NEW TECH FOODS

Danish foodtech innovator Summ Ingredients, formerly known as Nutrumami, is poised to transform the food ingredients landscape with the introduction of its first multifunctional ingredient, FermiPro. Following a recent rebranding and a successful funding round, the company aims to redefine how food ingredients are formulated, addressing the growing demand for healthier, plant-centric options. Summ Ingredients has successfully raised €1.7 million in funding, with contributions from EIFO, BoxOne, and existing investors Kost Capital and Planetary Impact Ventures. This investment will facilitate the production and market rollout of FermiPro, which is expected to be available to food producers by autumn 2025. Frederik Jensen, CEO and founder of Summ Ingredients, commented: “We aim to pioneer a new ingredient category – multifunctional, fermented proteins – that deliver taste, texture and nutrition in one solution”. This approach not only simplifies formulation for food manufacturers but also enhances the appeal of plant-based foods. FermiPro stands out as a fermented protein that combines multiple functionalities, offering food producers an innovative toolkit for product development. Key benefits include: Enhanced flavour :  FermiPro provides complex umami flavours and kokumi (mouthfulness), replicating the depth typically found in meat-based dishes. Natural texture building : It effectively replaces traditional additives such as gums and starches, improving mouthfeel without compromising on quality. Nutritional boost : The ingredient enriches products with protein, minerals and B-vitamins, creating a more complete nutritional profile. This multifunctionality allows food producers to reduce reliance on flavourings, texturisers and E-numbers, promoting cleaner label products that use more legumes and other plant-based ingredients. Summ Ingredients is already leveraging FermiPro across various food categories, with several products in the pipeline: FermiPro Cultured ProMix: A plant-based cheese that achieves double-digit protein content and 30% less fat without using modified starch or texturants. FermiPro Bouillon Creamer: An all-in-one solution for ready meals, delivering rich flavour and creamy texture. FermiPro Saucier: A dairy-free, starch-free option that offers creaminess and umami for sauces. FermiPro Texture+: A clean label solution for hybrid and plant-based meats without additives. FermiPro Plant Booster Clean label Seasonings: Achieving up to 30% salt reduction while maintaining robust flavour profiles. The rebranding to SUMM Ingredients reflects the company’s ambition to integrate multiple functions into a single ingredient, enhancing health, flavour and sustainability. To support this vision, Summ Ingredients has appointed Kasper Bus as chief commercial officer. With extensive experience in the food and ingredients sector, Bus will play a critical role in aligning the company’s technological innovations with market needs. Jensen noted: “With Kasper on board, we gain a strong commercial driver who can bridge our technology with market demands, essential for our global expansion”. Summ Ingredients is advancing its innovations through a proprietary cross-fermentation platform, with two patent applications filed. This technology leverages the synergistic effects of various microorganisms applied to diverse plant materials, unlocking new multifunctional ingredients suitable for a wide range of applications, from cultured plant cheeses to umami-rich seasonings. Looking ahead, the company is also developing a second multifunctional ingredient aimed at sugar reduction and improved mouthfeel, further expanding its potential to transform food formulation.

This month, the spotlight is on Leaft Foods: a New Zealand-based food-tech innovator developing functional ingredients and consumer products made from green leaf protein. We spoke to Ross Milne, the company’s CEO, to find out more. Could you tell us about Leaft Foods’ journey and how the company came to be established?  Leaft Foods emerged from a pivotal moment in 2014 when our co-founders, John and Maury Leyland Penno, attended a Stanford University innovation bootcamp that sparked their interest in how livestock farmers could move toward more sustainable food production methods while continuing to produce high-quality food.  Maury had developed her business acumen through roles at prestigious organisations including Team New Zealand, Boston Consulting Group, and dairy giant Fonterra. Meanwhile, John combined scientific expertise as an agricultural researcher with entrepreneurial experience from co-founding and leading Synlait Milk as CEO.  In 2017, their focus shifted toward a more radical concept: extracting high-quality protein directly from green leaves. This led them to concentrate on rubisco, a protein that exists in virtually every green plant on Earth and happens to be the planet’s most abundant protein.  In 2019, the founding team was completed when I came aboard as CEO with a unique perspective and skillset. I'd spent my career engineering some of the world’s largest food manufacturing facilities for GEA, recently had embraced plant-based eating and was seeking to apply my expertise toward more sustainable food systems.  While many companies in the alternative protein got caught up in market excitement and then strong economic headwinds in recent years, Leaft focused intensively on research, development and refinement, working quietly to solve complex technical challenges while maintaining a clear focus on commercial economic viability.  Our ultimate goal is transformative: to create a new path to protein production by bypassing both traditional animal agriculture and seed-based plant proteins in favour of extracting superior nutrition directly from leaves. We view this not as an incremental improvement, but as the foundation for an entirely new approach to feeding people sustainably.  Why rubisco protein? Rubisco represents what has long been called the ‘utopia protein.’ It’s a truly amazing protein and it is present in every green leaf. Its abundance means we can build a more efficient food system that is a step-change towards a lower carbon future.  It’s a remarkable convergence of nutritional excellence, core food systems functionality and environmental benefits. It delivers an amino acid profile that exceeds whey protein, which is the gold standard for complete proteins, with all essential amino acids present in optimal ratios, including tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan.  Rubisco’s exceptional digestibility is another critical factor. As an enzyme protein built for biological activity rather than storage, it releases amino acids much faster than traditional plant proteins, delivering peak concentrations precisely when the body needs them most. This represents a shift from reactive nutrition (protein for recovery after exercise) to proactive nutrition (protein available during performance).  Beyond basic nutrition, our Rubisco offers amazing functional properties that are desired in food matrices, such as its foaming, emulsification and gelling properties. This makes it ideal for food manufacturers seeking to replace egg whites or dairy proteins in their formulations. The environmental impact is also significantly lower than animal-derived proteins like whey, because we take the cow out of the system.  The sustainability benefits extend to how our crops are farmed. Lucerne (alfalfa), which we use as our primary source, fixes its own nitrogen from the atmosphere, reducing fertilizer requirements. Its deep taproot system makes it highly water-efficient while improving soil structure and health. And unlike annual crops, lucerne grows year after year without replanting and can be harvested multiple times annually, maximising land productivity. How does your technology to extract the protein from green leaves and turn it into a functional ingredient work? How does this tech address previous challenges associated with extracting rubisco protein?  Most protein extraction efforts focus on maximising the yield of one component. Our breakthrough was recognising that we could optimise protein quality while creating value from 100% of the raw material. The timing convergence was crucial too. We had access to New Zealand's world-leading food production and research expertise and our strong history in dairy. Equally important was having the team and resources to spend time testing and refining. This, in conjunction with our direct farmer relationships, helped us understand how the crop could really be integrated into a farming system.  You recently launched your first consumer product, Leaft Blade. Why did you choose to target the performance nutrition category?  We chose performance nutrition because it plays directly to Rubisco's greatest strength, which is speed. While traditional proteins are designed for recovery after exercise, we saw an opportunity to flip that model entirely with proactive nutrition that works before performance happens. Rubisco's enzyme structure means it delivers amino acids up to six times faster than conventional proteins. For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, this translates to amino acids flooding their system precisely when muscles send their ‘build’ signal during exercise, rather than hours later during recovery.  The performance market was also the right fit for introducing something completely new. These consumers understand protein science, and they get concepts like amino acid profiles and absorption rates. They're willing to invest in demonstrable benefits and are quick to recognise when something genuinely works better. By entering performance nutrition where function matters most, we could showcase what Rubisco actually delivers rather than fighting preconceptions about plant protein limitations as other companies have.   We're not just launching another plant protein. We're creating an entirely new category. The leaf protein category for consumer products doesn't exist yet, but we're defining and leading it.   Are you developing products in any other product categories? What other applications would the ingredient be well-suited to?  We're definitely seeing exciting opportunities beyond performance nutrition, particularly on the B2B ingredient side where Rubisco's functional properties really shine. Our B2B customers immediately grasp the potential when they see Rubisco's emulsifying, foaming and gelling capabilities in action. Because Rubisco behaves like premium functional proteins such as egg whites or whey, it opens doors in categories where plant proteins have traditionally struggled. We see strong potential in bakery applications where Rubisco's foaming properties could replace egg whites, and in dairy alternatives where its emulsifying capabilities could improve texture and mouthfeel.  Because our products are highly functional, we're competing against high-value proteins like egg, rather than commodity plant proteins. This positions us well economically while solving real formulation challenges for food manufacturers. We're also exploring opportunities that leverage our zero-waste process. Since we extract value from 100% of the leaf material, not just the protein, we can create multiple revenue streams from a single input.  Are there any notable market trends and consumer demands that your solution can tap into?  The biggest shift we're witnessing is growing consumer sophistication around protein quality. People are moving beyond just counting grams of protein. They want to understand amino acid profiles, absorption rates and functional benefits. This education trend works in our favour because once consumers understand what makes Rubisco unique, the value proposition becomes clear.   There's also some fatigue with traditional plant-based proteins. Many consumers have tried products that compromise on taste, texture or nutrition, and they're hungry for alternatives that don't force those trade-offs. Sustainability consciousness continues to grow, but consumers are becoming more discerning. They want genuine environmental benefits, not just marketing claims. The clean label trend is also massive and accelerating. Consumers want ingredients they can pronounce and understand. ‘Protein from green leaves’ is inherently clean and simple.   How have you seen the alternative proteins market evolve in recent years?   The alternative protein sector has been through a complete cycle since we were founded: from explosive hype to significant correction, and now we're seeing a more mature, realistic phase emerging. When we began, the sector was experiencing massive excitement and capital influx. Everyone was talking about disrupting animal agriculture, and valuations were skyrocketing based on potential rather than proven fundamentals. A lot of companies got caught up in that momentum. Then reality hit. The market realised that many alternative protein products were compromising significantly on taste, texture or nutrition compared to what they were trying to replace. Consumer adoption plateaued and investors became much more cautious.  What we're seeing now is a more discerning phase. Consumers are moving beyond novelty and demanding products that truly deliver. It’s not enough to make sustainability claims. A product needs to deliver on performance, taste and value. I think the companies that survive this shake-out will be ones focused on fundamental breakthroughs, rather than incremental improvements. There's growing recognition that we need genuinely transformative solutions, not just better versions of existing plant proteins.  What has been Leaft Foods’ biggest achievement to date?  Our biggest achievement has been cracking the code that stumped researchers for over a century. We successfully extracted Rubisco protein on a commercial scale while preserving its extraordinary functional properties. We've proven the entire system works at a large scale, which is important to business growth and viability. Our 30,000 square foot facility’s current production is impressive, but it is also just the start of what we can do. We've also demonstrated that this breakthrough can deliver genuine value to both B2B customers and consumers.  Have you faced any particular challenges on your journey? How did you navigate them?  We've certainly faced our share of challenges, but I think our approach to navigating them has been key to our progress as a company.  The biggest technical challenge was the fundamental extraction paradox I mentioned. This took years of painstaking work by our team of scientists and engineers. Timing the market has been both a challenge and an advantage. We started during the height of alternative protein hype, but rather than getting swept up in that excitement, we made a decision to stay heads-down building. That discipline paid off.  The commercialisation challenge was also substantial. We're creating an entirely new category with leaf protein, so there's no established playbook. We had to figure out how to position something that doesn't exist yet. Our strategy has been to let performance speak for itself.  What’s next for Leaft? Any exciting plans in the pipeline?  We're at a really exciting inflection point with our current production validating both our business model and unit economics. From here, we map our journey to profitability as we take the next steps to scale up. On the consumer side, we're seeing strong early adoption of Leaft Blade among performance athletes and weekend warriors. The B2B ingredient business is moving forward too. We're working with partners across different food categories who want to leverage the functional properties of our protein.  Our first strategic partnership we’re announcing on the B2B side is with Lacto Japan ,  a leading distributor of speciality food ingredients, to introduce Leaf Rubisco Protein to Japan's sophisticated food manufacturing sector. Through that partnership, we're already engaged with several of Japan's most important food manufacturers across plant-based foods, bakery products and sports nutrition categories. The early market validation has been strong. Lacto's team was impressed not just with the protein system itself, but with how well it performs in actual applications, meeting the exceptionally high standards that Japanese consumers expect.   For aspiring food-tech start-ups, what valuable advice or insights would you share to help them navigate the challenges and opportunities in this dynamic sector? Having weathered numerous cycles in the food manufacturing space, I'd say the most critical lesson is that fundamental economics always apply. In some periods, it may feel like they don't matter, but they inevitably come back to bite you. We've always maintained a long-term vision for Leaft that's helped us look through market cycles and stay focused on what actually matters. I’d also encourage new entrants to the industry to be honest about their boundary conditions. We've always been clear on the yield targets we needed to hit for scale and the quality thresholds required for customer acceptance. Having clarity on these constraints forces you to find solutions that actually work commercially, not just technically at lab-scale.

Solar Foods has filed a GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) notification with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its microbial protein ingredient, Solein, as it seeks to secure a “no questions” letter confirming the product’s safety. The submission builds on the company’s self-affirmed GRAS status for Solein, obtained in September 2024 , which allowed Solar Foods to begin marketing and sales in the US. To obtain FDA’s no questions letter, Solar Foods was required to provide a dossier containing safety data and supporting documentation. The agency will conduct a preliminary review before undertaking a scientific evaluation, during which it may request additional information. If FDA raises no objections, it will issue the no questions letter, which will also be published in the agency’s GRAS inventory. Solar Foods expects to receive this by the end of 2026. Troels Nørgaard, chief commercial and product officer at Solar Foods, said: “In the United States, there are several procedures available for introducing new foods to the market. After obtaining the self-affirmed GRAS status last year, we are now aiming to obtain the no questions letter from the FDA." "This may widen the possibilities for sale of Solein as some potential customers may require this additional documentation. The no questions letter can also contribute to advancing Solein’s expansion into other markets that do not grant specific novel food approvals." Solein is produced using Solar Foods’ proprietary technology, which converts carbon dioxide and electricity into protein-rich microbial biomass. The ingredient received its first regulatory approval in Singapore in 2022 and applications remain under review with UK and EU regulators. Solar Foods anticipates receiving EU novel food approval in 2026, following an ongoing evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Top image: © Solar Foods

Biotech start-up Novella Innovative Technology has launched Novella Strawberry, a new nutraceutical ingredient developed from whole strawberry cells using the company’s proprietary AuraCell cultivation platform. The patent-pending product, which will debut at SupplySide West 2025 in Las Vegas, is positioned as the first in Novella’s line of fruit-cell bioactive complexes. Unlike conventional strawberry extracts, which isolate a limited set of compounds, Novella Strawberry preserves the fruit’s full cellular matrix, delivering a broad spectrum of phytochemicals including anthocyanins, ellagic acid, phenolic acids, terpenoids and alkaloids. According to the company, its technology cultivates intact strawberry cells in a closed, controlled environment, eliminating the need for agricultural production. Novella says the process reduces resource use by 99% compared with field cultivation, while ensuring consistent yields and avoiding pesticide use. Human-cell assays carried out by Novella indicate that the ingredient delivers antioxidant activity up to 100 times stronger than conventional strawberry extracts, due to its higher stability and preserved cellular structure. The enhanced potency, the company claims, allows for significantly lower dosages in supplement applications. Shimrit Bar-El, co-founder and chief product officer for Novella, said: "We collect the high value nutrients from the strawberry at the peak of its power, grow them in a clean environment without pesticides, then amplify them. The result is a potent compound that can easily be absorbed in the body." Itay Dana, co-founder and chief business development officer for Novella, added: "Our solution will significantly relieve the bottleneck in the nutraceutical industry's growing demand for strawberry-sourced nutrients while leaving field grown strawberries to be enjoyed as refreshing natural treats." He continued: "Our AuraCell platform doesn't extract and doesn't need solvents. We preserve nature's full intelligence and deliver it intact. Novella Strawberry answers the consumer demand for performance and sustainability by delivering a holistic ingredient that is pure, potent and generates zero waste." "Novella Strawberry is exactly what the next wave of dietary supplements needs. It performs powerfully on its own, but its real potential is in enhancing other products – amplifying results while reducing required daily dose. It's a perfect marriage of science and strategy, with remarkable commercial potential." "he company highlights that its bioreactor-cultivated bioactives remain within their native plant-cell environment, offering a form of natural microencapsulation. This protects sensitive compounds during formulation, improves stability, and supports synergistic interactions with other actives. Novella Strawberry is available as a water-dispersible powder suitable for capsules, powders, functional foods and beverages. Beyond supplements, Novella has partnered with Australia-based Metaphor Foods to incorporate its antioxidant ingredients into food preservation applications.

Estonian food-tech start-up Äio has announced the successful completion of its first full-scale production run of its sustainable yeast-based oil, reaching a volume of 1 tonne. This volume represents a 300-fold increase from the company’s laboratory capabilities. The production run, completed between late 2024 and mid-2025, marks a key milestone in Äio’s mission to address the growing demand for more natural, sustainable alternatives to environmentally polluting and potentially harmful food ingredients. The start-up uses biomass and precision fermentation to transform industrial side streams into nutrient-rich oils and fats. Its encapsulated oil is high in protein, fibre and functional lipids, offering a nutritious and sustainable alternative to ingredients such as palm and coconut oil, eggs and even cocoa powder. In food applications, the yeast-based oil can deliver a natural umami flavour and versatile texture profile, enabling its use in a wide range of products such as plant-based meat and confectionery. Reports indicate that palm oil cultivation drives approximately 10% of global deforestation. Additionally, the World Wildlife Fund reported that current food production systems have contributed to a 70% decline in terrestrial biodiversity since 1970, highlighting the need for solutions that can reduce the sector’s environmental footprint. Nemailla Bonturi, Äio’s CEO and co-founder, said: “As a scientist, I’ve been developing this fermentation process since 2013. Seeing something that I started in a small lab in Brazil now being produced at this scale in Europe is incredibly rewarding.” Bonturi added: “This first tonne is the first of many to come, and crucially, it proves our process can scale beyond pilot settings and validates the commercial potential we’re working toward”. The company is now preparing for its next major goal: establishing a commercial production facility capable of producing 2,000 tonnes annually. Äio has completed pre-engineering concept work for this and is now developing partnerships with companies involving feedstock supply, distribution and off-take agreements. Äio has begun sharing product samples with manufacturers in both food and personal care, and plans to launch a fundraising round by late 2026 to accelerate its expansion within the alt-fats and oils market. Martin Mets, CFO at Äio, revealed that the company has already reduced its unit costs by 80% in recent years, through scale and optimisation, and expects to see a similar cost reduction curve continue in the years ahead. Bonturi commented: “The fundamental economics have shifted. Five years ago, sustainable alternatives carried a significant price premium. Today, supply chain disruptions and regulatory pressures have created conditions where precision fermentation can achieve cost parity with conventional oils while eliminating environmental and ethical concerns.” “For manufacturers, ecologically conscious ingredients are no longer a ‘nice-to-have,’ they’re a necessity… We’re now showing that the commercial viability for plant-based alternatives to traditional oils is very real.”

From energy costs to consumer demand for sustainability, few sectors operate under as much pressure and scrutiny as food and beverage manufacturing. As the industry continues its push toward automation and real-time decision-making, one challenge persists: the quality of the data used to run operations. Digital twins offer a compelling path forward. These are living, evolving models that replicate the physical world in precise digital form. By integrating data from sensors, production systems and AI models, digital twins allow manufacturers to simulate, test and optimise physical processes without interrupting them. For an industry where precision, safety and efficiency are paramount, that opens up new possibilities. And perhaps more importantly, it offers a way to bridge the persistent gap between what’s happening on the ground and the digital systems designed to increase efficiency and productivity, observes Alex de Vigan, CEO and founder of French technology company Nfinite. Alex de Vigan What is a digital twin? At its core, a digital twin is a high-fidelity replica of a physical product, system or process. But what makes it transformative is its ability to mirror reality in motion. Unlike static CAD files or isolated datasets, a digital twin is fed by real-time inputs (temperature, flow rates, pressure, viscosity, energy use) making it dynamic and interactive. In the context of F&B, this means manufacturers can simulate how a new recipe will perform under production conditions, identify where water usage can be reduced in a clean-in-place cycle or forecast how packaging changes will affect the entire logistics chain. By essence, they are operational tools. It is this blend of physics-informed modeling, live data and spatial context that makes digital twins so powerful. Why it matters for the food and beverage industry In F&B manufacturing, precision is not optional. Whether mixing dairy emulsions or calibrating thermal treatment lines, there is little margin for error. Digital twins allow for an unprecedented level of simulation and scenario testing before any physical change is made. Process optimisation: By modeling entire production lines, manufacturers can run virtual stress tests on bottlenecks, trial different throughput levels or simulate cleaning cycles, all before implementation. This minimises downtime and avoids costly trial-and-error approaches. Resource efficiency: Digital twins can expose hidden inefficiencies in water, energy and raw material use. By correlating sensor data with real-time process flows, systems can suggest optimised configurations for resource savings, crucial in a sector under mounting environmental regulations. Predictive maintenance : By tracking the digital twin of a machine alongside its real-world counterpart, maintenance can shift from reactive to predictive. Anomalies become easier to detect, service schedules more accurate and asset lifespan extended. Quality and compliance : In highly regulated segments, digital twins offer traceability. Any deviation from predefined standards (temperature, humidity, ingredient ratios) can be flagged immediately. This strengthens food safety protocols and streamlines audits. Unlike industries that deal in discrete components or uniform materials, food and beverage manufacturing faces a unique blend of variables: biological inputs, perishable goods, tightly integrated supply chains and ever-shifting consumer trends. This complexity is precisely why digital twins are such a strong fit. Rather than treating each part of the system (processing, packaging, distribution) as isolated nodes, digital twins offer a unified view of how one decision affects the whole. For example, a formulation change in a beverage product might alter viscosity, which in turn affects flow rates, cleaning cycles, and fill accuracy. A digital twin can model all of this in advance, avoiding costly surprises during roll-out. Overcoming the barriers to scale Despite the clear benefits, deploying digital twins at scale is not without challenges. The technology sits at the intersection of engineering, data science and operations, requiring a shared language across teams that may not naturally collaborate. Common barriers include: Data integrity : Many legacy systems were not built with real-time data flow in mind. Harmonising datasets across operations, engineering and IT teams remains a heavy lift. Model calibration : Twins must be continuously updated to stay accurate. That means constant validation against real-world measurements and processes. Sensor coverage : Without a robust network of reliable sensors, the twin’s insight is limited. Gaps in measurement lead to gaps in prediction. Change management : Perhaps most significantly, digital twins shift how decisions are made. This requires trust. Teams must evolve from intuition-led choices to model-informed strategies. These hurdles are not insurmountable, but they do require long-term commitment and a clear governance structure to fully embrace Physical AI. A practical roadmap for manufacturers For food and beverage companies exploring the potential of digital twins, a phased, pragmatic approach is best. Here are four principles that can guide implementation: Start with a high-impact use case : Choose a process or asset where the return on better visibility is clear, such as a thermal processing line or packaging station. Build strong data foundations : Ensure sensor networks are reliable, and data governance is in place. Combine physics-based and AI models : Hybrid models are often more robust than pure machine learning. They provide interpretable results grounded in domain knowledge. Measure what matters : Set technical KPIs from the start. These could include reduction in energy use, predictive accuracy or mean time between failures. Let the metrics speak. The path forward Digital twins are not a silver bullet, but they are a compelling strategic lever. For food and beverage manufacturers navigating a world of growing complexity, evolving regulation and shrinking margins, they offer a new way to work: more precise, more agile, and more data-driven. For F&B Leaders, this is an opportunity to rethink what visibility, planning, and control can look like when your systems anticipate the future.

BlueTree Technologies has entered into an exclusive partnership with PCI Membranes, part of Filtration Group, to expand the use of sugar-reduction technologies in the beverage sector. The collaboration integrates PCI Membranes’ tubular polymeric membrane systems into BlueTree’s proprietary sugar-reduction platform, enabling beverage manufacturers to lower sugar and carbohydrate content while maintaining taste and clean-label credentials. Under the exclusivity agreement, PCI Membranes will supply its components solely for BlueTree’s sugar-reduction applications, while BlueTree commits to using PCI Membranes as its single provider. The companies said this ensures consistent performance, quality and scalability for industrial production. PCI Membranes’ portfolio includes microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis technologies, which will be paired with BlueTree’s additive-free platform to provide beverage producers with production-ready systems. Michael Gordon, CEO of BlueTree Technologies, said: “Taste is non-negotiable for today’s consumers, even in healthier products. Our partnership with PCI Membranes offers beverage manufacturers a turnkey solution that can reduce sugar while preserving flavour and ingredient integrity, helping brands deliver on both wellness and quality.” Ralph Gehlhar, president of liquid process filtration at PCI Membranes, added: “Beverage producers need solutions that integrate smoothly into existing operations and perform reliably at scale. By combining BlueTree’s innovation with our membrane technology, we’re providing manufacturers with an efficient, production-ready system built for consistency, throughput and ease of use.” The partnership was announced at Drinktec 2025 in Munich, Germany, where the two companies are jointly showcasing the technology.

Swedish foodtech company SMAQO has closed a funding round to support the development and launch of its first hybrid mycoprotein-based products. The round was led by Singapore-based Good Startup (Good Protein Fund), with participation from ITIL Partners in Singapore and Nordic impact investor Nuora Capital. SMAQO, founded by Ramkumar Nair, will use the investment to scale its fermentation platform, expand product development and introduce its first consumer products in the Nordic market before the end of 2025. International expansion is planned for 2027. The company is developing a range of high-protein foods using proprietary fungi strains, aiming to offer clean-label products with lower environmental impact. SMAQO has also established production partnerships in Sweden and Asia, supporting its planned global rollout via an asset-light model. Nair said: “This investment marks a significant milestone for SMAQO. We’re delighted that our new investors share our mission to transform the global food system with scalable, sustainable protein solutions. Their strategic backing will help us accelerate our market entry and drive meaningful impact on climate and food security.” Gautam Godhwani, co-founder and managing partner at Good Startup, added: “We’ve been tracking the mycoprotein category for several years, and SMAQO stood out for its ability to combine technical excellence with commercial focus. Their platform has the flexibility to address multiple markets – from ingredients to ready-to-eat consumer products – and we’re excited to support their journey from lab to large-scale impact.” Financial details of the funding were not disclosed. Top image: © SMAQO

NoPalm Ingredients has entered into a strategic partnership with Belgian dairy cooperative Milcobel to secure feedstock and explore co-location opportunities for the scale-up of its palm oil alternatives. Under the agreement, Milcobel will supply whey permeate – a by-product from its cheese production – to NoPalm Ingredients’ demonstration facility in the Netherlands, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. In addition, the two companies will conduct a joint feasibility study on establishing NoPalm Ingredients’ first commercial production facility at Milcobel’s Langemark site, targeted to start operations in 2028. NoPalm Ingredients has developed a fermentation process that converts agro-industrial side streams such as whey permeate into oils and fats with the same functional properties as palm and other tropical oils. Industrial trials carried out over the past two years have confirmed the feasibility of using whey permeate as a feedstock, with consistent production of specification-grade oils at industrial scale. Francis Relaes, managing director of Milcobel Premium Ingredients, said: “This new collaboration with NoPalm Ingredients...brings the valorisation of whey permeate higher up the value chain, turning it into sustainable, high-value oil ingredients for food and non-food. It not only strengthens our economic model but also reinforces our commitment to circularity principles and better impact for the planet.” Lars Langhout, CEO of NoPalm Ingredients, added: “This partnership proves the strength of our co-location model: turning side streams into high-value ingredients where they are generated, reducing transport and sharing infrastructure. Working with Milcobel shows how a biotech startup and a dairy leader can create true circularity with economic and environmental value on both sides.”

Meala FoodTech has launched Groundbaker, a single-ingredient pea protein solution designed to replicate the multifunctional performance of eggs in bakery applications. The start-up said its new solution can reduce costs, decrease reliance on instable egg supplies and simplify formulations, streamlining production while responding to the evolving demands of today’s consumers. Currently, the baking industry relies heavily on eggs to achieve the structure and texture consumers expect. However, recent avian flu outbreaks in the US and EU have led to significant egg shortages, straining supply chains and triggering fluctuating egg prices. This has resulted in growing cost pressures for manufacturers as well as sparking food safety concerns. These challenges have spurred innovation in cost-effective and nutritious egg alternative ingredients across the food industry, with bakers seeking solutions that can match the performance of egg in products such as pound cakes, sponge cakes, brioches, pancakes, pre-made cake mixes and more. © DiTales Studio According to Meala, its IP-protected technology provides ‘exceptional’ functionality across a range of sweet and savoury food applications. This is due to its gelling, binding, foaming, water-holding and emulsification functions. The pea protein ingredient is clean label and free from common allergens. Meala said it has already attracted significant interest from CPG bakery manufacturers and commercial cake mix producers supplying both retailers and bakeries. Hadar Ekhoiz-Razmovich, CEO and co-founder of Meala FoodTech, commented: “Replacing egg with a single, high-performance ingredient that can deliver the desired rise and lightness prized in bakery products is highly challenging”. She noted that the product can easily be integrated into any food production line at low inclusion levels and reduce production costs for manufacturers. Meala recently formed a strategic partnership with DSM-Firmenich to launch a texturizing pea protein for use in plant-based meat alternative applications, suitable for replacing modified binders and catering to increased demand for cleaner labels in the category. Top image: © DiTales Studio

US climate tech company Nitricity has raised $50 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate production of its organic nitrogen fertilizer and expand operations into Europe. The round was co-led by World Fund, making its first US investment, and returning investor Khosla Ventures. Other participants included Chipotle’s Cultivate Next venture fund, Change Forces, Susquehanna Sustainable Investments, EIP and Fine Structure Ventures. Nitricity produces Ash Tea, a liquid organic nitrogen fertilizer made from recycled almond shells, air, water and renewable energy. The company says the product is cost-competitive with conventional organic fertilizers and can be applied through irrigation systems. Field trials have reported yield increases of up to 30%. The new financing comes ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for Nitricity’s first large-scale plant in Delhi, California, scheduled to open in 2026. The facility will expand production capacity 100-fold, with output already committed under offtake agreements with organic growers through 2028. The project is backed by Elemental Impact and Trellis Climate and is expected to create more than 20 jobs in Merced County. Nitricity intends to use the Series B capital to expand capacity in the Western US, hire more than ten new staff, and begin pilot projects and field trials in Europe. In Europe, the company plans to produce fertilizer using local agricultural by-products such as wood waste and olive oil residues. Founded in 2018 by Stanford graduates Nicolas Pinkowski (CEO), Joshua McEnaney (president and CTO) and Jay Schwalbe (CSO), Nitricity currently operates a pilot plant in Fremont, California, producing 80 tons of fertilizer annually. The company estimates the liquid organic nitrogen fertilizer market could reach $11 billion. Pinkowski said: “This is an inflection point for Nitricity. We’re scaling across the US and we’re very excited to expand into Europe in a serious and assertive way. The European market for our organic fertilizer is even larger than in the US, and demand is only growing against a backdrop of European governments looking to boost resilience and create circular agriculture economies. We offer an exceptional organic, circular solution for the market.” Nadine Geiser, principal at World Fund, commented: “The Haber-Bosch process typically sees around 60-70% of nitrogen applied to crops get lost. This cannot continue. Our calculations show Nitricity’s brilliant, price-competitive sustainable, organic alternative provides an <92% reduction in emissions on average. As the EU looks to meet sustainability and organic requirements, demand for Nitricity’s solution is only rising, and we are proud to be supporting Nicolas and the team as they scale into Europe and beyond.” Rajesh Swaminathan, partner at Khosla Ventures, added: “Fertilizer production hasn’t changed in over a century. It’s complex, expensive and vulnerable to global supply shocks. Nitricity is taking a fundamentally different approach with a modular system that turns almond shells, air and water directly into organic fertilizer." "Since investing in 2022, Nico and the team have made impressive progress, securing premium offtake agreements and preparing to break ground on a first-of-a-kind plant. This kind of innovation is what it takes to transform the global agriculture system.” Top image: (L-R): Joshua McEnaney, Jay Schwalbe and Nicolas Pinkowski. © Pique Action

Protein Industries Canada, Maia Farms and Phytokana Ingredients are collaborating on a CAD 32.5 million (approx. $23.5 million) project to turn Canadian-grown fava beans into nutritious, sustainable ingredients for plant-based foods. Of the $23.5 million being invested, $18.7 million will come from the industry partners and $4.7 million will come from Protein Industries Canada. The project brings together Canadian farmers, processors and food-tech innovators to strengthen the country’s value chain for fava beans while bringing new products to global consumers. Phytokana, a start-up based in Alberta, will use its proprietary technology – which avoids heat and chemicals – to process novel fava varieties into protein concentrate, starch flour and fava flour with improved taste, texture and nutrition. These ingredients will retain their natural functionality, making them ideal for use in dairy alternatives, plant-based meats and other food products. The company is in the process of securing funding to construct and commission a fully automated, 30,000 metric tonne per year dry fractionation processing facility. The site will be built near Strathmore, Alberta, enabling Phytokana to meet growing global demand. Chris Theal, president and CEO of Phytokana, said: “Our native functionality and superior sensory fava ingredients are the culmination of research and innovation in collaboration with some of the world’s leading food and beverage companies”. “This contribution from Protein Industries Canada primarily supports the direct investment into our custom-designed process flow, overlain with automation and advanced predictive process controls that serve to deliver value-added, sustainable and consistent quality food ingredients to global markets.” Maia Farms, a food-tech company based in Vancouver, uses fermentation to upcycle flours into high-value fermented mushroom proteins with enhanced digestibility and functional properties. Through the project, Phytokana will supply Maia Farms with fava ingredients, which Maia Farms will then use to create new mycelium-based ingredient solutions. Gavin Schneider, Maia Farms’ CEO, commented: “Maia has established commercial partnerships from coast to coast, building the infrastructure to establish Canada as a leader in mushroom-based protein ingredients and fermentation technology”. “With the support of Protein Industries Canada, Maia will further advance its biomass fermentation technology, upcycling Phytokana’s fava ingredients into value-added, sustainable ingredients.”