The food we need
must be the food we
crave
love
can afford
grow
can access
share
enjoy
can sustain
Purpose
Spora is a global food research center, grounded in experimentation, and dedicated to the pursuit of delicious innovation that can positively impact the lives of millions. Essential foods that the world wants to eat.
Let’s take on critical food system challenges together and change the world through gastronomy.
Who we are
Spora was founded by Rasmus Munk in 2023, as the natural evolution of the creative and disruptive universe at restaurant Alchemist in Copenhagen.
Since opening in 2019, Alchemist has established research collaborations with leading universities and commercial partners by bringing gastronomic and scientific know-how, and above all creativity, to the development of new foods and technologies.
The same approach is the driving force behind Spora, a visionary and multidisciplinary global research center where the search for deliciousness leads technology development, rather than the other way around.
OUR SERVICES
Research & Development
Spora drives and collaborates in R&D programs addressing global challenges where gastronomy-lead, multidisciplinary innovation can unlock food system transformation at scale.
Our R&D program initially focuses on two main areas of research:
- Upcycling of side-streams from the Food & Beverage industries
- Development of delicious and diverse protein sources
We partner in collaborative R&D programs with both industry partners and academia.
Ongoing projects include:
An indulgent alternative to chocolate
Creating a sustainable and delicious chocolate alternative, without using cocoa products, has been a priority in Spora’s innovative approach to upcycling side-streams from the Food & Beverage industries into new foods.
Climate change and demand are putting pressure on sourcing cacao, and the industry is under scrutiny due to working conditions and labor practices. Spora’s delectable chocolate alternative is based on industry side-streams and common ingredients from our pantry. The product is without cacao or cacao butter, but full of flavor.
Climate change and demand are putting pressure on sourcing cacao, and the industry is under scrutiny due to working conditions and labor practices. Spora’s delectable chocolate alternative is based on industry side-streams and common ingredients from our pantry. The product is without cacao or cacao butter, but full of flavor.
Harnessing the flavor of fungi
The traditional Indonesian protein-rich product Oncom is made by fermenting left-over pulp from the production of soy milk with the fungus neurospora intermedia. This served as the inspiration for a project on using the same technique to unlock sugars, amino acids and new flavors in other side-streams.
Neurospora intermedia transforms aromas and flavors in a quite dramatic way, bringing forward fruity and sweet notes. For example, a dessert was made by inoculating rice porridge with this technique at Alchemist as part of a research collaboration with UC Berkeley. Further research will explore the possibilities of creating new foods by inoculating starch-rich waste- and side-streams with neurospora intermedia, creating new tasty and nutritious food sources.
Scientific publications
Spora has, in collaboration with several universities and institutes, published several scientific articles in peer-reviewed papers around the world, covering as varying subjects as bioluminescence and space waste.
OUR SERVICES
Co-Creation
From our vantage point at the cutting edge of gastronomy, we are in a unique position to co-create delicious foods with our partners.
Our unique ability to swiftly transform ideas into innovative products, combined with the discovery of new techniques and ingredients, fills a void in the industry and helps accelerate ideas to products at scale.
To achieve sustainable impact, deliciousness must always come first. Together we can bring the future of food into the present and invent scalable new sources of nourishment.
Creating food from rapeseed
Rapeseed has huge potential as a future source of protein – but the protein-rich press cakes cannot be consumed by humans. Unlocking this resource would create enough protein to sustain 140 million adults yearly.
Rapeseed constitutes 50% of the crude plant protein produced in the EU, but it is not available for human consumption and is mainly used as animal feed. The multidisciplinary project “From feed to food – what does it take to make us eat rapeseed press cake” gathers pre-breeders, sensory evaluation experts, anthropologists from Copenhagen University and culinary researchers from Spora. The project explores how to create delicious foods thanks to the scientific advances in reducing bitterness in the seeds.
Maximizing the catch
In a project initiated by Norwegian fish wholesaler M/S Donna, we upcycled and found new culinary applications for the otherwise discarded tail flap of the Red King Crab. Thereby making it a sought-after ingredient for high-end restaurants.
The Red King Crab is an invasive species, and a valuable catch for local fishermen. But only the legs are used. The crab’s body is discarded and the delicate meat inside the tail flap is discarded as waste. Through cooking experiments and sensory analysis, a culinary application was created and exemplified in a dish at Alchemist. As a result, M/S Donna can now market the tail flap as an interesting new and desirable ingredient for upscale restaurants.
Wildtype Foods
Spora is a culinary development partner for San Francisco-based company Wildtype, a leading pioneer within the production of cultivated seafood.
Get in touch: info@spora.dk
Capabilities
The Spora team is multi-disciplinary, and our capabilities range from gastronomy, science, design, and art to engineering and business. We foster an entrepreneurial mindset of curiosity, collaboration, and flexibility.
We operate in a unique holistic food research environment within a state-of-the-art facility in Copenhagen. The center features purpose-built research kitchen, microbiology lab, and a fully equipped design and sound studio.
Meet the team
Rasmus Munk
Founder
Mette Johnsen
CEO
Emil Døi van Dijk Thorborg
CCO
Christian Bamberger
CFO
Thomas Parry
Research Chef
Juan Agustín Muñoz
Research Chef
Nathalie Hoffmann
HR Manager
Sofie Lisby
Business Development Manager
Theis Brydegaard
Gastronomical Advisor
Rune Sonnichsen
Head of Procurement
Jeanette Hermann
Product Research Manager
Lena Ilkjaer
Head of Communication
Rasmus Bermann
Research Chef
Ryan Rodgers
Research Chef
Jon Angelo Gjetting
Creative Director
Lars Bork Andersen
Head of Sound
Daniela Birgmann
Graphic Designer
Michaela V. Jakobsen
Industrial Designer
Frederik Lund
VFX Artist
Kåre Knudsen
3D Artist
Rasmus Munk
Founder
Mette Johnsen
CEO
Emil Døi van Dijk Thorborg
COO
Christian Bamberger
CFO
Thomas Parry
Research Chef
Juan Agustín Muñoz
Research Chef
Nathalie Hoffmann
HR Manager
Sofie Lisby
Business Development Manager
Theis Brydegaard
Gastronomical Advisor
Rune Sonnichsen
Head of Procurement
Jeanette Hermann
Product Research Manager
Lena Ilkjaer
Head of Communication
Rasmus Bermann
Research Chef
Ryan Rodgers
Research Chef
Jon Angelo Gjetting
Creative Director
Lars Bork Andersen
Head of Sound
Daniela Birgmann
Graphic Designer
Michaela V. Jakobsen
Industrial Designer
Frederik Lund
VFX Artist
Kåre Knudsen
3D Artist
JOIN US
Careers
We seek out passionate individuals, who are curious about foods and innovation, and who share our conviction that the best results are achieved together.
In the Spora team you will become an important contributor to a diverse and integrated team, where we build on trust and dare to challenge each other to learn and accelerate.
Our mindset is inherently practical, and we take a hands-on approach to delivering value to our customers and also to working towards a sustainable future of foods.
Interested in joining Spora? We are eager to learn more about you and what sparks your curiosity! Send your CV and a brief introduction to info@spora.dk
Open Positions:
Change the world through food: Sustainable, Tasty, Affordable, and Appealing Cheeses based on Nordic ingredients (HyCheese)
Spora and University of Copenhagen, Department of Food Science, is offering a position as postdoc for a period of two years starting May 01, 2024. The position is part of the project HyCheese*, a consortia of academic and industry partners aiming to develop and offer healthy, tasty and affordable hybrid cheeses (combining plant materials with dairy), which can help us transition towards more sustainable (while still delicious) everyday foods.
Our values
Collaboration
In Spora your perspective matters. We value diversity of experience and mind, and the ability to both challenge conventions and listen. Holistic thinking and collaboration across disciplines help us push the boundaries of creative development together.
Agility
Curiosity and experimentation are core practices in Spora. We invite you to try new and wacky things, we celebrate your learnings, and we root for you when you pivot and try a new approach. This is how we unlock a world of tangible possibilities and personal growth.
Impact
We care about making a concrete, and significant change at scale in the world that moves us towards a sustainable future. We keep focus on this vision in everything we do by helping customers and partners meet their goals for impact at scale.
Sign up for
Spora Living Lab
This is your chance to taste, smell, touch, be touched, and become part of both the experiment and the solution through arts, gastronomic experiments, training sessions, and symposia at Spora.
