PINC, the venture arm of international food company Paulig, has led a €2.73 million investment round in Swedish AgriTech innovator BlueRedGold, alongside The Food Tech Lab and PolarVentures.
The funding will accelerate the company’s development of the world’s first scalable indoor saffron cultivation system, enabled by advanced robotics and AI.
The investment marks a significant step in Paulig’s ambition to shape the future of food and reinforce its leadership in sustainability, while supporting PINC’s role in backing bold FoodTech solutions with global relevance.
Strategic fit for Paulig’s flavour expertise and sustainability drive
Erika Hombert, senior investment manager at PINC, says: “Saffron is one of the most culturally significant and economically valuable spices on the planet, but its production is fragile, inconsistent, and facing growing sustainability challenges.
“BlueRedGold’s approach brings automation, predictability, and quality to a supply chain we know well – offering a complimentary path forward for future production.
As part of Paulig’s long-term commitment to drive sustainable innovation, PINC seeks startups that push boundaries in agricultural technology, ingredient innovation, and resilient supply models.
BlueRedGold exemplifies this strategy with a solution that not only meets commercial demands, but does so in a sustainable and responsible way.
A blueprint for scalable saffron cultivation
BlueRedGold’s system replicates ideal growing conditions indoors, enabling multiple cultivation cycles per year and automating the intricate processes of saffron flower picking and stigma separation.
The funding will be used to construct a first-of-its-kind blueprint facility – a modular plant designed for profitability from the start.
Hombert says: “This isn’t just a pilot – it’s a blueprint we can multiply globally.
“Demand is already there – not just from food producers, but from the rapidly expanding medical and nutraceutical segments. We’re focused on meeting that need with quality, consistency, and scale.”
Industry appetite confirms relevance
With more than several tonnes of saffron requested already by the nutraceutical, food, and cosmetics industries, BlueRedGold’s market traction underscores the opportunity in reshaping saffron supply.
As a market leader in the spice category with its Santa Maria brand, Paulig is committed to delivering the highest quality saffron, meeting the expectations of customers and consumers who value its distinctive flavour and vibrant colour.
Saffron is used in a wide range of recipes such as fish dishes, paella and the famous saffron buns in Sweden during St. Lucia Day.
Building a sustainable, profitable future
For BlueRedGold CEO Nastaran Baleng-Soultani, the partnership with PINC and Paulig goes far beyond capital.
Baleng-Soultani says: “We’re extremely excited to be supported by this strategic investor consortium. Working with PINC means partnering with a team who deeply understands food, flavour, and the dynamics of supply.
“Their strategic insights and global reach through Paulig are incredibly valuable as we take this next step.
“This investment enables us to scale production and start fulfilling the unmet demand we see worldwide – with quality and reliability at the core.”
Supporting this next phase of growth, Andrei Boulescu has recently joined BlueRedGold as CTO and head of automation and production.
A seasoned expert in AI-driven automation and scaling complex production systems, Boulescu brings experience from global leaders including Huawei, Airbus, and Innotek.
He joins the existing A-list team composed of seasoned entrepreneur and CEO Nastaran Baleng-Soultani and visionary founder and Chief Innovation Officer Mikael Öhman.
Together with a strong support ecosystem of partners and advisors, they are well positioned to reinforce the company’s ambition to build a robust, efficient, and globally replicable cultivation platform.
