Bühler acquires Endeco to expand plant-based protein engineering capabilities

Swiss technology group Bühler has acquired German plant engineering company endeco GmbH and its subsidiary endeco Protein and Food, strengthening its position in the plant-based protein sector and expanding its engineering capabilities across food and ingredient processing.

The acquisition took effect on January 1, 2026, and built on a partnership that had been in place since 2022.

• Bühler acquired endeco GmbH and its subsidiary endeco Protein and Food, with the transaction taking effect on January 1, 2026.
• The two companies had collaborated since 2022 on plant-based protein projects and jointly operated the Protein Application Center in Uzwil, Switzerland.
• Endeco joined the Bühler Group as endeco, a Bühler company, while existing customer relationships and services in Germany remained unchanged.

The deal formalized a relationship that had already seen the two companies work together on customer projects and the operation of the Protein Application Center at Bühler’s headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland.

According to the companies, the partnership combined endeco’s expertise in plant engineering and process development for starch, protein, and food applications with Bühler’s global reach, technology portfolio, and scale. Together, the companies said they had been able to address capability gaps, accelerate innovation, and provide more comprehensive solutions for customers developing plant-based protein products.

The acquisition further integrated those capabilities under a single organization as demand continued to grow for industrial-scale processing solutions in alternative proteins and food manufacturing.

Mike Häfeli, CEO Business Grains & Food at Bühler Group, said endeco’s expertise complemented Bühler’s existing operations. “Endeco brings a strong combination of agility, process expertise, and a highly solution-oriented mindset that complements Bühler’s existing capabilities. We see significant potential to create additional value together, not only in proteins, but across other areas of our business,” he said.

Plant-based proteins have become an increasingly important area for Bühler, which supplies equipment, technologies, and process solutions across food, feed, and advanced materials industries. The company has invested heavily in application centers and pilot-scale facilities designed to help customers move from research and development into commercial production.

One of the focal points of the collaboration has been the Protein Application Center in Uzwil, where companies can test and optimize processes for plant-based protein ingredients and finished products before scaling up to industrial manufacturing.

Karl-Heinz Bergmann, Managing Director of endeco, described the acquisition as a natural progression following years of collaboration between the two companies. “We have been working with Bühler for years, so this is a logical next step. We share the same ambition of getting plant-based protein out of the pilot plant and into industrial-scale production. What changes is that we can now do more of that, faster, and for more customers. Our team and our way of working stay exactly as they are,” he said.

As part of the transaction, endeco will continue operating under the name endeco, a Bühler company.

The companies confirmed that existing customers in Germany's starch and dairy sectors would continue working with the same teams and maintaining the same day-to-day contacts. No immediate changes were announced for customer relationships or service structures.

Over time, Bühler and endeco said they would work more closely together on project development and delivery, particularly where the combined expertise of both organizations could provide advantages for customers.

The Protein Application Center will also become part of Bühler’s Special Grains and Pulses business unit, further integrating protein-focused development activities into the company’s broader food processing portfolio.

The acquisition reflects ongoing consolidation and collaboration across the alternative protein value chain as companies seek to bridge the gap between pilot-scale innovation and commercial manufacturing. Engineering expertise, process optimization, and scalable production systems have become increasingly important as plant-based protein developers move beyond product development and focus on cost reduction, throughput, and industrial deployment.

By bringing endeco fully into the group, Bühler has expanded its in-house engineering resources while strengthening capabilities in starch, protein, and food processing applications that support customers across a range of food production sectors.