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.
“MUU is uniquely positioned at the intersection of food, biotech, and climate impact”
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 using precision fermentation, the company produces bioidentical milk proteins without the use of animals. These proteins offer the taste, texture, and nutritional benefits of cow’s milk, but without the environmental and ethical concerns typically associated with dairy farming.
MUU’s production process requires 90% less land, water, and greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional dairy. Its products are also free from lactose, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics. According to the company, it’s approach positions it as one of the most environmentally sustainable dairy alternatives on the market.
The company has already garnered attention in the food and beverage industry, receiving sample requests from coffee chains and food producers in Thailand, Singapore, and Japan. In addition, MUU has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lotte Fine Chemical, which could provide important distribution channels and market insights for the company.
The company’s investors are optimistic about MUU’s potential. Ankit Upadhyay, general partner at A2D Ventures, commented, “MUU is uniquely positioned at the intersection of food, biotech, and climate impact. Their vision of animal-free dairy for Asia is bold, timely, and deeply needed, given 80% of Asians are lactose intolerant.”
MUU’s precision fermentation process
MUU’s precision fermentation process consists of four key stages: strain development, fermentation, purification, and formulation. This allows the company to create milk proteins with identical functional and sensory properties to traditional dairy, without the associated environmental or ethical costs.
Dr. Yukihiro Maru, founder and group CEO of Leave a Nest Group, added, “MUU’s vision of revolutionizing dairy through biotechnology aligns perfectly with our mission to advance deep tech for global sustainability. Their precision fermentation platform addresses the health, environmental, and ethical challenges of traditional dairy, while paving the way for a more secure and sustainable food future.”
