Key facts
- Elian has secured €40 million in investment from Spain's COFIDES.
- COFIDES becomes a minority shareholder in Elian.
- The investment will be used to consolidate Elian's plant-based protein production facility in Barcelona.
- Elian's project aims to make Barcelona a key hub for plant-based protein production in Europe.
- The facility is expected to reach 90,000 square meters and add over 100,000 annual tonnes of production capacity.
- Elian generated €400 million in revenue in 2025.
Agribusiness company Elian has secured a €40 million investment from the Spanish Development Financing Company (COFIDES), which will become a minority shareholder. The funds are earmarked to consolidate and grow Elian's plant-based protein production facility at the Port of Barcelona, aiming to establish the city as a key European hub for such products.
The investment, structured through COFIDES' Co-investment Fund (FOCO), is part of Elian's broader plan to invest over €300 million in the Barcelona facility. This expansion, scheduled for completion in early 2028, is expected to increase production capacity for protein derivatives for human food and animal feed by more than 100,000 annual tonnes, bringing the total to over 770,000 tonnes. The facility will expand to 90,000 square meters.
Elian, founded in 2021 and part of the Viserion International group, acquired a soybean crushing plant in the Port of Barcelona in 2023. The company emphasizes its commitment to sustainability, with a hydrocarbon-free processing technology and efforts to promote non-GMO soybean cultivation in Catalonia and Aragon. Elian reported €400 million in revenue in 2025 and employs 90 people.
This public-private partnership is seen as a strategic move to reduce Europe's reliance on imported protein ingredients and enhance food sovereignty. The project has also received support from ACCIÓ, the business competitiveness agency of the Department of Business and Labour, with a grant of €2.25 million.