Dutch startup Vivici has been awarded €12.5 million ($14.4 million) through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Program to scale production of dairy proteins via precision fermentation.
The blended financing combines €2.5 million in grant funding with €10 million in equity investment.
Formed by Fonterra and DSM-Firmenich in December 2022, Vivici has been able to move rapidly by leveraging its founders’ expertise in dairy proteins and industrial-scale biomanufacturing. It recently integrated novel tech from Danish startup Enduro Genetics into its production strain, enabling a dramatic increase in titers and yields, two key metrics in biomanufacturing.
“We entered the scene as the new kid on the block, and since then, we’ve leapfrogged a lot of the field and catapulted ourselves to the front,” CEO Stephan van Sint Fiet told AgFunderNews. “We have a very strong technology base, a deep understanding of ingredient applications and marketing, and a team with a track record of bringing innovations to market.”
He added: “Commercial momentum continues to build for both Vivitein BLG and Vivitein LF. We’re seeing strong interest and that is converting into action, with supply agreements now signed and being fulfilled from our current supply. The EIC funding reflects that momentum and will help us further scale supply to new customers.”
The firm, which raised a $34 million Series A round last year, has also made rapid progress on the regulatory front, attaining FDA GRAS status for beta-lactoglobulin (the primary protein in whey) in Feb 2025 and self-GRAS status for the bioactive protein lactoferrin in Feb 2026.
Asked about the timeline for approvals in the EU, van Sint Fiet told us: “We focus on submitting a high-quality dossier to EFSA and hope that this will allow EFSA to arrive at a positive scientific opinion swiftly, ideally within the 18 months that EFSA sets as a timeline for itself.”
Vivici has European co-manufacturing partners able to produce at industrial scale and has struck a deal with Liberation Bioindustries to produce its proteins in Indiana in the US. It has also partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to explore an industrial-scale facility for alt protein production in the UAE.
Further reading:
Vivici sees 30% boost in titers, yield, via cell productivity tech from Enduro Genetics
Standing Ovation nets $34m, gears up for US launch of casein via precision fermentation
🎥 21st Bio on strains, scale, and the valley of death: Fixing precision fermentation’s weak links
