Fonterra invests in Dutch start-up Vivici’s seed funding round for animal-free dairy proteins through precision fermentation.
New Zealand dairy giant, Fonterra, is among the founding investors in Vivici, a Dutch start-up headquartered near The Hague. The financial details of the investment have not been disclosed. Vivici aims to develop alternative, animal-free dairy proteins through precision fermentation, seeking to address the increasing global demand for protein in a sustainable, efficient, and safe manner. According to Vivici, current methods of protein production cannot scale sustainably to meet the projected doubling of global protein demand by 2050.
Fonterra joins DSM-Firmenich, an ingredients supplier, as a founding investor in Vivici. The collaboration between Vivici, DSM-Firmenich, and Fonterra combines precision fermentation expertise with leading dairy science and technology, aligning with Fonterra’s strategy to be at the forefront of dairy innovation and science.
Vivici, based at the Biotech Campus Delft in the Netherlands, is supported by the Dutch government’s €60m ($64.9m) investment package, which aims to foster the development of cellular agriculture and related infrastructure and knowledge.
Vivici’s CEO, Stephan van Sint Fiet, expressed excitement about the partnership with Fonterra and the shared commitment to building a future-proof food system through precision fermentation. In February, Fonterra also invested in US-based Motif FoodWorks, another member of the Precision Fermentation Alliance.
Earlier this year, Fonterra launched its corporate ventures arm, Nutrition Science Solutions, and made its first investment of $10m in Pendulum, a San Francisco-based biotech company specializing in dietary supplements. DSM-Firmenich Venturing has also backed Meatable, a Dutch cultivated meat company that recently raised $35m in funding for scaling up its pork products.
