Stockeld Dreamery

Stockeld Dreamery, a Swedish food-tech company, was established in 2019 to address the environmental impact of dairy cheese production. The company was founded by Sorosh Tavakoli, a tech entrepreneur who previously founded and sold the video advertising platform Videoplaza, and Anja Leissner, a food scientist with a background in dairy processing. Tavakoli's journey into food tech was driven by a desire to build a business with a positive climate impact, leading him to explore alternative proteins before focusing on cheese. Leissner's expertise in food science, microbiology, and biotechnology complements this vision.

Operating in the plant-based dairy alternatives market, Stockeld Dreamery targets both food service (B2B) and direct consumers (B2C). The company's business model revolves around creating and selling legume-based cheeses that aim to be superior in taste and nutrition to conventional options. Revenue is generated through sales to restaurants and, increasingly, through retail channels. A significant milestone was the company's Series A funding round in September 2021, which raised €16.5 million ($20 million) to scale the team, product portfolio, and geographic footprint. This brought their total funding to approximately $24 million.

The company's product development leverages fermentation technology with a base of proteins from peas, fava beans, chickpeas, and lentils. Their initial product, "Stockeld Chunk," launched in May 2021, is a feta-style cheese made from fermented peas and fava beans, designed to offer a similar texture and nutritional profile to its dairy counterpart, with 13% protein. Following this, they developed "Stockeld Spread," a cream cheese alternative made from fermented chickpeas and lentils. More recently, the company launched "Melt," cultured plant-based cheddar slices made from fermented pea milk, designed to melt and taste like dairy cheddar. These products are free from common allergens like dairy, soy, and nuts. The company has successfully entered the U.S. market, with its cream cheese featured in over 50 New York City bagel shops and its Melt slices appearing on menus at various burger restaurants.

Keywords: plant-based cheese, food-tech, alternative dairy, vegan cheese, fermented foods, pea protein, fava bean cheese, cream cheese alternative, vegan cheddar, sustainable food, food service supplier, CPG, B2B food, Sorosh Tavakoli, Anja Leissner, legume-based dairy, non-dairy cheese, food innovation, alt-protein, Stockholm startup, plant-based nutrition