Heura doubles turnover and takes its meat alternative to 20 countries

Heura advances in its ambitious growth plan, which involves becoming the main reference in the production of plant-based foods that imitate meat. The startup founded in 2017 by Marc Coloma and Bernat Añaños doubled its turnover in 2021, reaching sales of 17.7 million euros, compared to the 8 million recorded in 2020. According to the company, the last year has been a record, not only due to the increase in turnover, but also because the number of households consuming Heura brand products has skyrocketed.

The plant-protein food company has quadrupled the number of stores where it is present, going from 3,000 to 13,000 points of sale in the last year. Thus, its presence is already common in any supermarket chain and more and more restaurant menus include a dish made with the meat that is not meat manufactured by Heura.

The brand now reaches 20 countries, compared to the 13 where it was present at the end of 2020. Thus, in addition to Spain, Heura can be purchased in Andorra, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Egypt, Canada, Mexico, Dubai and Chile.

Both Coloma and Añaños define themselves as "activists" who work with the mission of achieving "the uprooting of the current food system," which they consider "obsolete" by being based on livestock farming as the main source of obtaining quality protein. In their opinion, animal production "must be left out of the food equation" to guarantee, from their point of view, the sustainability of the planet. To achieve this, they strive to create plant-based products that imitate meat; among their latest launches are a sausage and a chorizo alternative to those made with pork.

"The set of talents we have acquired in our R&D team has more than 30 food science and technology patents to its name. The patented technology we will launch in 2022 will be key to leading the potential of the plant-based movement and turning the food industry around," says Coloma, co-founder and CEO of Heura. According to the entrepreneur, the exponential growth this market is experiencing worldwide "shows that the future will be plant-based". According to a BIS Research report, the alternative meat plant protein business is expected to move more than 480.4 billion dollars globally by 2024.

Heura has also increased its workforce, growing from 38 people in 2020 to closing the year with 100, located in Spain, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The goal for 2022 is to launch ten new product innovations that will broaden the customer base and advance expansion into more countries. Another of its challenges is to ensure "price parity" so that this element is not a deterrent when choosing to consume Heura or meat products.