Ayana Bio, Brevel bag $1.25M grant to scale bioactives

June 8, 2026 |

In Boston, synthetic biology firm Ayana Bio and Israeli illuminated fermentation firm Brevel have won a $1.25 million Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation grant to advance and scale plant cell cultivation using illuminated fermentation technology for the commercial production of plant-based bioactive ingredients.

Through this collaboration, Ayana Bio and Brevel will combine their proprietary technological platforms to address one of the food and wellness industries’ most pressing challenges: the instability of traditional botanical supply chains. Climate change, shifting agricultural conditions and contamination risks frequently impact the quality and availability of plant-derived ingredients. 

The partnership is part of a newly approved cohort of seven binational projects backed by a $7.5 million grant pool from the BIRD Foundation, which leverages private sector funding to drive a combined $20 million investment. The funding is designed to mitigate research and development risks and accelerate the commercialization of cross-border, high-impact innovations.

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Category: Chemicals & Materials

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