Holy Cow

Australian precision fermentation startup Eden Brew, co-owned by dairy cooperative Norco, has successfully raised $24.4 million in a Series A funding round. The company has developed an ‘animal-free casein micelle’, a key component of dairy proteins, allowing it to replicate the sensory and nutritional qualities of traditional dairy products.

Eden Brew aims to contribute to sustainable food production by creating dairy alternatives that require significantly less water compared to traditional dairy production. The company is also leveraging its partnership with Norco, a major dairy cooperative, to accelerate its production scale-up efforts. Eden Brew is among several companies globally working on animal-free casein proteins to create convincing dairy alternatives, with others including Pureture, New Culture, and Climax Foods. However, scaling these products and achieving regulatory clearance remain key challenges for the industry.

We need our next significant step towards a more sustainable dairy sector. Has Eden Brew timed its run right to be the first scaled precision fermentation product to win over consumers?