10 Molecular Farming Startups Transforming Everyday Plants into Protein Powerhouses
Today, we bring you a roundup of molecular farming startups transforming plants into biofactories to produce alternatives to animal proteins, pigments, next-gen sweeteners, and growth factors. Plant molecular farming, an additional production approach to plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation, promises unlimited and cost-effective ingredients for food and other industries. Since it doesn’t require expensive infrastructure and bioreactors — only the magic of plants and bioengineering — existing greenhouses and fields can become ingredient factories, ensuring …
NewMoo Emerges from Stealth Using Plant Seeds as ‘Bioreactors’ to Grow Casein Proteins for Animal-Free Dairy
NewMoo has emerged from stealth mode, unveiling a plant molecular farming platform for producing caseins in agricultural plant seeds. “Our approach doesn’t require expensive bioreactor machinery to grow our proteins. The plant seeds themselves act as bioreactors,” explains the Israeli startup. Considered the “holy grail” of milk structure by the dairy industry, caseins are responsible for the taste and functional properties consumers love about cheese: melting, stretching, and bubbling. NewMoo …
PoLoPo Seeks USDA Approval, Says Production of Egg Proteins in “Plants, Not Animals, Will Set Off a Domino Effect in Sustainability”
Israeli agrifood startup PoLoPo announces it has initiated the regulatory approval process to grow egg proteins in genetically modified potatoes in the USA. PoLoPo explains that it has applied for a Regulatory Status Review (RSR) to the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to review its molecular farming platform called Super AA. The approval process evaluates whether GMO potatoes are as safe for agriculture and do …
Finally Foods Secures Funds for AI-Driven Plant Molecular Tech to Produce Casein for Cheese
Israeli startup Finally Foods Ltd., an AI-driven company focused on revolutionizing the alt-protein sector through plant molecular farming, has secured pre-seed funding from The Kitchen FoodTech Hub (TKH) and the Israeli Innovation Authority (IIA). Finally Foods utilizes potatoes as “bioreactors,” modifying them with cutting-edge technology to grow sustainable alternatives to animal-based proteins. It will start by producing casein, the key protein to make “cheese that’s gentle on our planet and …
PoLoPo Unveils Molecular Farming Platform in Potato Plants to Grow Egg Proteins
Last year, the Israeli agrifood startup PoLoPo raised $2.3 million, including $1.75 million in a pre-seed funding round to further develop its plant molecular farming technology for producing animal proteins in potatoes. Now, the startup unveils its molecular farming platform, SuperAA, already deployed in potato plants at a greenhouse scale. The initial focus of PoLoPo’s platform will be producing two key proteins: ovalbumin and patatin (the natural protein in potatoes). Ovalbumin, widely used in …
Miruku Secures $5M to Develop Proteins in Oilseed Crops for Dairy 2.0 Products
Miruku, a New Zealand startup developing novel dairy proteins and fats using molecular farming and oilseed crops, has raised $5 million (NZD8 million) in a pre-series A round to support its B2B model. Motion Capital led the round with the participation of previous seed investor Movac and new investors NZVC, Cultivate Ventures, and Icehouse Ventures. The funding brings the startup’s total investment to $7.4 million, having previously raised $2.4 million in an …
Downey Jr-Backed Nobell Foods Wins Fast Company Award For “World’s First” Plant-Grown Cheese
Nobell Foods announces it has taken the top spot in the Agriculture category at Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards 2023, for its product which is self-described as the world’s first plant-grown cheese. The news comes shortly after Nobell hired Sergey Solomatin, previously of Impossible Foods, ahead of this period of strategic growth for the company. In July 2021, the San Francisco-based raised $75 million in Series B funding from …