership suits the company’s “responsibility to use the reach of ProSiebenSat.1 to raise awareness for impact and sustainability.”

“The quality and taste of TiNDLE’s chicken products are incredible, and we believe that our media-for-equity investment comes at the perfect time to accelerate and support a nationwide retail rollout, so all German consumers can experience their ‘ridiculously good’ chicken made from plants,” he said.

German’s shifting diet culture

Earlier this month, new research conducted by AOK health insurance found that children in Berlin eat a predominantly plant-forward diet. According to the findings, 33 percent of children are reducing their meat across the county, and in Berlin, that number is closer to 50 percent.

Overall, meat consumption in Germany has dropped more than 12 percent from 128 pounds per person per year in 2011 to 121 pounds per person in 2022, according to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

According to Inka Dewitz, a representative of Heinrich Böll Stiftung, a foundation in Germany linked to the German Green Party numerous factors are responsible for the shift — from climate change to labor issues and scandals in the meat industry.

“There has been a cultural shift, particularly among young people, who are much more conscious of what they consume and how they eat,” she said.