Episode 91: Zintinus: Fabio Ziemssen on the Growth Investor Mindset and the B2B vs. B2C Scale-Up Playbook

In this episode, I sit down with Fabio Ziemssen, Founding Partner at Zintinus, a Berlin-based growth-stage FoodTech fund managing €135 million. Fabio outlines the strict commercial metrics required to secure their €2M to €5M checks, explaining the distinct differences between evaluating B2B ingredient stickiness versus B2C retail velocity. We dive deep into their recent investments, including the Austrian healthy snacking brand NEO (leveraging a massive B2B sugar-replacement play) and Planet A Foods. Most notably, Fabio breaks down why Zintinus invested in KÄÄPÄ Mushrooms, defying the current venture capital exodus from vertical farming by focusing on high-margin functional crops over low-margin commodities like basil.

🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear why Fabio believes there is never a "too early" time to start building a relationship with a growth-stage fund.

Key Facts Zintinus:

Fabio Ziemssen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabio-ziemssen-food-innovation/
Website: https://zintinus.com/
Headquarters: Berlin
Goal: To lead €2M–€5M growth-stage investments in alternative proteins, functional foods, and food waste reduction technologies across Europe and the US.
Milestone: Managing €135M in assets and exclusively deploying capital into startups that have moved beyond the lab and achieved proven commercial traction.

Blurb:

ZINTINUS is a European venture capital fund singularly focused on food system transformation. They invest in Series A–B rounds across four verticals: alternative protein (plant-based, fermentation, cell-based), clean nutrition (functional beverages, free-from products), functional food (personalized nutrition, novel ingredients), and food waste reduction (shelf-life extension, side-stream valorization, data analytics). Their thesis targets scalable models with strong unit economics, and beyond capital, they offer portfolio companies access to deep sector networks and operational expertise.