European Business: Dr. Molina-Höppner, could you share a bit about your background and your role at Sunbloom? 

Adriana Molina-Höppner: I joined Sunbloom in September last year as Head of Sales. It’s an exciting time because the company is growing fast. I built my team to focus on our main markets, with colleagues responsible for Germany, the French-speaking markets, and Benelux. Before Sunbloom, I worked for various companies in the food ingredients sector, always driven by the idea of creating healthier and more sustainable solutions for consumers.

European Business: Sunbloom has a relatively young history. How did it all start?

Adriana Molina-Höppner: Indeed, we are a young company. Sunbloom was founded in 2017 as a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV near Munich. The idea was to commercialize Fraunhofer’s patented technology for extracting proteins from sunflower seeds. In 2023, Sunbloom was acquired by Avril, 5th largest agri-food group in France, industrial and financial leader in the French vegetable oil and protein sector. Avril saw the potential to expand beyond oils and into plant proteins, aligning perfectly with its strategy to use crops fully and sustainably. 

European Business: What makes sunflower protein so unique compared to other plant-based proteins? 

Adriana Molina-Höppner: Sunflower protein has several benefits. Firstly, its taste is very neutral to mild with a slightly nutty note, which is a big advantage. Other plant proteins often have a strong off-taste that formulators need to mask. With sunflower, you can use higher dosages without compromising flavour.
Secondly, it has excellent functional properties. For example, it creates stable foams, making it ideal for barista-style milk alternatives where you need a perfect cappuccino foam. It also works well as an emulsifier in vegan mayonnaise or pâté, and provides a smooth texture in spreads.
Nutritionally, it offers a good amino acid profile. Although it is slightly lower in lysine, it combines perfectly with legumes like pea protein to create a balanced formulation for sports nutrition, meal replacement shakes, or high-protein desserts.

European Business: Where are your raw materials sourced, and how is production organized?

Adriana Molina-Höppner: Our sunflower seeds come from Bulgaria, so everything is European sourced. Production is based in our plant in Hungary, ensuring short transport distances and supporting local agriculture. In addition, sunflower is free from common allergens and is not genetically modified, which is another plus for clean-label products.

European Business: How do you position yourself in the market, and what are your main business areas? 

Adriana Molina-Höppner: We see three core areas for our protein: nutrition (such as shakes or sports products), savoury applications (like vegan spreads and sauces), and milk alternatives and desserts. Currently, our biggest challenge is market penetration. Sunflower protein is still relatively unknown compared to soy or pea. No one asks specifically for sunflower protein yet, so our work involves educating customers about its benefits.

European Business: Finally, what makes working at Sunbloom special for you? 

Adriana Molina-Höppner: It’s a very international and young team. I am actually the oldest at 53; most colleagues are 10 to 20 years younger. In our Munich office alone, we have team members from Germany, Hungary, Mexico, France and Belgium. And the most important hiring criterion? That people love to eat. We always try everything we develop, and that’s part of the joy of working here – creating food that is not only healthy and sustainable but also simply tastes good.