Phyto Foods

Phyto Foods develops a modular, controlled cultivation platform for water lentils (Lemna) to produce scalable, resource-efficient protein ingredients. The company’s approach centers on indoor, non-seasonal production in stacked aquatic systems where light, nutrients, water flow, and harvest timing are monitored and optimized to steer biomass composition, protein concentration, and overall productivity. Rather than relying on open-field agriculture, Phyto Foods emphasizes automation, spatial efficiency, and replicable modular architecture to make protein production more locally deployable and less dependent on climate, geography, or land constraints. The company’s future product streams include protein-rich ingredients for food and nutrition, fermentation feedstock and bio-based materials for biotechnology, and plant-derived functional ingredients and bioactives for health and personal care applications. Phyto Foods was founded by two brothers: Teun Ververs, who leads strategy and regulatory work, and Joep Ververs, who focuses on engineering and operations. Their mission is to build scalable protein infrastructure powered by water lentils, with in-house system design, integration, and validation supporting long-term commercialization and regulatory readiness.