The start-up introduces fast-to-market, highly functional, animal-free dairy proteins
Israel-based start-up Imagindairy is milking new technology to leave the cow out of the dairy equation. The company is creating true milk proteins that are indistinguishable from the real thing via a natural process of precision fermentation.
Imagindairy’s proprietary technology recreates nature-identical, animal-free versions of whey and casein proteins that can be used to produce dairy analogues. The proprietary technology radically lowers the burden of dairy livestock on the environment.
“Our microflora-based production method was inspired by nature to recreate these proteins,” explains Eyal Afergan, Co-founder and CEO, Imagindairy. The unique protein structure of dairy milk is what provides its characteristic texture, flavour, and nutritional value. Imagindairy’s animal-free dairy products boast the same complement of nutrients, from protein content to mineral composition, including calcium.
“Our vision was to deliver an animal-free version of the primary dairy proteins — whey and casein — that can allow product makers to match real dairy products in terms of protein concentration, nutrient profile, and the full sensory experiences of the animal-derived versions,” says Afergan.
Imagindairy was co-founded by a multidisciplinary team of prominent experts in microbiology, computational systems, and biotechnology with the support of the Israel-based The Kitchen FoodTech hub. The team, headed by Dr Arie Abo, a specialist in protein biochemistry, in collaboration with Tamir Tuller, a professor at Tel Aviv University, to advance emerging technology to overcome production bottlenecks and create a commercially viable, guilt-free milk product, without forfeiting quality or functionality.
“We developed an advanced protein production platform that allows us to optimise every step in creating milk proteins,” notes Tuller, Imagindairy’s co-founder and CSO. “This allowed us to achieve the yield that is needed to achieve commercial production.”
Imagindairy’s technology can be readily integrated into existing dairy food production facilities. The start-up already raised $1.5 million in seed funding, led by The Kitchen FoodTech hub, with contributions from the Israeli Innovative Authority, CPT Capital, New Crop Capital, and Entrée Capital, and will soon enter its A-round funding series.
