Digestiva, a food biotech company, has successfully closed its Series A equity financing round, raising $18.4 million. This crucial milestone was spearheaded by Magdalena, a global leader in sugar cane processing, with significant contributions from UC Investments and existing investors The March Fund and Astanor. The infusion of capital will propel Digestiva’s groundbreaking enzyme technology platform, initially discovered by co-founder Dr. Wilson Mak in the laboratory of esteemed UC Davis faculty member Dr. Justin Siegel, a leading authority in enzyme discovery, development, and design.
Digestiva’s core innovation revolves around the discovery and development of proprietary protease enzymes. These enzymes are designed to address critical challenges in protein nutrition, functionality, and overall health. A significant portion of the global population struggles to extract optimal nutrition from dietary proteins, leading to inadequate growth, muscle development, and general health issues, which often exacerbate with age. Digestiva's revolutionary proteases enhance protein bioavailability, enabling individuals and animals to maximize nutritional benefits from their existing diets without increasing protein consumption. This technology holds the potential to combat global malnutrition and promote sustainable nutrition by improving health outcomes and reducing environmental impacts.
In conjunction with the successful Series A financing, Digestiva has entered into an exclusive manufacturing partnership with Magdalena. This agreement will facilitate the scale-up production of enzymes, helping Digestiva achieve its commercial objectives. Magdalena's involvement ensures cost efficiencies and long-term supply security for Digestiva's customers, a strategic alignment that CEO John Melo views as essential for the company’s growth and impact.
Digestiva is actively engaged in multiple pilot projects aimed at accelerating commercialization and achieving initial revenue milestones. The company's first precision protease enhances the processability, nutritional quality, digestibility, and bioavailability of proteins. This enzyme technology releases an optimal mix of amino acids and peptides, offering versatile applications in nutrition and protein processing. Early pilot studies in humans and industrial processes suggest that Digestiva’s protease technology could revolutionize the quality of protein ingredients derived from various plant and animal sources.
Digestiva’s precision fermentation production method is both cost-effective and efficient. The company has also achieved Self-Affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status for its first product, making it market-ready. Digestiva aims to commercialize applications across the pet food, animal feed, and human nutrition markets, addressing a broad spectrum of nutritional needs and market demands.
CEO John Melo expressed his satisfaction with the high caliber of investors and their strategic alignment in scaling Digestiva’s technology. “We are very pleased with the high caliber of investors participating in our financing round and the strategic alignment in scaling our breakthrough technology to deliver a significant positive impact on the future of human and animal nutrition. We are excited to partner with Magdalena to manufacture our enzymes, ensuring both cost efficiencies and long-term supply security for our customers. Digestiva is a prime example of the groundbreaking biotechnology emerging from the UC Davis ecosystem,” he said.
With robust financial backing and strategic partnerships, Digestiva is poised to make significant strides in improving global nutrition. The company's innovative approach to enhancing protein bioavailability stands to benefit millions, fostering better health outcomes and contributing to a more sustainable future.
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