Led · Seed · Mar 2024

InspectRail, a spin-off of the CEIT technology center and participant in Basque Tek Ventures, develops and commercializes onboard inspection solutions to evaluate the health of railway infrastructure. Its systems can be embarked on any rail vehicle and monitor track, catenary, wireless communications and the surrounding environment to provide an integrated view of network condition. The company emphasizes frequent data collection at contained cost to support more precise, continuous knowledge of the infrastructure and to optimize management, operation and maintenance. InspectRail positions its technology to address infrastructure-related disruptions—the article cites that 24% of incidents cause delays and 60% are linked to infrastructure problems. The €330k pre-seed capital increase will be used to develop and validate new inspection systems and to support commercial development. InspectRail plans to consolidate in the railway market, expand its product and service portfolio, and accelerate growth to improve efficiency and safety in rail transport globally.

Participated · Equity · May 2022

CUBIQ FOODS develops alternative‑fat solutions, microencapsulated omega‑3 oils and patented structured oil/water emulsions for food manufacturers seeking healthier and more sustainable ingredients. Its commercial product Go!Drop® is a plant‑based fat replacer that offers improved juiciness, fewer calories, less saturated fat and uses only 20% oil. The company has positioned Go!Drop® for use in processed meat, dairy derivatives, sauces, bakery, confectionery and as a coconut oil substitute in vegan products. It also developed Go!Mega3®, a multilayer microencapsulated omega‑3 product (launched late 2022), and planned a cultivated fat ingredient for the U.S. market in early 2023. CUBIQ FOODS was founded in late 2018 and grew to a 50‑person team by 2020 while commercializing its initial product lines. Cubiq Foods develops cell‑based oils rich in omega‑3s and patented oil/water emulsions intended as sustainable replacements for traditional fats. The company uses multilayer microencapsulation to protect concentrated essential oils and avoid fish flavours. Its two products targeted for mass production are Cubiq Smart Omega‑3 and Cubiq Smart Fat, a vegan emulsion positioned to replace animal fats in processed meat, dairy derivatives, and saturated vegetable fats. Cubiq claims to be the first to produce high‑quality omega‑3s via its platform. The startup plans to scale production to industrial levels and make its products commercially available domestically and internationally later this year. Financially, the company has secured new funding to support that scale‑up. Cubiq Foods develops and commercializes cell-based fat of animal origin to enhance flavour and enrich foods with essential fatty acids (omega-3), while reducing the use of trans fats and palm oil. The company produces cultivated fat via cell culture following a natural, controlled process and aims for industrial scaling in new facilities. It intends to produce cultivated fat enriched in omega-3 in purpose-built facilities and pilot plants. Cubiq Foods raised €12M in funding with investment from Moira Capital Partners. Moira committed €5m in 2019 to enable construction of an R&D laboratory and a pilot plant with capacity up to 5.6 tons per year, with additional funding tied to increasing the plant to 700 tons per year. The company plans continued expansion including opening new production plants financed from resources generated by Cubiq Foods themselves.