New Originals Company
tofu beans

All signs point to growth

Alfa Bio brings new investors on board and becomes the heart of a European family of like-minded companies

Banská Bystrica, February 16, 2024 – Alfa Bio, the company behind the well-known Lunter brand and a long-standing family-owned company, is setting the course for greater scalability, new growth, and innovation in the European market for natural plant-based protein foods. Together with NLT, owned by Alfa Bio’s management, and Raiffeisen Beteiligungsholding, it is establishing the Vienna-based New Originals Company GmbH. The goal is to become a leading European company for tofu and other related vegan plant-based foods.

The initiators of this partnership, CEO Matthias Krön and CFO Peter Garherr, are experienced managers who jointly founded Mona Naturprodukte, the company behind the Joya brand and now the second-largest plant-based milk producer in Europe. Juraj Lunter, the former CEO of Alfa Bio, expanded its business from Slovakia to the Visegrád Group (V4) countries and multiplied the company’s size, will serve as Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO). Garherr and Lunter previously held the same positions at Alfa Bio, while Krön served as Chief Commercial Officer. The latter will remain President and Chairman of Donau Soja. Donau Soja is a European, non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization that aims to contribute to the transition to protein-rich diets in Europe, with a particular focus on non-GMO soy production. Igor Čajko, who served as interim CEO at Alfa Bio, will take on a key new role in the group’s strategic business development.

Over its more than 30-year history, Alfa Bio’s development has been characterized by continuous growth and innovation. Founded as a family business in a humble basement, the company has grown into a thriving operation with modern production facilities and a team of 350 employees. Alfa Bio has experienced exceptional growth averaging 30% in recent years, while always maintaining its commitment to quality and innovation.

Alfa Bio’s vision remains unchanged: to contribute to positive changes in eating habits and the preservation of our planet, addressing environmental and health crises by promoting plant-based foods. To pursue this vision and spread it even further across the region, Alfa Bio and its owners have decided to take the initiative to build a European tofu company and become an integrator, placing Slovakia at the center of a larger corporate group. The new company and all owners are committed to fostering Lunter’s current workplace culture and brand values. Importantly, the new company is committed to investing significantly in the Banská Bystrica production site with sustainable and innovative production technologies, as well as in research and development (R&D). This is crucial for the Lunter family and all new owners, as it will lead to the creation of high-value jobs in the region, further strengthen the company’s position in Slovakia, and place the country firmly on Europe’s “protein map.”

CEO Matthias Krön emphasizes the legacy of the new group:

"Our founder Jan Lunter's vision of promoting a healthy life based on wholesome nutrition and the company's family-oriented approach will guide us on our path to creating an exceptional European company with its heart in Banská Bystrica."

Juraj Lunter, CMO, says:

"My father founded Alfa Bio with the conviction that Slovaks' eating habits needed to change. With determination, we therefore developed innovative tofu flavors and gradually automated the production process. This enabled us to gradually expand into the European market, where we became a leading tofu provider. Now we are opening a new chapter."

Igor Čajko adds:

"Although the introduction of tofu in Central Slovakia was unusual over 30 years ago, the Lunter family founded Alfa Bio, which became the leading tofu producer in Europe. Today, we want to continue growing and spread our vision nationwide to positively impact the lives of more consumers, just as Jan defined it decades ago,"

About Alfa Bio:
Alfa Bio s.r.o., founded and based in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, specializes in the production of healthy vegan products using high-quality local ingredients and traditional methods. Under the LUNTER brand, the product range includes tofu, plant-based spreads, ready meals, and much more, all free from artificial additives and preservatives. In its more than 30-year history, Alfa Bio has consistently focused on quality and innovation, growing into a thriving company that now operates in 29 markets. Since its beginnings as a family business in a humble basement, Alfa Bio’s mission has been to contribute to the well-being of people and the planet by producing honest, high-quality, and affordable plant-based foods for everyone.