Standing Ovation Secures Additional Funding to €12 million of Non-Dairy Casein Production
Source: The DairyNews
Paris-based food tech company Standing Ovation, with backing from Bel Group, plans to utilize its recent funding of approximately €12 million to scale up the production of non-animal caseins through precision fermentation.
The startup's patented process, developed in collaboration with Babybel maker Bel Group, aims to create superior cheese alternatives.
Precision fermentation involves genetically programming organisms like yeasts to produce specific ingredients, allowing casein to play a vital role in the development of dairy alternatives. This process enables producers to achieve nearly equivalent functional and nutritional properties in cheese analogs.
In 2022, Standing Ovation and Bel Group announced a partnership to enhance the plant-based and non-animal cheese and dairy alternatives in Babybel's portfolio, focusing on increasing protein content. Bel Group provided financial backing to Standing Ovation and acquired an equity stake in the startup. The initial products from this collaboration are expected to debut in 2024, initially in the US and potentially in Europe, pending regulatory approvals.
In addition to the €12 million funding secured in 2022, Standing Ovation is set to receive an additional €3 million for industrializing the production of non-dairy casein. This includes €2 million from a French government program supporting agri-food resilience and technological innovation, along with a €1 million loan from BPI France for an ecological and energy transition project.
Standing Ovation's objective is to establish a purification line for proteins (caseins) obtained through precision fermentation, marking a crucial step in the industrialization process for these highly nutritious and functional ingredients.
While precision fermentation remains relatively small in the market as of 2024, analysts anticipate its growth due to its potential to provide an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional dairy farming. The focus on reducing carbon emissions aligns with the broader trend of investing in sustainable and innovative solutions within the food industry, with precision fermentation presenting a promising avenue for future developments in protein production.
Precision fermentation involves genetically programming organisms like yeasts to produce specific ingredients, allowing casein to play a vital role in the development of dairy alternatives. This process enables producers to achieve nearly equivalent functional and nutritional properties in cheese analogs.
In 2022, Standing Ovation and Bel Group announced a partnership to enhance the plant-based and non-animal cheese and dairy alternatives in Babybel's portfolio, focusing on increasing protein content. Bel Group provided financial backing to Standing Ovation and acquired an equity stake in the startup. The initial products from this collaboration are expected to debut in 2024, initially in the US and potentially in Europe, pending regulatory approvals.
In addition to the €12 million funding secured in 2022, Standing Ovation is set to receive an additional €3 million for industrializing the production of non-dairy casein. This includes €2 million from a French government program supporting agri-food resilience and technological innovation, along with a €1 million loan from BPI France for an ecological and energy transition project.
Standing Ovation's objective is to establish a purification line for proteins (caseins) obtained through precision fermentation, marking a crucial step in the industrialization process for these highly nutritious and functional ingredients.
While precision fermentation remains relatively small in the market as of 2024, analysts anticipate its growth due to its potential to provide an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional dairy farming. The focus on reducing carbon emissions aligns with the broader trend of investing in sustainable and innovative solutions within the food industry, with precision fermentation presenting a promising avenue for future developments in protein production.
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