Emerging Food Market: Venture Capitalist Oyster Bay Launches New €100 Million Fund
Hamburg, Germany, 11 November 2025
Hamburg-based venture capitalist Oyster Bay announces the final closing of its second fund. With a volume of over €100 million, it ranks among the largest European venture capital funds exclusively dedicated to the future food market. The fund was significantly oversubscribed, with investors such as the European Investment Fund (EIF) and KfW participating.
The food sector is the largest industry in the world: $10 trillion in revenue, 12% of global GDP and 40% of the global workforce. At the same time, it generates roughly a third of global emissions and drives water scarcity and biodiversity loss. Yet, only 8% of climate-related venture investments currently flow into food and agri-tech. The investment gap is as huge as the untapped potential within the sector.
Christoph Miller, Founder and Managing Partner of Oyster Bay, said: “Food has so far been seen in venture capital mainly as a short-lived trend investment, which is wrong. Nutrition is the most underestimated future challenge of our society and through our investments, we aim to find solutions to its complex problems.”
Oyster Bay has already proven that this approach can be economically successful. Fund I ranked among the top 10% of all European VC funds. The portfolio already included successful companies such as Oatly, AirUp, True Gum and GoodBytz. Fund II follows the same principle: investing entrepreneurially, combining return with impact and supporting founders who drive the transformation of the global food system.
Felix Leonhardt, Managing Partner of Oyster Bay, said: “We are not traditional financial investors, but entrepreneurs with a successful track record. Less than 0.1% of startups that apply to Oyster Bay make it into the portfolio, our involvement is a seal of quality. Only the very best are in our portfolio, those whose solutions sustainably improve the food system.”
Large food corporations are facing enormous challenges in their supply chains. Startups developing new solutions along the value chain. From sustainable raw materials to alternative proteins to data-driven supply chains are therefore gaining significant importance.
Christoph Miller added: “It is in the supply chains that the success of the transformation is decided. Efficient, transparent and resilient structures are the foundation of any sustainable food economy.” Oyster Bay sees enormous opportunities in this area: traceability technologies, AI-based demand planning and solutions for resilient supply chains are becoming central economic foundations.
THE FOUNDERS Oyster Bay!
Oyster Bay was founded by Christoph Miller and Felix Leonhardt. Both are entrepreneurs themselves: Miller has more than 30 years of experience in the food sector and built Columbus Drinks, while Leonhardt founded and invested early in sustainable food products.
Their dual experience as founders and as investors shapes Oyster Bay’s style: Hanseatic, clear and reliable. “We invest from experience and support our startups as entrepreneurial partners. From the idea to the exit: For food startups that want to make a difference in line with our philosophy, it matters that we are on board.”
HOW OYSTER BAY INVESTS ?
Oyster Bay’s investment philosophy centers on Food and Agri-Tech ventures with a clearly measurable impact, reflecting the firm’s belief that innovation in these sectors is both urgent and underfunded. Fund II, with a total volume exceeding €100 million, is structured as a 10-year fund targeting around 20 strategic investments.
The firm is known for its extreme selectivity, fewer than 0.1% of screened startups receive investment approval. Rather than chasing hype cycles, Oyster Bay prioritizes founder quality over product novelty and emphasizes strong unit economics as a foundation for long-term success.
Current examples from its portfolio include Harvest robotics (Eternal), cocoa alternatives (Nukoko), digital supply chains (Abeya) and kitchen robotics (GoodBytz) ventures that embody the firm’s blend of impact, innovation and entrepreneurial precision.
The Future of Oyster Bay: Investing where impact meets innovation in the global food ecosystem.
As Oyster Bay enters its next phase with Fund II, the firm is positioned to become one of Europe’s most influential forces in sustainable food innovation. By combining deep operational experience with a selective, data-driven investment approach, Oyster Bay is not only backing category-defining startups but also shaping how capital drives transformation in the global food system.
Its next decade will likely see an acceleration of technologies that reimagine how food is grown, produced and distributed. Oyster Bay aims to ensure that this transformation is both profitable and planet-positive. For the Hamburg-based firm, the mission goes beyond funding; it’s about engineering the future of food.
ABOUT OYSTER BAY: Oyster Bay is Germany’s first specialized food VC. From Hamburg, the team invests in startups that simultaneously transform food, climate and supply chains, applying Oyster Bay’s entrepreneurial perspective, Hanseatic clarity and global outlook. Fund I ranks among the top 10% of all European funds and Fund II continues this trajectory with over €100 million.