• Hooked Foods

  Participated · Equity · Dec 2020

  Hooked Foods develops plant-based fish substitutes and vegan seafood products. The company completed a Crowdcube crowdfunding campaign that raised more than one million Swedish kronor (reported as €644,000), entering an overfunding phase after its first day. Last year Hooked Foods raised €5m ($5.5m) in venture financing from Oysterbay, Big Idea Ventures and Brightly. The new funding will be used to develop a new range of products and to expand across the Nordic region, with a specific push into Germany. To support German expansion the company is collaborating with sales agency Ooha and is intensifying efforts to establish partnerships with leading food distributors. CEO Tom Johansson said the funds will be used to continue innovation and provide sustainable alternatives for fish lovers. Founded in 2019 by Emil Wasteson and Tom Johansson, Hooked Foods develops plant-based seafood products and is based in Stockholm. Its current range includes Toonish, a plant-based tuna analogue sold in Swedish retail chains and restaurants, made from soy, wheat protein, sunflower oil and algae and offered in three flavours. The company has raised €3.8M in a new financing round to support ongoing R&D and product expansion. With the fresh funds Hooked plans to speed up product innovation, scale up the team and expand its presence in Sweden. A key near-term project is a plant-based shredded salmon developed using wet extrusion and containing seaweed and algae oil to provide omega-3 fatty acids; the company says it will be the first of its kind. Last year Hooked raised $600,000 in seed funding from alt-protein investors including Katapult Ocean, ProVeg, Kale United and Veg Capital. Hooked Foods develops plant‑based seafood alternatives, notably Toona (a soy‑based plant‑based tuna) and a shredded vegan salmon called Salmoon. Toona is produced from soy protein via a wet extrusion manufacturing process and includes sunflower oil and algae to provide omega‑3 fatty acids. The company plans a nationwide rollout of Toona across major restaurant chains in Sweden in Spring 2021 and has long‑term ambitions to expand across European markets. Hooked was selected to join the Berlin‑based ProVeg Incubator. The startup raised SEK 5 million (US$600,000) to fund the launch and further product development. The articles position Hooked within a growing plant‑based seafood market that has attracted both startups and major food companies.

• Hooked

  Participated · Equity · Dec 2020

  Hooked develops plant-based seafood products, launching a plant-based tuna named Toona that uses natural, sustainably grown ingredients such as soybeans, sunflower oil, and algae. Product development takes place in Gothenburg in collaboration with local research institutes. The company plans to roll out Toona into major restaurant chains across Sweden in spring 2021 with later expansion into Europe. Hooked aims to convert consumers to plant-based seafood to address overfishing and rising seafood consumption and frames its work as an environmental and health-focused solution. The brand graduated from the fourth cohort of the ProVeg Incubator and emphasizes building a positive movement rather than bans or lecturing. Financially, Hooked recently raised SEK 5 million (about $600K) and previously received a €150,000 investment in October to support its Nordic launch. Hooked is developing a plant-based shredded salmon alternative and a broader plant-based seafood portfolio, including the soon-to-launch Hooked Toona and the near-final Hooked Salmoon. The company plans to launch in the Nordics with later expansion into Europe for fast growth. Founders Emil Wasteson and Tom Johansson position nutrition and product quality at the core of their work, and Nordic consumers have given positive feedback. Hooked says its first year will save 1,000 tons of CO2 and spare 50,000 salmons and tunas. The startup participated in the ProVeg Incubator and is now raising its first seed funds to support the Nordic launch. Hooked is based in Stockholm and is targeting rapid scale across European markets.

No current team members are available.