The company is targeting the active nutrition category, which was valued at US $28.4 billion globally in 2023 with an 8.5% growth that same year, according to Global Data and LEK Consulting.
The list of potential applications for Vivitein BLG includes clear water-based protein drinks, clean protein powders and vegan-friendly protein bars with textures similar to bars made with animal-derived ingredients, the company shared. The ingredient platform will be showcased at Expo West 2025 in Anaheim, CA this week.
The first customer offtake agreements for Vivitein BLG are already secured, and commercial supply to selected brands has already begun, CEO Stephan van Sint Fiet told NutraIngredients. “You can expect to see products on shelves in the next quarter.”
History
Founded in 2023, Vivici recently announced it had secured €32.5 million (approx. US $33.7 million) in Series A funding, led by APG on behalf of ABP, one of the largest pension funds in the world, and Invest-NL. Additional participation came from InnovationQuarter, as well as continued support from dsm-firmenich and Fonterra.
Vivici is not the first company to offer precision fermentation-derived protein to the market.
“Where we differ is in our ability to combine state-of-the-art biotechnology with leading dairy protein know-how, supported by an experienced senior team with strong commercial expertise within the biotech and ingredients space,” van Sint Fiet told us.
“We know what it takes to bring a product such as this to commercialization, and we have already delivered on a number of our key milestones, including bringing our first product to market.”
“Some other companies have taken a very broad approach to commercialization, across a number of different customer groups and categories,” he added. “Our strategy is to take a more focused approach in categories and with customers where fermentation-derived ingredients can unlock new possibilities and provide differentiated propositions to help them win the market with consumers. This is different to a sustainability-driven approach or an approach to replace all dairy.”
The ingredient is self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) in the United States, and the company is expecting a favorable in response to a GRAS notification filed with U.S. FDA this year (GRN No. 1200, β-lactoglobulin produced by Komagataella phaffii strain ‘VIPLA’).
Sustainability
Precision fermentation technology has been cited as a sustainable approach to meet the protein needs of the world’s growing population, without compromising on price, taste or nutritional quality.
According to Vivici, production of Vivitein BLG requires 86% less water usage and a carbon footprint that is 68% lower than conventional methods of producing dairy protein.
“Our journey to-date has seen us rigorously demonstrate the game-changing credentials of Vivitein BLG from both a sustainability and commercial perspective,” van Sint Fiet said. “When we say that Vivitein BLG is a new standard of protein, it’s so much more than marketing.”
The company also announced plans to complement its existing manufacturing capabilities with a U.S. manufacturing partner in the coming months. Additions to the portfolio are also being planned, with a lactoferrin ingredient—Vivitein LF—expected to be launched later this year.
