About ── A Gastronomic Innovation Center

Makeat is an innovation, design and product development studio focused on the gastronomic ecosystem. Based in Barcelona, we work at the intersection of thinking, making and experiencing, designing projects that transform ideas into systems, tools and experiences with real impact.

 

We understand gastronomy as a complex, living system where creativity, innovation, science, strategy, operations, technology and emotion coexist. Our work moves between analysis and creation, combining consultancy and design as two complementary ways of approaching the same challenge: understanding reality in depth in order to transform it with purpose.

 

Through Consultancy, we analyse contexts, processes and behaviours to define clear frameworks for decision-making, innovation and growth, and activate this knowledge through workshops, talks and tailored learning formats, designed to share methodology, align teams and open new perspectives. Through Design, we translate those frameworks into tangible solutions (products, tools, devices and experiences) where form, function and narrative are inseparable.

 

We work with materials, technology, processes and people. We collaborate with brands, operators and professionals from food, drinks, science, design and business, acting as a bridge between innovation and real use. From this way of thinking and making, initiatives like Tools by Makeat naturally emerge, expanding the possibilities of gastronomic design through creative tooling.

 

At Makeat, every project is an opportunity to explore new languages, question conventions and design with intention. We think through every detail, every texture, shape, scent and flavour, because we believe that meaningful impact happens when ideas are not only imagined, but carefully built.

| Our Methodologies

At the core of our work are the methodologies that guide how we think and how we build. Food Thinking allows us to approach gastronomy as a living system, connecting culture, context, technique, experience, science, innovation and creativity to develop projects with depth and meaning. FAC.U² structures the journey from analysis to creation, helping us turn understanding into action with clarity and coherence. Together, these methodologies are embedded in every project we develop at Makeat, across both consultancy and design, ensuring that ideas are not only creative, but also solid, intentional and executable.

A02 ── Team
| Juan Umbert
Co-Founder & CEO
| Adrià Colominas
Co-Founder & CTO
| Víctor Echevarria
Head of Strategy
| Alicia Cusco
External Consultant - Catao
| Carlos Clemente
Project Manager
| Pol Bernat
Conceptual Designer
| Chema Ortolano
Head of Consultancy & R&D
| Maria Rodríguez
Head of Communications
| Mariona Prats
Head of Production
| Alex Lahuerta
Creative Designer
| Lucie Levrard
Production Doer
| Samuel Colominas
Graphic Designer
| Marta Florido
Product Designer
| Manuel Mur
Senior Designer
| Javi Albo
Administrative Officer
| Ana de Sousa
A02 ── Our ecosystem

Lasarte | Disfrutar | SIPS |  Macallan | Aethos Mallorca | America’s Cup | Azurmendi | Bellus | Bombay Shapphire | Dewars | Salmón Gurú | Grosvenor House JW Marriot Hotel | Jumpers | Levi’s | Mo Barcelona | Rocambolesc | Moet & Chandon | NeoSpot | Popitas | Bacardi | Lluc Crusellas | Carles Codina (Four Seasons Madrid) | Welbilt | Paradiso | Grupo Esencia | Le Tribute | Miquel Guarro | Hofmann | Mamzel Marbella | Mr. Porter |

THINKERSFOOD UNIVERSE
Bellus ODS Niwsion

Solid Fermentation Research

| Project info

[R&D Project]

Designing new protein systems through applied research

Makeat collaborated with ODS on a research and experimentation project focused on solid-state fermentation as an alternative pathway for developing fungal protein from industrial by-products. The objective was to explore and validate a system capable of generating protein without relying on traditional liquid fermentation tanks, opening new possibilities in terms of scalability, efficiency and resource use.

From a consultancy perspective, the project was approached as a deep investigation into the behaviour of ingredients and processes. The work began with an in-depth analysis of the composition of different raw materials, studying what each ingredient contributes to the final result in terms of structure, nutrition and performance within a solid fermentation context.

 

Based on this understanding, multiple combinations of ingredients were developed and processed through different techniques. This experimental phase resulted in a matrix of more than 200 trials, allowing the team to systematically observe patterns, interactions and outcomes across variables. Rather than seeking immediate conclusions, the focus was on generating knowledge and identifying meaningful correlations.

|

The analysis of this extensive experimentation led to the identification of a set of highly relevant variables, providing the foundations to define and close the first phase of development. These insights established a clear direction for future iterations, optimisation and potential scaling of the system.

 

This project reflects Makeat’s approach to consultancy in R&D contexts: structuring research as a decision-making tool, transforming experimentation into knowledge, and building frameworks that allow innovation to progress with clarity and intent.

| Credits
PHOTOS
· ODS
Careers at Makeat BCN

We work with chefs, brands, and innovators around the world to turn imagination into matter — and we’re always looking for curious, restless minds to join us.

 

We value thinkers who build and makers who think. People who are comfortable with ambiguity, who see both code and cuisine as creative tools.

gestion@makeat.tech
makeat@contact.com

Carrer Ramon Turro, 5,
Barcelona, Spain 08005
+34 646 044 137

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MAKEAT 2026 - All rights reserved