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PeakBridge Growth II has completed its first closing in partnership with Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity and made its first two investments in alternative protein technologies. A global impact fund manager in agri-food tech, PeakBridge focuses on scalable, patented and sustainable technologies addressing long-term environmental and nutrition challenges. Dutch company Rival Foods and French company Standing Ovation were the beneficiaries of the first investments by PeakBridge’s Growth II fund. Rival Foods is a spin-off from Wageningen University & Research, providing solutions to improve the taste and texture of plant-based proteins. The company has developed new technologies, equipment, processes and product formulations that can help create more appealing animal protein alternatives. The PeakBridge-led investment was joined by France’s Roquette Ventures. Standing Ovation contributes to the agri-food transition by developing animal- and lactose-free substitutes for conventional dairy products, using dairy proteins produced by microbial fermentation. Through this process, the company produces caseins, without resorting to cattle farming. Erich Sieber, general partner and co-founder of PeakBridge, said: “Product innovation, meeting new consumer needs and resource optimisation are long-term solutions that agri-food tech funds such as PeakBridge, and innovative companies, such as Rival Foods and Standing Ovation, help drive”. Johnny El Hachem, CEO of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, added: “We believe that technologies that address the dislocation of global food chains by bringing more resilience and security to shocks such as tariffs, pandemics and wars are here to stay”.