In Austria, Arkeon, a company developing microorganisms that can convert gases into animal-based protein alternatives, has filed for insolvency. According to AgFunderNews, company cofounder and CEO Dr. Gregor Tegl announced the news on LinkedIn, and also affirmed his belief in the potential of the technology. “Every failure teaches us something new, and the lessons we’ve […]
In France, plant-based ingredients firm Roquette has named Thierry Fournier as its new CEO, effective July 18, 2025. Fournier is currently the CEO of the Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa Region for Saint-Gobain, a global leader in light and sustainable construction, with over 161,000 employees and revenues of more than €46 billion. He is […]
In Italy, dsm-firmenich has broken ground on a new production facility for flavors and functional blends. The Parma plant will support the production of flavors for plant-based products and more nutritious ready-to-eat meals. Scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, the new site will significantly expand the company’s capabilities in concentrated powder […]
In Japan, biotechnology firm bitBiome has partnered with an unnamed CMO for the manufacturing and supply of its enzymes, proteins and ingredients. bitBiome’s platform is built on their proprietary single-cell microbial genome analysis technology, bit-MAP®. Using bioinformatics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, bitBiome has used bit-MAP to create a comprehensive enzyme discovery and enzyme, pathway […]
In New Zealand, a startup called KiwiLeather Innovations is building a business converting rejected kiwifruit into a leather alternative. According to Fresh Plaza, over 50,000 tons of kiwifruit is deemed unfit for sale in New Zealand annually. KiwiLeather Innovations founder Shelley Jouston, inspired by similar fruit waste-to-leather projects in Europe, collaborated with Scion research to […]
In Indiana, UPSIDE Foods served cultivated chicken sandwiches during the recent Indianapolis 500 as it called the state’s upcoming ban on such products “un-American.” Indiana’s ban on cultivated meat sales is slated to begin July 1. According to CultivatedX, UPSIDE Foods said in a social media post that it is “here to defend your right […]
In California, MeliBio, a pioneer in bee-free food, has been acquired by Switzerland-based foodtech FoodYoung Labs for an undisclosed sum. MeliBio has earned global recognition as the creator of the world’s first plant-based honey, Mellody, which debuted at “buzzy”—and Michelin-star rated—Manhattan restaurant Eleven Madison Park. The deal includes MeliBio’s Mellody brand and its “Generation 1” […]
In South Korea, designers Zay Kim, Chaewon Lee, and Jungmin Park have created a biodegradable splint concept for birds injured in urban environments. Dubbed BirdAid, the splints are made from eggshell calcium, agar and potato starch. The calcium provides for bone recovery while the compositions of the other materials are calibrated to biodegrade at a […]
In California, a foodtech startup has reported progress scaling the production of cocoa using cellular agriculture. According to Green Queen, California Cultured has advanced from growing cocoa cells in a bench shake flask to growing them in bioreactors, with help from collaboration partner Pow.Bio. Founded in 2020, California Cultured isolates cocoa plant cells with the […]
In California, synthetic biology firm Amyris and food ingredient solutions firm Ingredion Incorporated have agreed to “wind down” their RealSweet joint venture. Formed in 2021, the JV focused on producing and commercializing fermented Reb M, a zero-calorie, high-intensity sweetener derived from stevia. As part of the agreement, Amyris will assume 100% ownership of the Precision […]
