Mondarella

Mondarella, a Berlin-based food-tech company established in 2021, is carving out a niche in the plant-based cheese alternative market. The company was founded by Piero Brunetti and is currently led by co-founder and CEO Frank Riedel. Brunetti's journey into creating cheese alternatives was deeply personal; after transitioning to a plant-based diet to address health issues, the Italian native found giving up mozzarella to be his biggest challenge, leading to years of research and product development. He joined the ProVeg Incubator in 2019, which helped refine the company's go-to-market strategy. Riedel and his team of chefs and scientists aim to produce the next generation of plant-based cheeses that are natural, delicious, and sustainable.

Mondarella's business model targets a broad consumer base including flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans. It distributes its products through a multi-channel approach encompassing retail, wholesale, food service, and industrial clients. The company's revenue has shown significant growth, from €80,000 in its founding year to €2 million in 2023. To date, Mondarella has raised €8 million, with investors including Riedel himself and Sparkfood, the venture unit of Portuguese conglomerate Sonae. The company operates with a team of 20 people in its Berlin office and utilizes two third-party manufacturers for production.

The company's product line focuses on clean-label cheese alternatives, avoiding modified starches, artificial ingredients, and coconut or palm fat. Their flagship product, the Mondarella Classic, was introduced in 2021 as the world's first almond-based mozzarella alternative. The portfolio has since expanded to include a variety of mozzarella-style products, soft cheese alternatives inspired by French classics like Camembert, grated options for melting, and hard cheese alternatives for pasta. These products are distinguished by their use of natural ingredients, high protein content, and reduced salt and sugar compared to many competitors. Mondarella has achieved significant market penetration, with its products available in over 6,200 points of sale across Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, and plans for further European expansion.

Keywords: plant-based cheese, vegan cheese, food-tech, almond-based cheese, dairy alternative, clean label, flexitarian, sustainable food, mozzarella alternative, Camembert alternative, plant-based food service, European food market, natural ingredients, food innovation, vegan products, retail food products, food manufacturing, Sparkfood, ProVeg Incubator, Frank Riedel, Piero Brunetti