Researchers at Imperial College London argue that the repeated commercial failures of microbial protein ventures are not due to technological shortcomings, but rather to issues surrounding consumer psychology, regulation, and market infrastructure. Past failures have been attributed to high operating costs, food shortages, and difficulties in scaling up production. Mycorena, a Swedish mycoprotein company, serves as an example of a promising platform that lost momentum due to high R&D costs and limited access to capital.

A key challenge facing microbial protein companies is consumer acceptance, with many survey respondents expressing neophobia towards fungal protein. The authors suggest that familiarity must be actively built through repeated exposure and sensory reformulation. Additionally, production economics and capital structure pose significant limitations, with greenfield facility construction deemed high-risk and fragmented intellectual property landscapes adding cost pressures. The paper recommends shared infrastructure, public co-funding, and fiscal measures to support the growth of the microbial protein sector, which currently represents 8.2% of the alternative protein market by sales.