€32.5M for Precision-Fermented Dairy, AI-Driven Biomanufacturing Lands €9.5M, and Cultivated Meat Aroma Breakthrough

Also: European alt protein patent publications increased by 960% over the past decade

Hey, welcome to issue #94 of the Better Bioeconomy newsletter. Thanks for being here!

I’m excited to share that my team at Better Bite Ventures, launched Asia Climate Hub! It’s a FREE database with 1,000+ climate tech startups and investors dedicated to bridging the climate tech funding gap in Asia-Pacific (APAC).

Why did we build Asia Climate Hub?
APAC is home to over half the world’s population and accounts for 57% of global emissions, but the region receives only a fraction of global climate tech funding. Despite the abundance of transformative climate innovation and entrepreneurship, this funding mismatch threatens to stall progress in the world's highest-emitting regions right when we need it most.

How Asia Climate Hub helps:
🔍 Visibility: We're building the most comprehensive, free database for climate tech in APAC, making it easier for investors to spot promising startups and for startups to find the right backers.
🤝🏽 Connections: By bringing startups and investors together in one place, we’re making it easier to form partnerships that drive real impact.

If you’re a climate tech startup or investor in APAC, check it out!

Alright, let’s dig into the latest updates on the intersection of biotech and agrifood!

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BIO BUZZ

Products, partnerships, and regulations

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🇰🇷🇹🇭 Simple Planet signed an MoU with Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University to incorporate halal standards into the cultivated meat sector

Credits: Simple Planet

• The agreement marks a collaborative effort between the South Korean biotech startup and Chulalongkorn University’s Halal Science Center, focusing on joint halal science and technology research, resource sharing, and academic activities.

• Simple Planet is working toward building halal-certified GMP production facilities and ensuring its cultivated food ingredients meet halal standards for the global market.

• CEO Dominic Jeong emphasised the company’s pioneering role, establishing Simple Planet as a leader in incorporating halal principles into the biotech and cultivated food industry, setting a new standard for the sector.

Source: vegconomist

🇪🇸 Allbiotech introduced a cost-efficient bioreactor to make precision fermentation research more accessible for food tech innovators

• The Spanish biotech startup completed the first production run of Genesys V1, a precision fermentation bioreactor priced at one-third the cost of traditional pharmaceutical models.

• Designed for food tech startups, research institutions, and universities, the 1-liter glass vessel bioreactor includes integrated sensors and five peristaltic pumps for early-stage testing and scale-up research.

• The startup aims to remove economic barriers by offering a food-focused alternative to expensive pharmaceutical equipment. Having secured funding in January, Allbiotech plans to scale production with a second run in March.

Source: vegconomist

🇨🇦 NRGene Canada achieved breakthrough in clubroot-resistant trait for canola by providing protection against destructive fungal disease

• Clubroot, a soilborne fungal disease, poses a major threat to the $43.7B Canadian canola industry. If not properly managed, it can result in significant yield losses. NRGene Canada has introduced two new donor lines that provide full resistance to multiple Canadian clubroot pathotypes (3A, 2B, and 5X).

• Five key resistance QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci) were identified, mapped, and stabilized using AI-driven molecular genomics-assisted backcrossing in both spring and winter canola varieties. This ensures durable resistance and adaptability for commercial breeding programs.

• The resistant lines and DNA markers are now available for integration into commercial hybrids. NRGene is collaborating with seed companies and researchers to accelerate market adoption.

Source: PR Newswire

🇪🇺 European alt protein patent publications increased by 960% over the past decade

• Most of this output has emerged in the last five years. 62% was published from 2022 to 2024, with 22% being issued in 2024 alone. Since 2015, when 124 alternative protein patents were released, there has been a significant increase, with 1,191 patents published in 2024.

• Plant-based foods lead the innovation, accounting for 74% (4,000 patents), while cultivated meat and precision fermentation remain underdeveloped. Breeding better protein crops, which could enhance raw ingredient quality of plant-based products, remains an overlooked area.

• Switzerland leads with 1,232 patents, while Germany has the most individual assignees (82). Meanwhile, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden show strong per capita performance, though some larger European countries trail behind.

Source: vegconomist

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BIO BUCKS

Funding, M&As, and grants

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🇳🇱 Vivici raised €32.5M in Series A funding to expand production of precision-fermented dairy proteins and enter new markets

• The Dutch startup, created by Fonterra and DSM-Firmenich, has been scaling up production of beta-lactoglobulin, which comprises 65% of all whey proteins. It plans to launch bovine lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein with immunity benefits, in the second half of 2025.

• Vivici has secured offtake agreements for beta-lactoglobulin and has tested its production process in a 75,000-liter fermenter at the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Belgium.

• The startup’s beta-lactoglobulin has a leucine composition of 16% and a branched-chain amino acid concentration of 29%. It targets applications in ready-to-mix protein powders, ready-to-drink beverages, and protein bars.

💰 Investors: Invest-NL, ABP, InnovationQuarter, DSM-Firmenich, and Fonterra

Source: Green Queen

🇮🇹 Arsenale Bioyards raised €9.5M in Seed funding to advance its AI-powered biomanufacturing platform

• The Milan-based startup’s proprietary platform integrates AI, advanced hardware, and precision fermentation to bridge the gap between lab-scale research and industrial-scale production.

• Arsenale’s approach reduces production costs and time by up to 90% by using modular "bioyards" with smaller, networked bioreactors. AI-powered real-time data analysis enables process optimization and integration with bioreactor design.

• With a fully functional 1,000L pilot site and advanced bioreactors, Arsenale will use the new funds to expand its infrastructure and accelerate its entry into the food and cosmetics markets.

💰 Investors: Planet A Ventures, byFounders, CDP Ventures, Acequia Capital, Plug N Play, Grey Silo Ventures, and more.

Source: EU-Startups

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 uFraction8 secured £3.4M to advance commercialization of its microfiltration technology that optimises biomass production

• Originally developed at the University of Edinburgh, the Scottish biotech company’s microfluidics-based filter systems use hydrodynamic principles to improve biomass production efficiency.

• uFraction8’s filtration systems help biomanufacturers increase productivity by providing energy-efficient, scalable perfusion solutions, helping improve efficiency in food and biotech industries.

• The funding will help optimize microalgae processing, lowering costs and improving scalability for industries like cultivated meat, pharmaceuticals, and bio-based chemicals.

💰 Investors: Foresight Group, Old College Capital, Scottish Enterprise, Alwyn Capital, and more.

Source: Applied Microbiology International

🇺🇸 Solis Agrosciences raised Series A funding to accelerate its commercial growth and expand product portfolio

• The company specializes in gene-edited and transgenic crop development, phenotype analysis, and genomics. It offers a streamlined service model that delivers capital-efficient access to specialised research for agritech companies.

• In 2024, Solis reached major milestones by strengthening its executive team and obtaining a key technology license for the Pairwise Fulcrum™ Platform. The company also entered the whole-genome-sequencing market through the acquisition of Ferris Genomics and achieved significant sales growth.

• Solis is gaining traction among startups and large agricultural firms by offering cost-effective, high-quality research solutions. With the fresh funding, the company is well-positioned to expand its solutions to meet the needs of its growing customer base.

💰 Investors: Cultivation Capital, Hermann Companies, BioGenerator Ventures, QRM Capital, and more.

Source: GlobeNewswire

🇨🇭Syngenta acquired Novartis's repository of natural compounds and genetic strains to boost its R&D in agricultural biological products

• While Syngenta gains control of the repository for agricultural research, Novartis retains exclusive rights for pharmaceutical applications. The Novartis Natural Products and Biomolecular Chemistry team will also transfer to Syngenta.

• The deal includes Syngenta leasing Novartis' fermentation pilot plant and science laboratories in Switzerland. This will strengthen Syngenta’s bioengineering, data science, fermentation, and analytics capabilities. The companies have been collaborating since 2019.

• Syngenta recently launched its first large-scale biologicals production facility in South Carolina, aiming to meet the increasing demand for agricultural solutions in North and Latin America.

Source: Business Wire

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GEEK ZONE

Scientific research papers and articles

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🐷 New cell-derived aroma technology makes cultivated meat more affordable and pork-like

Source: Zhou et al. (2025)

• A new method for generating a meaty aroma from porcine cells significantly reduces production costs for hybrid cultivated meat. This approach lowers the required cell concentration in the final product while maintaining sensory qualities.

• Controlled Maillard reaction and lipid degradation in cell extracts produced a meaty aroma from 1.2% cell mass, achieving a 78.5% pork-like similarity. It outperformed plant-based gyoza in a taste test (78.5% vs. 42.5%) when added to plant proteins in gyoza.

• The study claimed that, when compared to the best estimates in existing literature, its cultivated meat production method reduces costs by an additional 80%, bringing it on par with the price of conventional farmed pork.

Source: Food Chemistry

🧬 Discovery of an enzyme used by disease-causing fungi could help engineer disease-resistant crops

• Researchers identified an enzyme, NUDIX hydrolase, used by disease-causing fungi to infect crops like rice and corn. Farmers are estimated to lose 10% to 23% of their crops annually due to fungal diseases.

• The enzyme tricks plants into thinking they lack phosphate, activating a starvation-like response that weakens their immune system and makes them vulnerable to infection.

• By mapping the enzyme's structure using X-ray crystallography, scientists can now find methods to deactivate the enzyme's effects. This could lead to disease-resistant crops with improved immunity, enhancing global food security.

Source: Phys.org

🍅 CRISPR-edited tomatoes with reduced GABA show enhanced resistance to bacterial wilt without compromising growth

• Ralstonia solanacearum, a bacterial pathogen causing wilt disease, exploits GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) as a nutrient during infection. By knocking out the SlGAD2 gene (responsible for GABA production), researchers created tomato plants with lower GABA content.

• These mutant plants demonstrated increased resistance to bacterial wilt without adverse effects on plant development. The Slgad2 mutant plants maintained normal growth and showed no increased susceptibility to other biotic or abiotic stresses, including drought and heat.

• Analysis showed shifts in root and soil microbial communities in Slgad2 mutant plants, particularly after Ralstonia inoculation. A more diverse rhizosphere microbiome was seen, which may contribute to plant health and stress resistance.

Source: Plant Biotechnology Journal

🫑 Plant-based edible coating extended the shelf life of fresh-cut capsicum while enhancing flavor

• Researchers developed an edible coating using gum Arabic and plant extracts (Syzygium aqueum, Diploglottis bracteata, and Tasmannia lanceolata) to help preserve fresh-cut capsicum, providing an alternative to synthetic preservatives.

• The optimized coating inhibited bacterial spoilage, particularly Pseudomonas viridiflava, which accounts for 40% of fresh-cut vegetable spoilage worldwide. However, it did not prevent moisture loss or maintain texture, potentially due to formulation limitations.

• Sensory evaluations showed that consumers liked the coated capsicum's appearance, aroma, and taste. Further work is needed to optimize moisture retention and firmness, potentially by incorporating additional polysaccharides.

Source: Food Control

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EAR FOOD

Podcast episode of the week

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🎧 Rise of biotech-powered ingredients and how they are shaping the future of fragrance and flavor

Hosts: Erum Khan and Karl Schmieder
Guest: Bob Weinstein

• Innovation in the lab is not enough. The real challenge is commercializing new ingredients at scale. Many biotech startups struggle because they focus too much on science and not enough on manufacturing feasibility. Companies need to prioritize scalability from the outset to ensure economic viability.

• Consumer demand for natural ingredients is growing, but supply constraints make full reliance on natural sources impractical. The global supply of some natural oils is limited and volatile, which is why biotech-derived alternatives can help stabilize pricing and supply chain resilience.

• Established firms like Firmenich and Robertet have thrived for over a century by adapting to market changes while maintaining strong business fundamentals. Their ability to invest with a long-term vision is something emerging biotech companies should emulate.

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BEFORE YOU GO

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