Senara secures LIOF investment for Maastricht expansion in cell-cultivated dairy
Senara is considering Maastricht as the location for a pilot manufacturing facility and has opened another funding round to support the project. The LIOF backing provides access to local expertise, recruitment opportunities, infrastructure and potential partners. The company already operates a 100-litre pilot bioreactor and has previously outlined plans to introduce an industrial-scale unit by 2028.
Founded in 2022 by Dr Svenja Dannewitz and Dr Philipp Prosseda, Senara obtains milk-producing animal cells from fresh milk, rather than taking them directly from an animal. It grows these cells in a specially designed bioreactor, where they release milk in a process similar to secretion within a cow’s udder. The milk contains casein, whey, lactose and micronutrients. According to the company, it is free of genetically modified organisms and the bacteria and yeasts ordinarily associated with milk spoilage.
Dannewitz said Senara’s objective was to improve milk production methods while retaining the product itself. She said the process could use less land and energy than conventional dairying and reduce the length of supply chains. She also described the possibility of farmers eventually running bioreactors on their farms, allowing them to participate in the emerging production model.
LIOF’s investment forms part of its strategy to connect international businesses with Limburg’s cellular-agriculture cluster. Annemoon Borst, an investment manager at the agency, described Senara as one of Europe’s leading cell-cultivated dairy businesses and said it intended to expand internationally. She pointed to the combination of specialist expertise, entrepreneurial activity, investment funding and infrastructure for scaling up available in Limburg.
The region has worked in cellular agriculture for a decade. Maastricht was the development location for the world’s first cultivated hamburger. Its current network includes Maastricht University, Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus and Mosa Meat, alongside Cultivate at Scale, a facility offering open access to infrastructure for increasing production. Senara’s planned presence would place its dairy operations within this existing regional network.
Senara is collaborating with international food manufacturers on products such as cheese, ice cream and panna cotta. The company expects its first food products could be sold in supermarkets within a few years. It has also indicated that its technology can be tailored to nutritional requirements, including milk rich in A2 protein and lactose-free formulations. Longer-term applications could include producing milk from goats, buffalo, sheep and other animal species.
The company is also developing ingredients for cosmetics and skincare as a potential earlier commercial outlet. It is pursuing these applications alongside food development because novel foods face a more demanding regulatory pathway. Its commercial work therefore spans both food products made with cultivated milk and ingredients intended for personal-care uses.
