Funds Acquired: Summ Ingredients Secures $2M to Revolutionize Plant-Based Food Using Fermented Proteins
New Fermented Plant-Based Protein Ingredient Set to Revolutionize Plant Industry
In an exciting development for the plant industry, Danish startup Summ Ingredients has begun production on its innovative new ingredient, FermiPro. Already, the company has secured its first customer orders, with consumer products using FermiPro set to launch later this year.
The brainchild of Frederik Jensen, who founded Nutrumami in 2022, Summ Ingredients was established with the goal of providing the industry with an ingredient that enhances taste, texture, and nutrition. Jensen, with a background in the fine-dining industry, has brought his culinary expertise to the table, creating a unique cross-fermentation process that sets Summ Ingredients apart.
This process, a sequential biotransformation of multiple microbes, is a blend of solid-state and submerged fermentation, inspired by wild fermentation methods. The result is FermiPro, a multifunctional fermented plant protein made from three simple ingredients: fava beans, oats, and salt.
FermiPro delivers a rich umami flavor and kokumi, a Japanese term for "rich taste" characterized by mouthfeel, thickness, and a sense of lingering. This makes it an ideal ingredient for enhancing the taste, texture, and nutrition of plant-based and blended meat products without the need for additional flavourings or binders.
Summ Ingredients has demonstrated cost parity or cost reductions compared to conventional solutions, making it a competitive choice for food brands. The company's current capacity is up to six tonnes per batch, and it has filed two patent applications and built a technology roadmap for multifunctional ingredients.
The €1.7M ($2M) in funding secured by Summ Ingredients will be used to bring FermiPro to market. This funding round, led by Kost Capital and Planetary Impact Ventures, also saw participation from other companies, although their names have not been disclosed.
Summ Ingredients is a pure B2B company with a broad pipeline across EU and UK food brands. The company has already shown promising results, creating non-dairy cheese prototypes with double-digit protein content, 30% less fat, and a richer taste and texture than the market standard using FermiPro.
In addition to its use in plant-based products, FermiPro can also be effective in low concentrations, typically ranging between 2.5% and 4.5% of the final product formulation. It can provide protein-rich creaminess and natural umami for dairy- and starch-free sauces in ready meals, allowing for a 30% reduction in salt.
As Summ Ingredients continues to grow and innovate, it is clear that FermiPro has the potential to revolutionize the plant industry, providing a healthier, tastier, and more sustainable alternative to traditional ingredients. With its first customer orders already in the books and a promising future ahead, Summ Ingredients is poised to make a significant impact.
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