Berlin, January 22, 2026 – YPOG provided comprehensive legal advice to FoodLabs on structuring its third venture capital fund. The fund was closed with a volume of over EUR 105 million.
FoodLabs is a European early-stage investor and venture studio specializing in investments in the areas of food, health, and sustainability. Its approach combines venture capital with active venture building and a strong industrial network. Investments are made along the entire value chain of the food industry – in particular in technologies, infrastructure, and scalable business models that efficiently bring innovation from research to market.
FoodLabs is further expanding this approach with its third fund. The fund is supported by strategic industry partners such as Rewe Group, Henkel, and Bitburger Holding, among others, and addresses topics such as agritechnological applications, industrial automation, new production and processing technologies, and market-ready solutions in the field of nutrition and health.
YPOG supported FoodLabs in particular with the structuring of the fund, including the design of the fund and management structure and the implementation of regulatory requirements.
"For initiators that combine venture capital and industrial co-investors with venture building, the structuring is significantly more complex than for traditional VC funds. The aim is to balance economic interests, governance structures, and regulatory requirements in such a way that they enable long-term growth while reflecting the strategic added value of industrial partners. FoodLabs has a very clear and professional approach here, which we were happy to support in structuring the third fund," says Jens Kretzschmann, partner at YPOG.
YPOG has already advised FoodLabs in the past on fund-related and structuring law issues.
About FoodLabs
FoodLabs is an early-stage venture capital fund and venture studio rooted in Europe, with a growing international presence. FoodLabs partners with founders to help turn scientific breakthroughs into industrially viable companies that contribute to a more resilient, secure, and healthy food system.
The team invests across the food value chain, combining early-stage capital with hands-on operational support from molecule to market. Founded in 2016, FoodLabs has supported more than 90 early-stage ventures, working alongside founders to navigate technical, regulatory, and operational complexity early.
Team
Jens Kretzschmann (Lead, Funds), Partner, Berlin
Michael Blank (Funds), Associated Partner, Berlin
Johannes Gehring (Funds), Associate, Berlin
Alina Shchukina (Funds), Legal Project Manager, Berlin
Contact
About us
YPOG stands for You + Partners of Gamechangers – forward-thinking legal and tax advice. Supporting companies that are focused on emerging technologies, YPOG embraces change as an opportunity to develop cutting-edge solutions. The YPOG team offers comprehensive expertise in the areas of Funds, Tax, Transactions, Corporate, Banking, Regulatory + Finance, IP/IT/Data Protection, Litigation, and Corporate Crime + Compliance + Investigations. YPOG is one of the leading law firms in Germany for venture capital, private equity, fund structuring, and the implementation of distributed ledger technology (DLT) in financial services. Both the firm and its partners are regularly recognized by renowned national and international publications such as JUVE, Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Leaders League, and Legal 500. YPOG is home to more than 180 experienced attorneys, tax advisors and tax specialists as well as a notary, working across offices in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Cambridge and London.
Further information: www.ypog.law/en/ and www.linkedin.com/company/ypog