MicroHarvest wins 2026 Hamburger Gründerpreis

The 25th annual Hamburger Gründerpreis has been awarded to several entrepreneurs in Hamburg, Germany. The ceremony, held at the Fischauktionshalle, recognizes excellence in the categories of startup, rising star, and lifetime achievement.

MicroHarvest, a biotech scale-up founded in 2021 by Katelijne Bekers, Luisa Cruz, and Jonathan Roberz, won the startup award. The company utilizes biomass fermentation to produce protein powder from microorganisms and agricultural by-products, offering a method that requires significantly less water and land than traditional animal husbandry. The company is currently working toward an industrial facility in Saxony-Anhalt with a target capacity of 15,000 tons per year by 2028.

Other winners include the rail infrastructure company Willke in the rising star category, and raw coffee trader Michael R. Neumann, founder of the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, for his lifetime achievement. The awards are presented annually by the Hamburger Sparkasse, Hamburger Abendblatt, Chamber of Skilled Crafts, and Chamber of Commerce.