Study: Ironic Biotech’s Fermentation-Derived Heme Has Up to 65 Times Better Iron Absorption Than Competing Products
An in vitro study by Swedish startup Ironic Biotech has concluded that the company’s patented, precision fermentation-derived iron protein significantly outperforms the best existing supplements. When combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), the proprietary heme iron ingredient reportedly delivered up to 65 times better bioavailability than high-quality commercial lactoferrin (even when the latter ingredient was enhanced with the same additive). It also outperformed iron sulfate and other common iron ingredients …
SMAQO Raises Funding to Launch Next-Generation Hybrid Mycoprotein Products in the Nordics
SMAQO, a Swedish company developing next-generation hybrid mycoprotein-based foods, has announced a new funding round. The round was led by Singapore-based venture capital firm Good Startup, which has a focus on alternative proteins; ITIL Partners and Nuora Capital also participated. SMAQO uses a proprietary fungi and production platform to create clean-label, high-protein foods with a minimal environmental impact. The company will use the new funding to accelerate product development, scale …
Re:meat Partners With Biotech Heights to Establish Pilot Cellular Agriculture Facility in Sweden
Re:meat, a Swedish startup developing cultivated meat technology, has partnered with innovation hub Biotech Heights to establish a pilot facility called the Re:meatery. Biotech Heights is located at Kemicentrum in Lund, alongside Lund University Prepilot Plant (Sweden’s only university-based prepilot facility for food, biotech, and chemical engineering). The hub aims to use biotechnology to support the transformation of the food and material systems. Re:meat is Biotech Heights’ first startup member, …
Tetra Pak® Opens New Food Technology Development Centre for Producers of Fermentation-Derived Foods
Food packaging and processing company Tetra Pak® has announced the opening of its New Food Technology Development Centre in Karlshamn, Sweden. The centre will help producers of biomass and precision fermentation-derived food products accelerate their time to market and reduce investment risk through pilot plant trials. Companies will receive tailored support from experts, allowing them to develop their technical processes and take their products from prototype to commercial-scale production. The …
Sweden’s Millow Commissions “World’s First” Facility Creating Beef-Like Protein From Mycelium & Oats
Swedish food tech company Millow has commissioned its first large-scale facility after three decades of research. Said to be the first of its kind worldwide, the factory will turn mycelium and Nordic oats into a clean-label, beef-like protein. Each production line in the 2,500 m² site, which was formerly a LEGO production hall, will deliver up to 500 kg of protein per day once fully outfitted later this year. The building also houses …
Melt&Marble Partners With Valio to Develop Plant-Based Foods Containing Fermented Fats
Melt&Marble, a Swedish startup producing fat ingredients using precision fermentation, has partnered with major Finnish food company Valio to develop plant-based foods made with fermented fats. The long-term research collaboration will involve studying the properties of new types of fat produced by Melt&Marble, before commercializing plant-based foods containing the fats. These should have improved mouthfeel, structure, and succulence compared to existing plant-based alternatives. The fermented fats will need to gain …
Fermented Fats Designer Melt&Marble Achieves 10,000-Liter Production Milestone
Precision fermentation startup Melt&Marble has achieved a milestone in biomanufacturing with the demo-scale production of over ten thousand liters of fermentation for fats. According to the Swedish startup, the target bioprocess performance was maintained throughout the scale-up, achieving a 10-fold increase in bioreactor volume while sustaining comparable strain and performance metrics. This achievement builds on a previous bioreactor trial and demonstrates the platform’s scalability and robustness, explains Melt&Marble. CEO Anastasia Krivoruchko …
Mycorena Acquired by Biomass Fermentation Firm Naplasol, Member of Animal Protein VEOS Group
After facing significant financial challenges, mycoprotein pioneer Mycorena filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, seeking new ownership to build upon its innovations and market presence. Today, Naplasol, a VEOS group member, announces the acquisition of the Swedish company. Naplasol specializes in biomass fermentation to produce mycoproteins and offers various ingredients for food applications. VEOS Group, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Belgium, is a global leader in the animal protein …
Melt&Marble Lands €2.76M in EU Grants for Market Launch of “Designer” Fats in 2025
Sweden’s Melt&Marble has been selected as one of 68 European deep tech startups chosen from 969 applicants to receive a €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator. The company also announces that it has secured an additional €260,000 grant from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme. Melt&Marble uses precision fermentation and microbial engineering to create sustainable and resource-efficient alternatives to animal fats, cocoa butter, palm oil, and other agriculturally …
Mycorena Files for Bankruptcy, Seeks New Ownership to Continue Pioneering Mycoprotein Ingredients
In a sad turn of events, Sweden’s Mycorena, a producer of mycoprotein, has filed for bankruptcy after facing significant financial challenges. The company says it made considerable efforts to overcome these difficulties, including pausing the construction of a large-scale facility and pivoting to a strategic business model. The mycoprotein pioneer also announced that it aims to restructure under new ownership to preserve and build upon its innovations and market presence. …