Proteine Resources

UPSPARK, a company from the innology group, provided comprehensive services related to obtaining a grant from the EICA program, including the development of the project concept and preparation of the application, as well as:

•  Strengthening the technical and implementation framework of the application:** structuring the grant work plan around key TRL 8 project deliverables.
• Strengthening the commercial story and scale-up economics:** positioning in the premium pet food ingredient market, competitive pricing logic, supply chain scaling, and market entry stages required to transition from sampling to long-term B2B contracts.
• Ensuring full compliance and investor readiness:** a coherent blended funding application (grants and equity), credible use of funds and co-financing logic, and impact analysis aligned with EU priorities (circular economy, resource efficiency, and reduced environmental footprint).

ProteinBoost is a venture for which the Client sought grant funding to transition from TRL 6 to TRL 8. It was high-risk and capital-intensive, at the intersection of biology, automation/AI, regulated pet food markets, and circular supply chains. The invitation to the EIC Accelerator program was well-suited, but translating this concept into a fundable, assessment-ready application required solving many challenges. UpSpark guided Proteine Resources through the full EIC Accelerator evaluation process — two application stages and a panel interview in Brussels. Result: €9.5 million in total funding (€2.5 million grant + €7.0 million EIC Fund equity investment).