Biotech company MicroHarvest has opened a pilot plant in Lisbon, Portugal, to produce samples of its single-cell protein made through microbial fermentation.
In the space of six months, MicroHarvest has transformed a portion of its office space into the laboratory and plant, which was officially opened at an event on November 16. The opening was attended by the company’s partners and investors.
The new pilot plant will allow MicroHarvest to test and hone its proprietary technology, accelerating the commercialisation process. The company hopes to have its first product on the market by early 2024, after forming a partnership with a contract manufacturer that will allow it to scale to 1 ton per day.
“This pilot plant serves as tangible evidence of the scalability of our process. With a lower investment when compared to alternative technologies, and within a mere 200 square meters, we can achieve a daily production of 25 kg,” said Luísa Cruz, CTO of MicroHarvest.
“Remarkable journey”
MicroHarvest’s ingredients can be produced in just 24 hours and contain over 60% protein. The production process consumes far fewer resources than conventional methods and has a range of potential applications, including pet food, human food, and animal feed.
In April, MicroHarvest won the BloombergNEF Pioneer Prize in recognition of the potential of its technology to accelerate global decarbonisation and fight climate change. The following month, the company raised €1.5 million from Simon Capital, at around the same time that its Lisbon offices opened (MicroHarvest also has offices in Hamburg, Germany). The raise followed an €8.5 million Series A round led by Astanor Ventures in September of last year.
“Within just six months of opening our Lisbon office, our team has doubled in size, and we’ve achieved an impressive feat by constructing the pilot plant in record time – a truly remarkable journey,” said Katelijne Bekers, CEO of MicroHarvest. “Within the next three months, we are on track to introduce our first product to the market. These milestones underscore our commitment to driving real impact by bringing commercially competitive, consistent, and sustainable ingredients to market fast.”
