Over the past two years, you may have known us as LegenDairy Foods, a biotechnology company who uses precision fermentation to create sustainable dairy products from microorganisms.

But from today you’ll be seeing a different side to us — a new name, a beautiful logo, mouthwatering imagery — because today marks the start of the exciting next chapter in our story.

We’re now Formo — the future dairy from Berlin.

As a team, we have always shared an amazing ambition and understanding of what we want to achieve — to bring irresistible change to the food system; to create sustainable products people will fall in love with; to marry our belief in great science to solve important problems, with our insatiable appetites — but to create the change we desire, we have to be able to share that vision as clearly and confidently outwards as inwards.

We want cheese-lovers everywhere to champion what we’re trying to do, to become a part of our cause.

...confronting ourselves as a team to shape a new shared narrative which embodies the spirit and strategy of the business.

The rebranding process is about more than just picking new fonts: it has been about re-engaging with the essence of who we truly are; why we’re here; what bonds us so closely together; and what that means for finding our own place in the world.

For the last few months we’ve been working as a team with creative studio forpeople in Amsterdam to reach the sharp end of these questions.

It has meant grappling and dissecting; tough conversations and tougher decisions; confronting ourselves as a team to shape a new shared narrative which embodies the spirit and strategy of the business. 

We’ve set ourselves a mission: to bring the future of food to life through science, cheese, and conversation. 

It’s our goal to bring about much-needed change in a food system out-of-balance; to champion new approaches to making delicious dairy products through a mix of science and tradition; and to involve people everywhere in the question of “what should our food system look like going forward?”

We made sense of the behaviours we all share, which guide how we act as a team and as individuals (from choosing a name, to choosing a flask!), these are the DNA of Formo:

We Live the Science — embracing the positive possibilities of scientific practice and advanced technology in dairy.

We Remix the Heritage— finding new ways to celebrate the tradition of millenia of cheese-makers.

We Show Love to The World— demonstrating best practice in responsible food-making and business practices.

We Evolve Without Fear— challenging convention and approaching the future with courage and confidence.

The challenge then became to create a kit of parts which helped us to express this DNA with clarity and poise, each element measured and tested against these ideas.

Take our name, Formo, for example: It’s the latin translation of ‘i mold, i form’.

When the Romans expanded their connections in Europe and beyond, their soft caseus didn’t travel well, so they set about innovating to create a new format of cheese which would hold its taste and flavour. They called this new cheese formaticum — meaning formed.

To us, the name Formo represents the millennia of cheese-making heritage, the science of dairy innovation, sharing and demonstrating ideas to the world, and boldly pushing into new territory.

We carried this DNA throughout every detail of our visual identity, mixing ideas of science and tradition with honesty and courage.

Our stamps are riffs on the artisan markings on Parmigiano-Reggiano wheels; our colours are derived from different blends of cheese, and lab microscopy; our photography looks to accentuate the excitement of scientific discovery, as well as the creamy indulgence of beautiful animal-free dairy.

So yes, you might see us looking a little different — moving around Berlin with our black jumpers promising a mellow, creamy, oozing, crumbling future of animal-free dairy — but for us the rebrand means reconnecting to who we were all along , and giving ourselves the best footing to take the next big step in the Formo journey.

Our founders Raffael Wohlgensinger and Dr. Britta Winterberg share the story of why and how LegenDairy Foods decided to rebrand to Formo.

From our Founders

A Note From our Founders

Cultivated cheese company LegenDairy Foods rebrands as Formo.

Leader in European precision fermentation launches consumer-facing brand
•
Growing team of experienced scientists and business executives
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New website live now

Berlin, April 21, 2021 – Cultivated dairy company Legendairy Foods today announces its rebranding to Formo as a consumer-facing brand, at the forefront of the future of cultivated dairy. Formo is the leading European player in the precision fermentation space, focusing on animal-free dairy products. 

With the new brand, Formo will bring the future of food to life through science, cheese, and conversation. Formo is the Latin word for ‘I mold, I form’ and the historical origin of the word is closely connected to the tradition of the ancient Romans improving cheese through new technology. The new website of Formo, on which the company also introduces its growing team of scientists and business executives, can be found here.

Formo uses microorganisms instead of cows to produce their animal-free milk proteins. Initially, selected microorganisms are encoded with milk protein DNA sequences. These cells then grow in a fermenter until enough protein has been produced to be harvested. The milk proteins are then combined with plant-based fats and carbohydrates to create the base for the cheesemaking process. In the traditional way, fermentation, enzymes, or heat are then used to coagulate the product into curd. From there, the Formo artisans can cover the whole spectrum of cheeses. The product can be packaged right away as fresh cheese, or ripened to create strong, unique flavors.

“We started with LegenDairy Foods as a brand to establish ourselves in the precision fermentation space. With the best talent on board and our first validated prototypes, it is the right time for us to launch a protectable consumer brand. Our new brand communicates our vision and values: changing the food system through delicious animal-free products”, said Raffael Wohlgensinger, Formo founder and CEO.

“Our team wants to make the best of European cheese culture enjoyable to the whole world. We pioneer new ways of making the hedonistic cheese products we all love, but with better, more sustainable technology and a good conscience. Formo represents our ambition to remix the heritage by combining tradition with breakthrough science.”, said Dr. Britta Winterberg, Formo founder and CSO.

Alongside the rebranding, the company is working towards bringing the first products to the consumer. Later this year, Formo is planning to host an exclusive product demonstration event in collaboration with a Michelin star chef. In addition, the team is going to release a consumer acceptance study on cultivated dairy products in the near future.

“After 6 months of close collaboration with creative studio forpeople in Amsterdam, we feel like we have nailed a name and identity that is distinctive, memorable, and most importantly adaptable”, said Roman Plewka, Formo CFO. “We identify ourselves as a purpose-driven company, and the Formo brand allows us to move beyond traditional dairy in the future as well.”

Forpeople Creative Director Patrick Niall says, “The concept at the heart of the identity is the heritage of innovation and evolution in cheesemaking. From the name Formo to the stamps and symbols from artisanal craftsmen, the strategy was to identify a language to celebrate the next evolution of deliciously high-tech dairy.”

About Formo
Formo is a food biotech company on a mission to bring the next generation of sustainable, healthy, and equitable dairy products to consumers. Formo, formerly known as LegenDairy Foods, is Europe's first cellular agriculture company developing cultivated dairy products - that is dairy which is based on real, animal-free milk proteins produced using precision fermentation. The startup was founded by Raffael Wohlgensinger and Dr. Britta Winterberg to create a more sustainable and ethical food system where change is not initiated through consumer sacrifice but rather through hedonistic products that are deliciously high-tech.

For more information and interview requests, please contact:
press@formo.bio
+49 176 66880458
High-Resolution Images are available in Formo’s press kit here

Cultivated Cheese Company LegenDairy Foods Rebrands as Formo

Meet Formo

We've rebranded, meet Formo.

Formo is a food biotech company on a mission to bring the next generation of sustainable, healthy, and equitable dairy products to consumers.

Formo, formerly known as LegenDairy Foods, is Europe's first cellular agriculture company developing cultivated dairy products - that is dairy which is based on real, animal-free milk proteins produced using precision fermentation.

The startup was founded by Raffael Wohlgensinger and Dr. Britta Winterberg to create a more sustainable and ethical food system where change is not initiated through consumer sacrifice but rather through hedonistic products that are deliciously high-tech.

Press Kit

About us

Latest news

A Note From our Founders

We've rebranded, meet Formo.

Downloads

Formo Press Release 21–04–2021

Brand Elements (.zip)

Team Photography (.zip)

Product and Process Photography (.zip)

Product and Process Animations (.zip)

Contacts

Press: