Services
My projects run directly and without a layer in between: the person you talk to is the person who does the work. Where a project needs additional expertise, for example analytics, plant engineering or law, I bring in partners from my network in agreement with you.
Who I work for
Food manufacturers and ingredient producers
- Reformulate recipes with plant protein
- Get sensory and off-flavour issues under control
- Assess suppliers and raw material qualities
- Upgrade side streams instead of selling them at feed price
Equipment suppliers and technology providers
- Market studies for food, pet food and feed
- Plan market entry and carry it through to the first customers
- Technical adaptation of milling, classification and extrusion processes
- Position the technology against the customer's benefit
Start-ups and investors
- From lab sample to a robust process route
- Technical and commercial due diligence
- Sanity-check yields and cost assumptions
- Documents for investors and grant bodies
01
Raw material and product strategy
- Selection and assessment of plant proteins and starches
- Realistic assessment of protein content, functionality and sensory properties
- Substitution and reformulation of existing recipes
- Assessment of suppliers and raw material qualities
02
Process, plant and scale-up
- Dry fractionation, milling, air classification
- Extrusion and thermal process steps
- Drying and moisture control
- Design and assessment of process routes
- Support from lab through pilot to production scale
- Assessment of quotations and concepts from equipment suppliers
- Design of the whole process, not just individual machines
03
Side streams and valorisation
The part where most calculations fail. Dry fractionation, extrusion, milling and dehulling all generate streams alongside the target product.
- Assessment of composition, functionality and quality of the side stream
- Which upgrading steps pay off and which only create cost
- Comparison with real buyer markets and price levels in food, pet food, feed and aquafeed
- Effect of the side stream on the overall calculation of the main fraction
- From what volume own marketing pays off and from what volume it does not
04
Product development, sensory and application
- Application assessment in bakery, dairy alternatives, meat alternatives and dry blends
- Sensory and off-flavour issues in legume proteins
- Debittering and flavour optimisation of plant raw materials
- Feasibility check before investing
05
Market studies and market entry for technology providers
For equipment suppliers and technology providers who want to bring their technology into new application fields.
- Assessment of market segments, competition and customer requirements
- Market entry strategy for food, pet food, feed and aquafeed
- Positioning the technology against the customer's commercial benefit
- Implementation of the strategy through to the first customers won
06
Technical and commercial due diligence
Independent assessment of ventures for investors, capital providers and buyers, before money is committed.
- Review of process, plant concept and scaling assumptions
- Sanity-check of yields, capacities and operating costs
- Assessment of side stream and valorisation assumptions, the most common weak point in a business plan
- Raw material availability, supply chains and quality risks
- Market-side review of volumes, price levels and competition
- Result: a written assessment with risks, open points and a clear recommendation
07
Sales, financing and interim management
- Building B2B sales and distribution structures
- Setting up and establishing contract manufacturing
- Investor documents, business plans, grant applications
- Interim management
How I work
If a venture does not hold up in my view, I will tell you. That is the part you are actually paying me for.
First conversation free of charge, then a day rate or a fixed project fee. Confidentiality is a given, a non-disclosure agreement is possible at any time. German and English, spoken and written. International projects are routine.
Real-world examples
Market entry of a machinery manufacturer into plant-based applications
Situation: A manufacturer of production technology wanted to position its technology for plant-based meat alternatives and open up the adjacent fields of pet food, feed and aquafeed, without knowing these markets in detail.
Approach: Market study of the relevant segments, analysis of competition and customer requirements, leading to concrete recommendations for positioning the technology. Then support during implementation.
Result: Market entry strategy implemented, first customers won in the new segments.
Plant raw materials for a manufacturer of food ingredients
Situation: An international manufacturer of ingredients and beverage bases wanted to add plant proteins and starches for plant-based applications to its portfolio, but had little own experience with these raw materials.
Approach: Selection and assessment of suitable raw materials, sample sourcing, application testing in the target products. Support across purchasing, quality assurance, development and food safety through to approval.
Result: Several raw materials qualified and taken into running products, including at a beverage manufacturer with international reach.