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.
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.
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:
We partner in collaborative R&D programs with both industry partners and academia.
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.
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
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.
Founder
CEO
CCO
CSO
CFO
Research Chef
Head of Gastronomic Development
Research Chef
PostDoc
Student Assistant
HR Manager
Gastronomical Advisor
Product Research Manager
Business Development Manager
Head of Communication
Research Chef
Research Chef
Director of Music & Sound Design
Art Director & Designer
Creative Director
VFX Artist
3D Artist
Industrial Designer
Founder
CEO
COO
CSO
CFO
Research Chef
Head of Gastronomic Development
PostDoc
Research Chef
Student Assistant
HR Manager
Business Development Manager
Gastronomical Advisor
Product Research Manager
Head of Communication
Research Chef
Research Chef
Creative Director
Director of Music & Sound Design
Art Director & Designer
Industrial Designer
VFX Artist
3D Artist
JOIN US
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stay updated on our projects on @sporacph