Pascual Innoventures has just made its first major investment with the aim of develop the milk of the future and bet on innovation. The company was founded in 2021 to drive the nutrition of the coming years.
Specifically, it has invested in De Novo Dairy and Zero Cow Factorytwo of the four startups that were part of mylkcubatorthe first incubator in the world specialized in the development of innovation projects for the dairy sector, launched by Pascual Innoventures and its partner Eatable Adventures.
De Novo Dairy and Zero Cow Factory, highly innovative, are specialized in the development of cellular agriculture and precision fermentation, a segment that is currently gaining weight in the dairy sector. These technologies, capable of directly producing nutrients and ingredients for the dairy industry through microorganisms, add to and complement the traditional industry, helping the players in the sector to move towards increasingly sustainable, efficient and healthy mixed production models that ensure food security for all.
Investment to address disruptive projects worldwide
South Africa-based De Novo Dairy is focused on developing precision fermentation technologies for the creation of alternative proteins (Lactoferrin) that are capable of reproducing the same nutritional profiles and sensory experiences as their dairy analogues. For its part, Zero Cow Factory, of Indian origin, seeks complement the traditional dairy industryl Producing the first milk and milk products using bioengineering and microbial fermentation.
Through these investments, says Gabriel Torres, director of Pascual Innoventures, “We intend to strengthen collaboration agreements to launch new products with innovative and expanded functionality; which improve the quality of life of our consumers and allow us to enter new markets. Together with De Novo Dairy, we are going to explore the production of Lactoferrin, a high value protein, essential in the development of babies and strengthener of the immune system. Hand in hand with Zero Cow, we will work on the synthesis of Casein, a milk protein that is vital to achieve a good flavor and texture in cheeses or yogurts of non-animal origin”.
The early vision and ability to identify the potential of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in terms of alternative dairy products was what prompted Pascual Innoventures to create Mylkcubator just over a year ago.
Cell cultures and precision fermentation techniques are beginning to demonstrate their industrial viability, as evidenced by the growth of investment in this sector (currently more than 200 investors are identified) and the emergence of new startups using these technologies as base, whose total business value already exceeds 5,316 million dollars, according to data from Dealroom.
In short, it is a sector whose ecosystem is evolving very quickly and generating significant investment traction, both globally and locally. This is supported by the figures, and it is that the investment in dairy alternatives tripled in 2021compared to the previous year, going from 194 million dollars to 605 million dollars.
