Amyris, a US biomanufacturing company, has agreed to acquire Oobli, a California start-up that makes sweet proteins by precision fermentation for food and drink makers trying to cut sugar. The price was not disclosed, and the deal is expected to close in the coming weeks.
Precision fermentation means giving a microbe the DNA sequence for a wanted molecule so that it produces it as it ferments. Oobli inserts the genes for sweet proteins found in African fruits, such as the oubli fruit, serendipity berry, katemfe fruit and miracle fruit, into the yeast Komagataella phaffii, feeds it sugars and nutrients in fermentation tanks, and then filters and purifies the proteins.
The proteins taste sweet but are digested as proteins. Oobli's brazzein is up to 1,000 times sweeter than sucrose and its monellin sweeter still; both have "no questions" letters from the US Food and Drug Administration. The company has self-determined its thaumatin, up to 3,000 times sweeter than sugar, as Generally Recognized as Safe and is awaiting the FDA's letter, and its range also includes miraculin. Oobli has raised nearly $50 million and works with manufacturers including Ingredion, Grupo Bimbo and Cosun Ingredients.
Amyris filed for bankruptcy protection more than two years ago, sold its consumer brands during restructuring and now sells only to other businesses. It recently added a fourth production line, a 2x80 cubic metre line, at its plant in Barra Bonita, Brazil.
"Joining forces with Amyris gives us the scale and resources to realise our ambition of making sweet proteins the global standard in sweetness solutions," said Oobli chief executive Ali Wing. Amyris chief executive Kathy Fortmann said combining Oobli's protein expertise with Amyris's strain engineering and manufacturing could widen its work in food and beverages, personal care, flavours and fragrances, and agriculture. Existing Oobli customer commitments will be honoured.
Green Queen notes that more than 90 alternative protein companies have been acquired, merged, become insolvent or shut down since September 2024.
Reported by Anay Mridul for Green Queen.
Source: Green Queen
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