Estonia’s ÄIO Produces First Tonne of Its Yeast-Based Alternative to Traditional Oils
Estonian biotech company ÄIO has completed the first full-scale production run of its yeast-based encapsulated oil product, reaching a volume of one tonne. This represents a 300-fold increase from the company’s laboratory capabilities. ÄIO uses biomass and precision fermentation to turn industrial side streams into non-animal fats and non-vegetable oils. The company’s encapsulated oil is said to be high in proteins, fibres, and functional lipids; it provides an environmentally friendly …
ÄIO Awarded €1M for Development of Yeast-Based Oils for Cosmetics Applications
Estonian biotechnology firm ÄIO has secured €1 million in government-backed funding to develop and scale up microbial fermentation-based oils for use in cosmetics and chemical applications. The funding was awarded through Estonia’s Applied Research Programme (RUP), which is managed by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS). The grant supports a three-year R&D initiative focused on the development of fermentation-derived lipids and derivatives as substitutes for conventional oils such as …
Guest Post: Biomass vs. Precision Fermentation – Understanding the Technologies Reshaping Food Innovation
Nemailla Bonturi is a biotech entrepreneur and executive with over a decade of experience in applied microbiology, fermentation, and circular bioeconomy. As the co-founder and CEO of ÄIO, she is driving the company’s mission to transform agricultural and food industry side-streams into sustainable alternatives to palm oil, coconut oil, and animal fats. With a PhD from the University of Campinas (Brazil), Nemailla is passionate about climate-positive innovation and has been …
Investment Climate Podcast: Nemailla Bonturi of ÄIO, How to Get Funded in 2024
In this podcast series, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding alt proteins in 2024 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful climate tech CEOs and leading VCs. Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. Series 2 Episode 3: Nemailla …
Estonia to Hold First-Ever Public Novel Food Tasting Featuring Innovations by ÄIO & Gelatex
Estonia’s governmental innovation lab, Accelerate Estonia, in collaboration with the novel food startups ÄIO and Gelatex, has announced Estonia’s first public novel food tasting and one of the first public tastings of novel foods across Europe. The event will feature dishes prepared by chef Johannes Hõimoja using novel food ingredients from ÄIO and Gelatex. It will take place on the 23rd of May during the region’s startup and tech event, Latitude59. According to the announcement, participants …
ÄIO Raises €1M to Replace Palm Oil With Fats Made From Sawdust
Estonian startup ÄIO has secured €1 million to further develop its technology, which converts agricultural and wood industry sidestreams such as sawdust into alternative fats. The process uses a microbe called the “red bug” to ferment the industrial byproducts, converting them into nutrient-rich fats. These could replace commonly used products such as palm and coconut oil, which often have a hugely detrimental impact on the environment. The fats will be …