Silvan Leibacher is a Swiss entrepreneur with a passion for sustainable food innovation. He is the co-founder of Leibacher Biber-Manufaktur, which handcrafts traditional Swiss Biber pastries, and of EggField, a company that develops plant-based egg alternatives for the food industry. His goal is to make the food sector more environmentally friendly while maintaining the highest standards of quality.
Success Without the Egg
“Thanks to the support from Ahead, our intellectual property is optimally protected – a key foundation for our growth.”
Silvan Leibacher, Founder & CEO, EggField
Success Without the Egg
How Innovation Is Transforming Tradition
The Biber is a classic of Swiss baking tradition. But even in traditional food production, innovation and sustainability are essential for successful entrepreneurship. Since 2013, siblings Claudio, Petra, and Silvan Leibacher have focused on using plant-based and climate-friendly ingredients wherever possible in their bakery business. From a prototype for a natural egg substitute, an entirely new company emerged: the Zurich-based foodtech company EggField (Field Food AG). With targeted support from the Ahead team, the protection of this product innovation was optimally prepared.
Plant-Based Progress for a Traditional Product
Since 2010, Leibacher Biber-Manufaktur has been producing high-quality, handmade baked goods with long shelf life—most notably, the now well-known Leibacher Biber. As demand for climate-friendly and sustainable products increased, so too did the scrutiny of animal-based, CO₂-intensive ingredients like eggs. The key question: How can taste and quality be preserved using natural, minimally processed ingredients—without relying on eggs?
The solution was an innovative egg substitute made from legumes—developed in collaboration with food technologist David Ebneter, who was working with Prof. Dr. Tilo Hühn at ZHAW Wädenswil at the time. Together, they created the first prototypes of an egg alternative using cooking water from legumes (aquafaba) for the white Biber pastries. With great success. Other producers quickly took notice of the Leibacher-developed alternative. In 2022, Silvan Leibacher and David Ebneter founded a new company dedicated exclusively to the production and marketing of natural egg substitutes in Switzerland and abroad.
“Some customers wanted more plant-based options. At the same time, it’s rarely feasible in food production to run separate processes for specific needs. Every detail matters in producing Biber or gingerbread—taste and appearance, but also dough behavior during production. That’s complex. Thanks to EggField, we now work completely egg-free across our entire product range—not just for specialty items. Customers love our Amaretti, for example, which are made not with egg whites but with EggField’s aquafaba. Plus, they stay fresh longer than with traditional egg.”
— Claudio Leibacher, Co-CEO and Head of Production, Leibacher Biber-Manufaktur
Intellectual Property Protection as a Growth Catalyst
Product development was technically and sensorially demanding—but equally important was the strategic protection of the innovation process. This is where the support of the Ahead program (formerly KMU und Innovation) came into play: it connected the team with the innovation experts at Swiss Food Research, who provided targeted guidance throughout the project.
The support included a structured analysis of protection options, actionable IP strategy recommendations, and clarification of legal and organizational questions in the innovation process.
Expertise That Delivers
What was particularly appreciated: the hands-on nature of the guidance. No lengthy reports—just focused support tailored to the needs of a growing company.
“The exchange with the Ahead innovation experts was straightforward, solution-oriented, and gave us exactly the clarity we needed during this crucial phase.”
— Silvan Leibacher, Founder & CEO, EggField
Lesson Learned: Innovation Needs Substance—And Protection
By developing a high-quality, plant-based egg alternative, EggField not only addressed consumer trends but also strategically positioned itself for the future. The Ahead support program helped lay the foundation.
“Without this focused support, we might have missed key aspects of IP protection until it was too late. This way, we were able to act professionally from the very beginning.”
— Silvan Leibacher, Founder & CEO, EggField
About Silvan Leibacher
Silvan Leibacher is a Swiss entrepreneur with a passion for sustainable food innovation. He is co-founder of the Leibacher Biber-Manufaktur, which handcrafts traditional Swiss Biber pastries, and of EggField, a company developing plant-based egg alternatives for the food industry. His mission: to make the food industry more environmentally friendly—without compromising on quality.
Further Information
Leibacher Biber-Manufaktur products are available in selected specialty stores.
For more information, visit:
www.biber-manufaktur.ch
www.eggfield.com