Germany Backs Alternative Proteins in National Biotech Roadmap, Plans Innovation Hub by 2027
Germany’s federal government has formally included alternative proteins in its High-Tech Agenda, with a biotechnology roadmap released by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space setting out concrete milestones for cultivated foods and precision fermentation through to 2032. The roadmap calls for the establishment of a national innovation hub for cell cultivation and precision fermentation by 2027, intended to consolidate research activities that have until now been spread across …
FDA Clears Precision Fermentation Lamb Protein for Dog Food in First for Pet Nutrition Sector
Bond Pet Foods and Hill’s Pet Nutrition have secured a Letter of No Objection from the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine for Lamb Protein Yeast, a fermentation-derived animal protein ingredient developed for use in dog food. The clearance is the first FDA GRAS notice completion for a precision fermentation protein ingredient targeting the pet food market. The ingredient was developed through a collaboration between Boulder, Colorado-based …
Montreal Cell-Based Dairy Company Opalia Closes $3.2M Seed Round with Commercial Pilots Already Underway
Montreal-based Opalia has closed an initial $3.2 million CAD seed round to advance its cell-based milk platform, having already secured paid pre-commercial pilot agreements with several established dairy players before reaching market. The round was led by Nàdarra Ventures, with participation from Spring Capital, UCEED, and Anges Quebec, alongside existing backers Investissement Québec, Cycle Momentum, and BoxOne Ventures. Whole milk without the cow Opalia uses mammary cells cultivated in bioreactors …
California Startup Fermeate Closes $2M Seed Round for Light-Based Fermentation Control Technology
California-based startup Fermeate has raised $2 million in seed funding to scale its optogenetics platform, which uses light signals to control gene expression inside microbial cells during fermentation. The round was led by Newfund Capital, with participation from SOSV and Ajinomoto Group Ventures. The technology inserts light-sensitive proteins into microbial strains, enabling manufacturers to activate or deactivate specific genes in real time. A targeted promoter directs which enzyme or protein …
AI-Integrated Fermentation Capacity Expands at Praj Matrix as India Targets Bio-Based Economy
Indian industrial biotech company Praj Industries has launched an Advanced Precision Fermentation Lab at its Praj Matrix R&D centre in Pune, India, alongside a formal research partnership with BRIC-NCCS (Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council – National Centre for Cell Science). The facility is designed to support high-capacity, AI-enabled fermentation processes across sectors, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biofuels, and beverages, with a stated focus on reducing scale-up risks and improving process …
Verley Secures $38 Million Series A to Commercialize Precision-Fermented Dairy Proteins
French precision fermentation company Verley has secured an oversubscribed $38 million Series A financing round, four years after its inception. The round brings together top European players: new investors, including Alven leading the round, Blast and the French Tech Seed fund managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, and historical investors Sofinnova, Sparkfood, Captech and Founders Future. With additional non-dilutive support from Bpifrance, …
Those Vegan Cowboys Raise €2.5 Million in One Day for ‘Cow-Free Cheese’ via Crowdfunding
One day before the official launch of their crowdfunding campaign, Those Vegan Cowboys, the ‘stainless steel cow’ company by the founders of The Vegetarian Butcher, have already raised €2.5 million by 600 new shareholders. “The level of support for this systemic change says it all,” said CEO Hille van der Kaa. The company states that it opened the crowdfunding campaign to a select group of pre-registrants 24 hours ahead of …
Liberation Bioindustries Restructures Leadership as Indiana Facility Nears Completion
Liberation Bioindustries has restructured its executive team, with co-founder Etan Bendheim stepping into the role of Chief Executive Officer, while fellow co-founder Mark Warner transitions to Chief Technology Officer. The change comes as the company approaches the operational launch of its first commercial-scale precision fermentation plant in Richmond, Indiana. Technical focus takes priority Warner, who previously served as CEO, will now focus on technical execution and infrastructure development. “This transition …
Nurasa Integrates New Wave Biotech’s Simulation Software to Advance AI-Driven Biomanufacturing Scale-Up
UK-based software company New Wave Biotech has entered into a commercial partnership with Singapore’s Nurasa to integrate AI-driven bioprocess simulation into the latter’s food innovation infrastructure. The collaboration is intended to provide earlier-stage companies with tools to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of scaling precision fermentation and other biomanufacturing processes. Virtual testing before physical investment Under the agreement, companies within Nurasa’s network will gain access to New Wave Biotech’s …
Bactolife Raises Over €30M to Commercialize Precision Fermentation-Derived Binding Proteins
Danish company Bactolife has secured over €30 million in Series B funding to commercialize Binding Proteins, a new food, feed, and dietary supplement ingredient made using precision fermentation. The funding round was led by Cross Border Impact Ventures (CBIV) and EIFO (Danish Export and Investment Fund), with participation from existing investors Novo Holdings and Athos. The proceeds will be used to execute Bactolife’s human study program across the US, EU, …