Thailand’s First Animal-Free Dairy Startup MUU Attracts Major Investment
MUU, Thailand’s first animal-free dairy startup, has secured funding from several prominent investors, including A2D Ventures, Leave a Nest Japan, and a major Japanese food conglomerate. This investment will support the company’s efforts to scale its operations and develop sustainable dairy alternatives using precision fermentation. Founded by a team with diverse backgrounds in engineering, marketing, and scientific research, MUU is tackling the sustainability issues inherent in traditional dairy production. By …
Vivici Secures US Production for Precision-Fermented Dairy Protein via Liberation Labs Deal
Vivici, a Dutch precision fermentation company, has secured a manufacturing partnership with US-based Liberation Labs for the production of its beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) protein ingredient, Vivitein™. The agreement will see Vivici’s product manufactured at Liberation Labs’ new facility in Richmond, Indiana, with commercial-scale output expected to begin in 2026. The Richmond site is Liberation Labs’ first commercial-scale biomanufacturing facility, currently under construction. It will feature 600,000 liters of fermentation capacity and …
Savor Introduces Animal- and Plant-Free Butter, Produced from Captured Carbon
Savor, a US-based food technology startup, has commercially launched a new butter product that contains no animal or plant inputs. The product is made using a proprietary fermentation-based process that converts captured carbon dioxide (CO₂), green hydrogen (GH₂), and methane (CH₄) into structured fats, without relying on conventional agriculture. The butter alternative will initially be available through selected foodservice partners, including restaurants and bakeries such as SingleThread, ONE65, and Jane …
Vivici Launches Animal-Free Dairy Protein in the US Active Nutrition Market
Ingredients startup Vivici has introduced Vivitein™ BLG, a precision-fermented dairy protein, to the US market. The beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) protein, produced without the use of animals, is positioned for use in the active nutrition sector, which was valued at $28.4 billion globally in 2023. Vivici, founded in 2023 and backed by dsm-firmenich and Fonterra, specializes in precision fermentation technology. The company’s flagship ingredient, Vivitein™ BLG, is self-affirmed as Generally Recognized as …
Vivici Secures €32.5M to Expand Its Precision Fermentation-Derived Dairy Proteins
Dutch ingredients startup Vivici has secured €32.5 million in a Series A funding round led by APG (on behalf of one of the world’s largest pension funds, ABP) and Invest-NL. The round also saw participation from InnovationQuarter, along with existing shareholders dsm-firmenich and Fonterra. The news comes after Vivici secured its first customer offtake agreements for dairy proteins made with precision fermentation. The funding will be used to expand into …
Tokyo’s Kinish Raises $800,000 USD to Scale Rice-Based Casein Production
Tokyo-based food tech startup Kinish Inc. has secured $800,000 USD (¥120 million) in a seed funding round to advance its rice-based dairy alternative technology. The funding was led by Genesia Ventures, Lifetime Ventures, Full Commit Partners, and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital. Kinish is working to develop a rice-based source of casein, the key protein found in milk, using plant molecular agriculture. The company’s goal is to create plant-based dairy alternatives that …
Earth First Food Ventures Launches US’s First Precision Fermentation Facility for Lactoferrin
Earth First Food Ventures Ltd (EFFV), a venture capital firm focused on ESG and impact investments in food technology, has announced the launch of PFerrinX26, the first US-based facility dedicated exclusively to the precision fermentation of Lactoferrin (LF). This facility aims to address the growing global shortage of Lactoferrin, a protein with significant health benefits and applications in various sectors, including immune support and gut health. The facility’s establishment in …
Brevel Partners With CBC Group to Produce Microalgae-Enriched Beverages at Scale
Microalgae protein producer Brevel has signed a development and commercialization agreement with Israel’s Central Bottling Company (CBC Group) to develop functional beverages and dairy alternatives. The ten-year purchase agreement will see Brevel supply CBC Group with microalgae protein, oils, and antioxidants. As part of the alliance, CBC Group made a strategic investment in Brevel’s most recent funding round. To cultivate microalgae, Brevel uses a “breakthrough process” combining light with sugar …
Standing Ovation Partners With Ajinomoto Foods Europe to Produce Animal-Free Caseins at Scale
Standing Ovation, a French biotech company specialising in precision fermentation applied to dairy proteins, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE). AFE is an affiliate of Japan’s Ajinomoto Group with over 50 years of expertise in industrial fermentation. The goal of the partnership is to produce animal-free caseins at AFE’s biomanufacturing plant in Nesle, France. Standing Ovation has developed an animal-free casein powder called Advanced Casein® …
Imagindairy Receives Regulatory Approval From Israeli Ministry of Health for Animal-Free Milk Proteins
Imagindairy, a producer of animal-free milk proteins made using precision fermentation, has received regulatory approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health. The approval confirms that Imagindairy’s products are safe for consumer use and allows the company to market them within Israel. Imagindairy’s products are identical to cow’s milk proteins in taste and nutritional value, but are made without the use of animals. They can be used to produce a variety …