British FoodTech startup Better Nature, which specialises in clean-label tempeh products, has secured €1.2 million in fresh funding, following an impressive quarter in which it saw a 128% increase in sales.
The capital injection comes mainly from angel investors, 70% of whom were existing backers. The funds will be used to scale sales and marketing efforts, expand product innovation, and build on Better Nature’s growing 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 (Driando) Ahnan-Winarno, Better Nature has positioned itself at the intersection of health, sustainability, and tradition. Its range of tempeh products, made from fermented whole soybeans, is currently stocked at major UK retailers including Tesco and Asda, and in more than 1,300 stores across Germany.
The company is on a mission to carve a dent in the UK’s estimated €3.7 billion chicken market with its high-protein, gut-friendly plant-based alternatives.
The round reflects cautious investor sentiment around alternative proteins – sector funding has reportedly fallen by 49% year-on-year in H1 2025 – but marks a significant milestone for the startup as it grows its footprint in the UK and across Europe.
Better Nature has leaned into the health-first narrative that now dominates the plant-based space, especially as consumer confidence in ultra-processed meat alternatives wanes. The startup reformulated its core tempeh product earlier this year, boosting protein content to 22g per 100g serving – roughly equivalent to three eggs – while maintaining a clean ingredient list.
It now refers to its range as “supercharged protein”, contrasting it against what Roberts calls “so-so protein” like chicken.
Better Nature was the second fastest-growing meat-free brand in the UK last year, with sales rising by 457%. Its original tempeh SKU is now the top-selling product in its category at Tesco, while Asda carries the brand exclusively across its full estate. Internationally, the brand’s German sales surged by 330% in Q2 2025, and expansion is already underway in Austria, with two additional international markets expected to follow this 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.”
The company’s momentum aligns with broader shifts in the UK protein market. While sales of traditional meat analogues declined by nearly 10% in 2024, more affordable whole-food options like tofu, tempeh and seitan enjoyed notable growth. UK tempeh sales reportedly jumped 85% year-on-year, reflecting increasing interest in high-fibre, high-protein plant foods.
Better Nature seems well-placed to capture this zeitgeist. In May, the startup appointed former Dr Oetker and Bel Group account manager Helen Atkinson as head of sales, ahead of its largest-ever marketing campaign.
“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.”
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/08/londons-foodtech-startup-better-nature-bites-into-uks-e3-7-billion-chicken-market-with-e1-2-million-funding-boost/
