Vivici, a Dutch ingredients startup aiming to make dairy protein from precision fermentation commercially viable, has secured €12.5 million from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme. This capital will support the company’s plans to scale market access and supply of its Vivitein™ Ingredient Portfolio of functional protein ingredients, and
Rahul Raj
Vivici, a Dutch ingredients startup aiming to make dairy protein from precision fermentation commercially viable, has secured €12.5 million from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme.
This capital will support the company’s plans to scale market access and supply of its Vivitein™ Ingredient Portfolio of functional protein ingredients, and to accelerate innovation for the customers and consumers it serves. In February, Vivici announced that it had secured €32.5 million (approx. $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.
Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici, “Securing the support of the EIC is a powerful endorsement of what we are building at Vivici. It tells us that Europe sees the same opportunity we do, to turn the promise of precision fermentation into a commercial reality, at scale, for the benefit of customers and consumers. This funding allows us to move faster on exactly that.”
Vivici was founded in 2023 with the mission of realising the commercial potential of precision fermentation, the method used by Vivici to create dairy protein.
According to the company, precision fermentation combines the process of traditional fermentation with the latest advances in biotechnology, producing proteins without the need for animals. The technology promises to sustainably meet the protein needs of the world’s growing population, without compromising on price, taste, or nutritional quality, claims Vivici.
The company states that Vivitein, its portfolio of functional protein ingredients, enables nutrition innovators to offer premium products that meet modern consumers’ demands. Vivitein™ BLG, an isolated whey protein (beta-lactoglobulin), is the first ingredient to be launched under the company’s Vivitein™ protein platform.
Vivici reports that this award follows a period of rapid commercial progress. Vivici launched its second Vivitein™ ingredient, Vivitein™ LF (lactoferrin), in the US market earlier this year with self-affirmed GRAS status, following the commercialisation of its flagship ingredient, Vivitein™ BLG (beta-lactoglobulin). Both are produced through precision fermentation.
“Customer demand for our ingredients is already strong, and this backing lets us meet it with the supply and pace the market expects,” said Simon Penfold, Chief Commercial Officer of Vivici.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator is the European Union’s flagship funding program for startups and small and medium-sized companies developing high-impact, DeepTech innovations. It provides blended finance that combines grant funding with equity investment, helping companies bridge the gap from validated technology to market scale.
Vivici is one of 38 innovative startups and SMEs recently selected by EIC for funding after their latest evaluation. Out of 87 proposals that reached the interview stage, these companies were chosen for their transformative technologies and strong commercial potential, receiving a combination of grant and equity support. The full list of selected startups is available here.
The selected companies come from 16 EU and associated countries, with the highest number coming from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland. Women occupy key leadership positions like CEO, CTO, or CSO in 21% of these companies.
The funding sits within the company’s wider business plan. It will be used to unlock the full potential of the company’s technology, to sustainably scale the market access and supply of its Vivitein™ ingredients, and to drive more innovation for customers and consumers.
