From Waste to Wonder: MOA’s Albatros Supercharges Fermentation with AI

Courtesy: MOA FoodTech

MOA Foodtech, the Spanish biotech startup reimagining how food is made, has officially launched Albatros—an AI-powered microbiology platform designed to help food and feed manufacturers upcycle their byproducts into high-value ingredients through precision fermentation. Positioned as the first of its kind, Albatros combines artificial intelligence with the industry’s most comprehensive microbiology dataset to significantly speed up product development, cut costs, and make advanced fermentation more accessible.

The release comes at a time when the food industry is under mounting pressure to reduce waste, lower input costs, and decarbonise supply chains. Conventional fermentation development typically takes six months or more and relies heavily on expensive feedstocks like refined sugars. Albatros, by contrast, can compress timelines to just two weeks while slashing R&D costs by 95%, offering a radically more efficient path to market.

“Using proprietary protocols, Albatros can analyse a microorganism’s DNA and, in just 10 minutes, predict its nutritional needs and how to reprogram its metabolism,” explained Bosco Emparanza García, Founder and CEO of MOA Foodtech. “This unlocks huge possibilities with fermentation—and has the power to transform the food industry.”

Data-Driven Fermentation at Unprecedented Speed

At the heart of Albatros is a machine learning engine trained on thousands of data points across microbes, enzymes, metabolic models, and over 200 food industry byproducts—from cereal residues to legume waste. When a company uploads the characterisation data of its side-stream, the platform identifies the most suitable microbial strain and fermentation process to achieve specific objectives, such as enhancing protein content, boosting biomass yield, or creating functional ingredients for feed or food applications.

Once the AI has mapped out the optimal strategy, MOA’s lab team conducts the experiment using Albatros’ precise recommendations—dramatically reducing the trial-and-error phase that slows traditional R&D.

In one recent test, MOA was able to create a novel ingredient from upcycled starches 75% faster than standard development methods, at just 5% of the cost. In another case, the team helped a manufacturer transform a low-value byproduct into a nutritionally enhanced product that generated 20 times more revenue than its previous application.

Beyond Software: Microbiology-as-a-Service

To support companies that may lack in-house biotechnological expertise, MOA is offering Albatros under a “Microbiology-as-a-Service” (MAAS) model. This provides an end-to-end solution—from selecting suitable byproducts to scaling up fermentation—making sophisticated microbiological R&D achievable for startups and multinationals alike.

“Many companies are sitting on valuable waste streams but don’t have the tools or time to unlock their potential,” said Emparanza. “With Albatros, we make advanced microbiology usable—even for teams without deep expertise.”

MOA has also launched a free online calculator tool where manufacturers can input details of their byproducts and receive a tailored assessment of commercial and nutritional potential. The tool, available at moafoodtech.com/landing-by-products-calculator, is designed to serve as a gateway to more ambitious fermentation projects.

Backed by the European Innovation Council

Albatros builds on MOA’s momentum following a major €14.8 million investment from the European Innovation Council (EIC), aimed at scaling its AI-enhanced fermentation capabilities. The funding underscores growing EU interest in biomanufacturing as a tool to meet sustainability and food security goals, and positions MOA as a rising leader in the continent’s alt-protein and circular economy ecosystems.

By replacing costly feedstocks with food industry side-streams and eliminating months of trial-and-error, MOA’s platform doesn’t just optimise production—it redefines what’s possible. For manufacturers navigating raw material volatility, rising costs, and sustainability targets, Albatros offers a clear and immediate advantage.

As companies race to future-proof their supply chains, Albatros may well become a cornerstone in a new generation of ingredient innovation—one where food waste becomes not a problem, but a platform for growth.