Australian biotech startup Eclipse Ingredients (not to be confused with US-based alt-dairy brand Eclipse Foods) has emerged from stealth after raising $7 million AUD in funding.
Eclipse Ingredients aims to provide widespread access to previously inaccessible health ingredients, starting with human lactoferrin — a protein found throughout the body, including in breast milk and immune cells. The startup will achieve this with precision fermentation technology, using engineered yeast to sustainably produce the ingredient at an industrial scale.
Traditional lactoferrin extraction reportedly requires 10,000 litres of cow’s milk to produce just one kilogram, and bovine lactoferrin is structurally different from what human bodies produce. Research indicates that lactoferrin can fight inflammation and infection, support immune health and the microbiome, and boost iron absorption, but currently the ingredient is rarely used due to its cost and the difficulty of scaling production.
According to Eclipse Ingredients, improving access to lactoferrin could enable the production of infant formula that is closer to breast milk, functional foods that boost immunity, better nutrition for athletes, and improved skincare products.
“Transforming what’s possible”
Eclipse Ingredients has been incubated within Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and is backed by specialist investor AgFunder. The new funding includes $2.9 million from the Commonwealth Government, delivered by Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator.
The startup was founded by dietitian Siobhan Coster, and is said to be strategically positioned to access the APAC region’s huge health ingredient markets.
“Becoming a mother has made Eclipse’s mission more personal,” says Coster, who is also the company’s CEO. “Ingredients like human lactoferrin offer incredible health benefits across all life stages – including for babies – yet they’ve been locked away. We’re not just making ingredients, we’re transforming what’s possible when nature’s most powerful compounds become accessible at scale.
“We’ve built Eclipse’s platform to be super capital-efficient, leveraging existing infrastructure and expertise here in Australia at QUT, UQ, and CSIRO. That means we can stay laser-focused on what matters…our people, our patents, and breakthrough science.”
