Terra Wave secures €1.2 million EU grant to advance fermented protein technology

Romanian start-up Terra Wave officially launched with the aim of scaling sustainable protein solutions through fermentation, supported by a €1.2 million (US$1.3 million) innovation grant from the European Union. Founded by industry veteran Alexandru Jeican, the company is seeking to position fermentation as a key technology for meeting global protein demand across food and pet nutrition.

Terra Wave was established in 2024 and emerged publicly this September after securing EU funding to advance its proprietary fermentation technology. The company’s goal is to build industrial-scale production capacity for fermented proteins, targeting applications across traditional meat, plant-based alternatives, and pet food.

To support this ambition, Terra Wave has already put partnerships in place. It is collaborating with the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, tapping into academic expertise in biotechnology and food science. It has also aligned with Tetra Pak to access engineering support and conduct industrial process testing, helping translate lab-scale innovations into commercial manufacturing.

Founder & CEO Jeican brought more than 15 years of experience in food production and research to the venture. Before starting Terra Wave, he served as R&D Manager at Verdino Green Foods, Romania’s plant-based meat pioneer, and previously held leadership roles at Prefera Foods and Salconserv. His career has spanned both traditional and plant-based sectors, giving him a perspective on how fermentation can bridge the gap between the two. Over the course of his career, Jeican has developed more than 100 products, including several that won industry awards.

After years of testing multiple protein sources, Jeican said he became convinced that fermented proteins offered the best balance of sustainability, efficiency, and performance. “Fermentation is not just a trend, it’s a breakthrough technology that can deliver valuable nutrition value, taste, texture and scalability, in a sustainable way with reduced costs,” he said. “At Terra Wave we are surfing the future of proteins, developing ingredient solutions that serve the need of the food industry, consumers and the planet.”

The company’s focus reflects wider momentum in the fermentation sector, where demand for functional protein ingredients continues to grow. Terra Wave’s strategy combines technological development with early international engagement.

Although still at an early stage, Terra Wave is building its business on a foundation of both public funding and established networks. The EU innovation grant secured this year gives the start-up a platform to expand its R&D pipeline and test its processes at larger scale. Collaboration with the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca ensures scientific rigor, while the partnership with Tetra Pak provides access to engineering capabilities typically out of reach for small start-ups. Together, these elements are designed to help Terra Wave close the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial production.

Jeican’s professional background underpins this strategy. At Verdino Green Foods, he led the development of plant-based meat alternatives at a time when the Romanian market for such products was still emerging. At Prefera Foods and Salconserv, his work focused on meat production, giving him direct experience of the conventional protein supply chain. By combining this dual expertise with fermentation, he now hopes to develop proteins that can be used flexibly across multiple product categories.

Fermentation has attracted attention in recent years for its ability to deliver consistent, scalable protein production without relying on large volumes of land or water. For start-ups such as Terra Wave, it also provides opportunities to create ingredients with functional advantages, from texture and binding to enhanced nutritional profiles. These features could support food manufacturers looking to reformulate products for health, sustainability, or cost reasons.

The Romanian start-up enters the field at a time of increasing competition but also expanding opportunity. Global demand for protein continues to grow, and the search for alternatives to resource-intensive livestock production has accelerated. By focusing on ingredient development through fermentation, Terra Wave is seeking to meet the needs of both established food manufacturers and emerging brands.

The company’s launch was also a milestone for the Romanian food-tech sector, which has traditionally been less visible on the European innovation map. With EU backing, Terra Wave aims to demonstrate that Central and Eastern Europe can play a role in shaping the next generation of sustainable proteins.

Founded only last year, Terra Wave has quickly moved from concept to funded enterprise, with a clear technological focus and partnerships in place. As Jeican emphasized, the company’s mission is to combine sustainability with scalability. By doing so, it hopes to deliver fermentation-based proteins that can support reformulation across a wide range of food and pet products, while contributing to the global transition toward more resilient protein systems.