MicroHarvest will conduct trials in salmon and shrimp with several global aqua feed producers.
MicroHarvest
MicroHarvest has confirmed its ability to scale its production process to 10 tons per day, representing a ten-fold increase over its current capacity. By the end of 2026, it will be able to produce up to 15,000 tons annually.
The launch of its pilot plant in Lisbon has allowed the German startup to accelerate this path to commercialization of its single-cell protein ingredients and contribute to a more resilient and eco-friendly food system.
"Producers of feed and food are under significant pressure to adopt novel ingredients within the next 3-5 years, but scaling these ingredients has been a bottleneck in the B2B ingredients market," alerted MicroHarvest CEO Katelijne Bekers.
"Initial trials require hundreds of kilos or even tons of product for testing, followed by the need for consistent, large-scale production in the range of thousands of tons. While many biotechnology startups struggle to scale their production beyond small pilot volumes of just a few kilos, we have successfully run pilots with 50-100 kg of product," she explained.
After 3 years of trials, MicroHarvest has tested the consistency of strain performance and critical parameters. This ensures that industrial-scale production will be successful.
Additionally, it was demonstrated that the entire process, from cryovial to full-scale production, is more than ten times faster than traditional seed trains in the food industry.
"Our R&D and Pilot teams focused from the start on minimizing these problems. Our technology minimizes the risk of contamination and focuses on quickly recovering production from technical problems. Having overcome any remaining technological barriers, MicroHarvest is committed to reaching its kiloton output target," MicroHarvest COO Jonathan Roberz added.
Furthermore, MicroHarvest's microbial fermentation process produces protein with a fraction of the carbon footprint of traditional plant- and animal-based proteins. Its by-products come from the agricultural sector, helping to reduce environmental impact.
Finally, the Biotech startup plans to conduct trials in salmon and shrimp with several global aqua feed producers, covering millions of metric tons of feed.
