French precision fermentation company Verley has secured an oversubscribed $38 million Series A financing round, four years after its inception. The round brings together top European players: new investors, including Alven leading the round, Blast and the French Tech Seed fund managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, and historical investors Sofinnova, Sparkfood, Captech and Founders Future. With additional non-dilutive support from Bpifrance, this funding round supports Verley’s next phase of industrial execution and market deployment.
Addressing a growing gap in protein supply
Conventional whey protein production is facing structural constraints, limiting its ability to meet these needs at scale while reducing environmental pressure. In this context, Verley develops functional whey protein ingredients, more precisely beta lactoglobuline (BLG) “designed to deliver the nutritional and functional performance expected by food and nutrition manufacturers.” Verley claims to have built its approach to integrate seamlessly into existing food value chains, responding to concrete industrial and market requirements. The company further states that its ingredients, made through precision fermentation, require only a fraction of the natural resources used in conventional production, addressing growing demand from manufacturers and consumers for reduced-impact products.
Verley focuses exclusively on B2B ingredient solutions, supporting manufacturers developing high-protein, clean-label and digestible products across multiple applications. The portfolio, marketed under the FermWhey™ range, consists of functionalized whey proteins engineered for performance in real-world formulations (protein shots, high-protein ready to drink…), combining “high purity, advanced solubility, emulsification, gelling properties and optimized nutritional profiles.”
Regulatory status and intellectual property
In less than four years, the company has secured key regulatory milestones, including a self-affirmed GRAS status in 2024 followed by a FDA “No Questions” letter in 2025, validating the safety of its approach for the U.S. market. “Beyond regulation, Verley has built a strong intellectual property portfolio around both fermentation and proprietary protein functionalization technologies. These technologies do not aim solely to replicate dairy proteins, but to enhance their performance, unlocking new formulation possibilities for manufacturers. This combination of regulatory clearance, IP depth, industrial scalability and strong commercial traction remains rare in the sector at this stage of maturity,” the company states.
Verley reports that demand for its ingredients is exceeding current production capacity, which the company sees as confirmation of a strong product-market fit.
Series A to drive U.S. market entry and production scale-up
Verley plans to use the proceeds of the round primarily to support its U.S. market entry, focusing on commercial deployment, customer scale-up, and the expansion of production capacities. Additionally, the company will continue to invest in R&D to enhance the performance, efficiency, and sustainability of its core technologies. Following the U.S. launch, Europe and the Middle East are slated as priority regions for further expansion.
“We are very proud to be building a European champion”
Stéphane Mac Millan, CEO and co-founder of Verley, said: “Verley’s mission is to address the growing global demand for high-quality nutrition while preserving the planet’s natural resources. Verley is now ready to help alleviate the pressure the dairy industry is facing. We are very proud to be building a European champion leveraging decades of know-how in the dairy industry.”
Hélène Briand, Co-founder and Chief Innovation & Commercial Officer, added: “This financing allows us to scale not only our production, but the performance promise behind our ingredients. Our functionalization technologies are designed to meet real industrial constraints and application needs. That focus on performance is what makes precision fermentation relevant and viable at scale.”
