ISRAELI – Imagindairy, an Israeli-based food tech company, and Ginkgo Bioworks, a leader in cell programming and biosecurity, have announced a collaboration to develop and produce animal-free non-whey dairy proteins.
The collaboration between Ginkgo and Imagindairy is propelled by a shared vision to offer a global solution for non-whey dairy protein production cost-effectively.
Leveraging Ginkgo’s Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy’s process development and scale-up expertise, the two companies aim to expedite the development of functional non-whey dairy proteins.
This ambitious project is supported by the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, which has contributed funding alongside other partners for this program spanning multiple years.
Imagindairy’s innovative approach combines cutting-edge AI technology with precision fermentation to create sustainable and scalable dairy proteins without the need for cows.
This process preserves the flavour, functionality, and nutritional value of dairy products while eliminating reliance on traditional animal agriculture.
With access to fully operational production lines, Imagindairy stands at the forefront of the industry, capable of producing cost-effective dairy proteins at scale.
Through their partnership, Imagindairy and Ginkgo are collaborating to design an optimized organism capable of efficiently producing non-whey dairy proteins.
This strategic alliance allows Imagindairy to focus on whey protein production while accelerating the development and market entry of non-whey proteins.
Ginkgo will utilize its expertise in AI and organism engineering to enhance production economics and functionality, while Imagindairy will spearhead the production process and scale-up of these innovative proteins.
Jennifer Wipf, Chief Commercial Officer at Ginkgo Bioworks, expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasizing Ginkgo’s leadership in protein and organism engineering.
“Ginkgo has firmly established itself in the alternative dairy and food proteins industry, showcasing our leadership in protein and organism engineering,” she said.
“We have many successful collaborations in this space, and we’re thrilled to get to work with Imagindairy on this innovative and market-relevant project.”
She commended Imagindairy’s innovative approach and expressed eagerness to collaborate on bringing new animal-free dairy products to market.
Eyal Afergan, Co-Founder & CEO at Imagindairy, echoed Wipf’s sentiments, highlighting the importance of innovation in the alternative proteins field.
“We’re proud of this acknowledgement by the BIRD Foundation, as it highlights the importance of further innovation in the alternative proteins field, and our capability to successfully execute this project.”
In addition, Afergan emphasized Imagindairy’s commitment to delivering high-quality, animal-free dairy delights that match the taste and cost of traditional dairy, thereby making significant contributions to consumers and the industry.
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