# Bygg Foods **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/bygg-foods **Vertical:** Food & Beverage **Subcategory:** Food & Beverage **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** getnorsecode.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Petaluma CA upcycled plant protein from brewery spent grain with NORSE CODE powder (barley+pea+rice); ProVeg Incubator alumnus founded 2022 by Smari Organics founder competing with Renewal Mill for sustainable protein CPG. ## Company Overview Bygg Foods is a Petaluma, California-based sustainable food technology company — backed by ProVeg Incubator and early-stage investors — developing upcycled plant-based protein products from spent brewing grain (the malted barley byproduct that craft breweries and large brewers discard after the brewing process), creating a circular economy approach to sustainable protein nutrition. Bygg's flagship product, NORSE CODE protein powder, blends upcycled barley protein (from spent grain) with pea and rice protein to deliver a complete amino acid profile with the environmental benefit of diverting brewery waste from landfill and generating revenue for brewery partners. Founded in 2022 by Smari Asmundsson — previously founder of Smari Organics, an Icelandic-style yogurt brand — Bygg targets the sustainable nutrition, performance supplement, and better-for-you consumer packaged goods market. Bygg's upcycled protein platform addresses the twin problems of spent grain disposal costs for breweries and environmental impact of conventional protein production: the US craft brewing industry (9,000+ breweries) generates approximately 800,000 tons of spent grain annually — a nutrient-rich byproduct containing 25-30% protein that breweries historically pay to dispose of as animal feed or compost. Conventional protein powder production (whey from dairy, soy from agricultural cultivation, pea from field crops) requires significant land, water, and energy inputs — while spent grain protein is produced as a byproduct of an existing process, making its environmental footprint a fraction of purpose-grown protein crops. Bygg's processing technology (extracting and concentrating the spent grain protein into food-grade powder, blending with complementary plant proteins for amino acid completeness) converts a disposal problem into a premium protein ingredient. In 2025, Bygg competes in the sustainable protein, upcycled food ingredients, and sports nutrition market with Arla Foods Ingredients (whey protein for nutrition, $500M+ ingredient revenue), Roquette (pea protein, $5B revenue), and Renewal Mill (upcycled flour, $10M raised) for performance nutrition consumer brand shelf placement and health-conscious consumer adoption of sustainable protein supplements. ProVeg Incubator alumni status connects Bygg with the European alternative protein investor network. Smari Asmundsson's consumer brand building experience (Smari Organics grew to national distribution at Whole Foods) provides CPG retail channel expertise for scaling Bygg's DTC and retail distribution. The 2025 strategy focuses on building brewery partnership agreements for consistent spent grain supply, growing DTC e-commerce through sustainability-focused performance nutrition communities, and expanding the ingredient business (selling spent grain protein concentrate to food manufacturers as a sustainable protein ingredient). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Bygg Foods? Bygg Foods is a sustainable food technology company that creates plant-based protein products from upcycled brewing grain. The company transforms spent barley from beer brewing into high-quality protein powder, reducing food waste while delivering complete nutrition. ### What does NORSE CODE mean? NORSE CODE reflects founder Smari Asmundsson's Icelandic heritage and the Nordic values of resourcefulness, simplicity, and environmental stewardship. The name connects the brand's sustainable mission with its Scandinavian roots. ### Who are Bygg Foods' target customers? Bygg Foods targets health-conscious consumers who prioritize sustainability, including fitness enthusiasts, environmentally-aware millennials and Gen Z, and plant-based diet followers seeking high-quality protein sources. ### When was Bygg Foods founded? Bygg Foods was founded in 2022 by Smari Asmundsson in Petaluma, California, following his previous experience founding and running Smari Organics in the health food industry. ### Where is Bygg Foods based? Bygg Foods is headquartered in Petaluma, California, USA. The company was founded by Icelandic-American entrepreneur Smari Asmundsson, bringing Nordic values to California's vibrant food innovation ecosystem. ### How much funding has Bygg Foods raised? Bygg Foods has raised approximately $244,000 in pre-seed funding, with ProVeg Incubator as an investor. The company also successfully completed a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to launch its products. ### What makes Bygg Foods different from competitors? Bygg Foods differentiates through its upcycling approach, extracting protein from spent brewing grain that would otherwise become waste or animal feed. This creates a more sustainable protein source while delivering complete amino acids through their barley-pea-rice blend. ### Is NORSE CODE protein vegan? Yes, NORSE CODE protein powder is 100% vegan, as well as non-GMO, soy-free, and dairy-free. However, it contains trace amounts of gluten from the barley used in the formula. ### How does the upcycling process work? Bygg Foods dehydrates and extracts proteins from leftover barley in the beer brewing process. These amino acids are then combined with pea and rice proteins to create a complete amino acid profile in their proprietary NORSE CODE protein powder. ### What are Bygg Foods' future plans? Bygg Foods plans to introduce additional flavors beyond chocolate and vanilla, and is exploring development of other products outside of protein powder. The company aims to expand its upcycled product line while growing distribution channels. ## Tags b2b2c, b2c, manufacturing, agriculture --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*