CSIRO Spinout Eclipse Ingredients Banks $7M to Ferment Human Lactoferrin at Scale

Courtesy: Eclipse Ingredients

Human breast milk contains a rare, multifunctional protein known as lactoferrin — crucial for immunity, inflammation control, and iron absorption. It’s so potent it’s been dubbed a “wonder protein” in scientific circles. But sourcing it at scale has always been an expensive, inefficient puzzle. Until now.

A Brisbane-based biotech startup, Eclipse Ingredients, is aiming to change that. Spun out of Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, the company is using precision fermentation to recreate human-identical lactoferrin from yeast — unlocking a potential multi-billion-dollar market across skincare, supplements, infant nutrition, and functional foods.

The company is the latest to emerge from Australia’s growing synthetic biology and biotech ecosystem, but it stands out for its singular focus: enabling access to previously inaccessible functional ingredients by replacing animal-derived extraction methods with scalable, microbial production.

“We’re creating ingredients that nature makes in small amounts, but that the world urgently needs in much greater supply,” said Siobhan Coster, CEO and co-founder of Eclipse Ingredients. “Lactoferrin was the clear frontrunner. It’s incredibly multifunctional — antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, microbiome-supporting, and iron-binding — but it’s been out of reach commercially.”

Lactoferrin is found in human milk, immune cells, and various bodily secretions, playing a critical role in early-life immunity and ongoing health. However, current commercial sources typically rely on extracting bovine lactoferrin from cow’s milk, a process that is costly, inconsistent, and yields a structurally different protein than what humans naturally produce.

“We’re bypassing those inefficiencies entirely,” said Coster. “With precision fermentation, we can engineer yeast to produce the human-identical version — safely, ethically, and at scale.”

The opportunity is significant. The global lactoferrin market is expected to surpass US$350 million by 2030, with applications across infant formula, immune-focused supplements, and high-end skincare. Human-identical versions could unlock even greater value, especially in regulated or premium categories.

Eclipse is betting that its model — a lean, science-forward startup built in partnership with public institutions — is what will make this leap possible. The company launched from within CSIRO and now operates out of Queensland University of Technology (QUT), allowing it to tap into cutting-edge fermentation infrastructure without the capital burden of building its own lab.

The startup has already raised more than $7 million, including $2.9 million in non-dilutive funding from the Commonwealth Government’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), and investment from global agrifoodtech venture firm AgFunder.

“Government support via FaBA was essential to building a capital-efficient business model,” said Coster. “We’re accessing state-of-the-art facilities that give us speed and scalability without needing to raise tens of millions upfront.”

AgFunder’s founding partner Michael Dean believes Eclipse is solving a “critical bottleneck” in functional protein production. “Their platform can disrupt both wellness and skincare markets by delivering ingredients that weren’t previously accessible,” he said.

While Eclipse’s first commercial product — a skincare ingredient — is set to launch in 2027, Coster said the company’s ambition goes far beyond lactoferrin. “This is our flagship compound, but we’re building a whole platform. We’ve mapped out other ingredients where traditional sourcing falls short and fermentation can fill the gap.”

Still, scaling novel ingredients — especially those with human health applications — is not without its hurdles. Regulatory approvals, manufacturing capacity, and market education remain tall orders for any startup in the precision fermentation space.

“Getting to market isn’t just a technical challenge — it’s also about navigating trust, safety, and demand,” Coster acknowledged. “But we’re building from a foundation of scientific credibility. That’s what gives us an edge.”

Dr Crispin Howitt, Research Lead at CSIRO, sees Eclipse as a blueprint for a new kind of science-led commercialisation in Australia. “We’re helping build the foundations for a future industry — one where sustainable, high-value ingredients are manufactured domestically and exported globally.”

That vision is already taking shape across Australia’s biotech landscape, with players like Eden Brew, Uluu and Cauldron raising interest — and capital — in recent years. But Eclipse Ingredients may be the first to focus so precisely on “impossible” health compounds like human lactoferrin.

“We’re not just making alternatives,” said Coster. “We’re unlocking the real thing — and doing it in a way that the world can actually access.”