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The very best identified mycoprotein might be Quorn, a meat substitute that’s quick approaching its fortieth birthday. However Finnish biotech startup Enifer is cooking up one thing even older: Its proprietary single-cell fungus-based protein, branded Pekilo, was initially developed within the Nineteen Sixties and ’70s — by, of all issues, the native paper trade.
The main target again then wasn’t on producing another protein for human consumption, because the startup intends — though the unique Pekilo product was offered for animal feed. As an alternative, per Enifer CEO and co-founder Simo Ellilä, the paper trade’s engineers had been attempting to provide you with an answer to air pollution brought on by mills dumping manufacturing waste (“sidestreams”) into native waterways.
“It principally began from the truth that folks within the lab realized that should you left these things over the weekend on the lab bench it will begin to develop fungus — and in order that was just like the ‘ah-ha’ second,” he defined.
After discovery on a lab bench, manufacturing of the mycoprotein was developed over some 15 years — with paper trade engineers making use of a means of biorefining and utilizing fermentation to develop and harvest the fungus at business scale. However the principle purpose was nonetheless waste water remedy. Which is why Pekilo fell out of use within the early Nineteen Nineties when the paper trade switched to incinerating its waste.
The engineering firm that developed it additionally went bankrupt and data of Pekilo was misplaced, as Ellilä tells it — “very actively forgotten” — including a Tolkien-esque ring to this alt protein’s lengthy historical past. “Our founder crew had been biotech scientists, educated, educated in Finland, and we’d by no means heard of this factor,” he informed TechCrunch. “So, very well forgotten.”
Somebody remembered, although. And that was how Enifer’s biotech founders stumbled throughout Pekilo — sparking their determination, in 2020, to spin out an organization from the VTT Technical Analysis Centre of Finland. The concept: revive this misplaced proprietary mycoprotein and lengthen manufacturing to yield food-grade (not simply feed-grade) protein.
“It was really because of a really senior R&D director, who’s already retired — who’d labored at Valio, the native dairy firm — who type of remembered this course of and was pondering, ‘Oh, might we make the most of this?’” recounted Ellilä. “Myself and considered one of my co-founders got here throughout this public R&D mission the place this gentleman was concerned. And we thought it was fascinating — critically, paper engineers had been making various proteins within the ’70s?!”
“We thought it was fascinating — critically, paper engineers had been making various proteins within the ’70s?!”
Lots of old fashioned detective work adopted to get well as a lot manufacturing info as attainable. “We began digging up all the things we might discover. There was nonetheless plenty of paper sources should you knew the place to look,” he stated. “We’ve performed plenty of unimaginable detective work — like we’ve actually gone to previous telephone books discovering a few of these folks.”
The motivation driving the founders is evident: Various proteins are a way more substantial business finish, in and of themselves, nowadays — on rising demand for sustainable alternate options to meat. Enifer is bullish there’s a long-term alternative to revive Pekilo. In essence: The mycoprotein’s finest days could but lie forward.
Pekilo mycoprotein as a uncooked ingredient (Picture credit: Iiro Muttilainen)
First manufacturing facility absolutely funded
The startup has simply closed out a Sequence B funding spherical to finish and operationalize its first manufacturing facility — at a complete price of €33 million — situated in Kirkkonummi, Finland, near the ocean (which offers a supply of cooling water to maintain fermenter tanks on the proper temperature).
“The fungal metabolism is absolutely lively,” Ellilä famous. “It’s just like the fungus is on a treadmill in there. So it’s actually producing warmth and you should take away that warmth.”
Enifer says the manufacturing facility would be the world’s first business plant to supply a mycoprotein ingredient from meals trade sidestream uncooked supplies — or, put one other method, this biorefining enterprise is about turning waste into prime quality protein. (Whereas the fungus that produces Quorn is often fed with glucose.)
The Sequence B consists of €15M in fairness funding led by the Finnish non-public fairness fund Taaleri Bioindustry Fund I, with follow-on investments from present shareholders Nordic Foodtech VC, Voima Ventures, and Valio (the aforementioned dairy large).
The Finnish Local weather Fund has additionally prolonged a €7M junior mortgage to assist the mission. Plus Enifer secured a €2M Local weather and Environmental Mortgage from Finnvera. It additionally beforehand reported a €12M recycling/reuse funding grant from Enterprise Finland, making its first manufacturing facility absolutely funded.
As soon as as much as full scale the fermenting and processing plant will produce 500kg of the alt protein per hour. It says it expects to have the ability to begin ramping up operations in 2026 however Ellilä confirmed it should take about three years to get to full manufacturing capability. If all goes nicely, extra factories might comply with.
The primary Pekilo manufacturing facility (Picture credit score: Anssi Rantasalo)
One of many key variations with Pekilo for food-grade consumption is the sidestreams used. Wooden pulp was high-quality for animal feed however new sidestreams are required to increase the product’s utility. Dairy trade waste — reminiscent of lactose — is one Enifer says works nicely as a feedstock for the fungus, so you possibly can see why Valio is investing.
Whereas the alt protein area can appear fairly crowded nowadays, with many types of plant-based and mycoprotein already accessible, one other factor that’s comparatively novel about Pekilo is it’s processed right into a dry powder (steam is used to dry the fungus after it’s harvested).
Ellilä says that makes it significantly fascinating to the meals trade — as a long-shelf life ingredient that may simply be dropped into present recipes and processing strategies.
The food-grade model of Pekilo additionally has a gentle and impartial taste — making it appropriate for a variety of makes use of, from savory meals to candy. “The feed-grade product does have a really attribute taste however we have to do some additional processing to make it food-grade and there the flavour is totally misplaced,” he famous.
One pattern product he mentions they provide to guests is a chocolate cake with flour swapped out for Pekilo. Different potential makes use of embrace patties, chilly cuts and even yogurts and cheeses. Enifer intends to stay a B2B participant, although — its culinary experiments are purely to showcase the mycoprotein’s potential to clients within the meals trade.
On pricing, Ellilä says they need the product to be cheaper than pea protein — suggesting, if profitable, Pekilo might nibble away at another alt protein’s marketshare (though he additionally notes there are dietary variations that may imply utilizing a mixture of alt proteins is finest).
“How I like to consider it’s what we need to obtain is attempting to contribute each to bringing down the price of these merchandise and bettering the standard of the subsequent era of plant based mostly,” he added.
Making use of for novel meals clearance
Earlier than Enifer’s mycoprotein will be folded into meals for human consumption, the startup might want to acquire regulatory clearance for Pekilo as a novel meals. So there’s an extended utility course of forward of it.
Ellilä says they’re getting ready an utility to file with regulators within the European Union, and can doubtless goal Singapore subsequent, adopted by the US.
He sounds assured they may — “finally” — get the inexperienced gentle to promote Pekilo as a novel human meals. “I do really feel that we’ve an exceptionally sturdy case… as a result of a mycoprotein just isn’t totally new,” he argued.
“It’s one other species of fungus. However, nonetheless, it’s not, you understand, one thing outrageous. It’s really not that distantly associated — as an organism — to Fusarium, which Quorn makes use of. After which there’s mounds of proof of its security in pigs and rooster and every kind of organisms.”
“We have now so many a lot scientific materials from again within the day. Which isn’t the case for a lot of different candidates,” he additionally recommended, including: “I’m positive we’ll get it will definitely.”
Enifer can also be growing Pekilo to be used in pet meals which supplies it a market it might probably entry in the intervening time. Plus it’s nonetheless contemplating animal feed use-cases, too — reminiscent of Pekilo’s origins — however the economics are tougher to stack up so companions could be wanted.
Ellilä says they’re speaking with firms with massive volumes of sidestreams they’d prefer to upcycle over potential partnerships. “We undoubtedly haven’t given up on animal diet,” he stated, including: “We’re in talks with plenty of firms to say let’s construct a three way partnership… after which we wouldn’t must chip in all of the capital.”
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