BRAINR raises record €11m to drive digital transformation in food manufacturing

Paulo Gaspar, CEO and co-founder of BRAINR

Portuguese startup BRAINR has secured a record-breaking €11 million seed round to accelerate the digitalisation of food manufacturing, marking the largest global seed investment in the sector to date. The round was led by C2 Capital Partners.

Founded in 2023 by veterans of the meat industry, BRAINR has developed a cloud-based manufacturing execution system (MES) designed to address one of the food industry’s most persistent challenges: its reliance on manual processes, paper-based records, and spreadsheets. Such outdated methods often contribute to waste, poor traceability, and food safety risks.

BRAINR’s platform integrates factory operations in real time, supporting operators, improving traceability, and reducing errors. Already deployed across 25 per cent of Portugal’s meat production, the system has demonstrated significant impact:

• Campoaves reported a 94% reduction in shipping errors and achieved 100% digital traceability.
• Avisabor scaled daily throughput from 40,000 to 190,000 birds while halving inventory time.
• Comave achieved full IFS certification in record time with end-to-end digital traceability.

Chief Executive and co-founder Paulo Gaspar said the funding will accelerate research and development, with artificial intelligence set to play a central role.

“This historic investment will make AI accessible across the food industry — from the smallest plant to the largest,” he commented. “Our mission is to build the digital brain for every food factory.”

BRAINR has gained international recognition, being named among EUROPA’s 100 most promising European startups and earning accolades from Manufacturing Tech Insights, StartUs Insights and Food4Future. The company, currently a 24-person team, now plans to expand internationally and extend its solutions beyond meat processing into bakery, confectionery, beverages and other food segments.

André Oliveira, Managing Partner at C2 Capital Partners, said:

“BRAINR has assembled a uniquely experienced team with deep sector knowledge. They are proving they can simplify and optimise operations for food manufacturer everywhere.”

 

With its combination of cloud-native architecture, built-in AI, and plug-and-play compatibility with existing production equipment, BRAINR is positioning itself as a technology partner for a sector under increasing pressure to boost efficiency, reduce waste, and improve food safety standards.