Diamant 2025 starting field: Another award for UpGrain
The Appenzell start-up UpGrain has been awarded the Startfeld Diamant 2025 prize. The award from St.Galler Kantonalbank recognizes outstanding companies in Eastern Switzerland that impress with their innovative strength and vision for the future.
Food from beer brewery side streams: the Appenzell start-up UpGrain was awarded the prestigious Diamant 2025 start-up prize in St.Gallen at the beginning of June. After the Winner of the Swiss Sustainability Impact Award This is the second award that the young company has received in just a few months.
Vision of circular food systems realized
Founded in 2021, UpGrain AG uses state-of-the-art upcycling technologies to produce high-quality protein and fibre powder from spent grains. The products manufactured by UpGrain can be integrated into numerous recipes for baked goods, pasta and snacks. These raw materials offer an environmentally friendly alternative for the food industry and contribute to resource-saving production. The joy of winning the Startfeld Diamant 2025 is great: "This award is a great honor for our team and proves that our vision of sustainable, circular food systems will set a precedent," says Vincent Vida, founder of UpGrain.
Strong partnerships with a signal effect
Together with the Locher brewery, last year UpGrain created Europe's largest Food upcycling plant went into operation. The plant processes around 25,000 tons of spent grains into proteins and fibre for the food industry every year. These are used as a flour substitute, to improve the texture of baked goods and meat substitute products and as a basis for protein-rich snacks and drinks. This process helps to reduce CO₂ emissions, saves water and reduces the need for arable land for traditional protein sources such as wheat or soy. Aurèle Meyer, Managing Director of Locher Brewery, emphasizes: "UpGrain has shown that it has created a scalable innovation in the field of food upcycling that makes the side streams of our brewery versatile." Jury member Bettina Hein Göldi adds: "UpGrain impressed with its sustainable approach to innovation. The start-up is not only scalable, but also brings real ecological added value in the long term," says Bettina Hein Göldi, jury member.
