January 5, 2023

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

I just learned something really interesting. The human brain has us convinced that when we enjoy a food or beverage it’s due to what we are tasting. But in reality, only 25 percent of that joy is related to taste, the other 75 percent of that experience is due to smell. 

Thus, there exists a great benefit for food and beverage companies in the ability to control aroma.

EvodiaBio is a Danish bio-industrial startup using groundbreaking fermentation technologies to sustainably produce natural aromas for foods and beverages – beginning with non-alcoholic beer.

In support of these ambitions, the company announced it has secured 14 million kroner (US$1.98 million) from the BioInnovation Institute, a Danish accelerator funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and another 31 million kroner (US$4.39 million)  led by Nordic Foodtech VC, and including German flavor house Symrise as a strategic investor. The company is also supported by PINC – the venture arm of Finland-based Paulig, Thia Ventures VC, and Belgium-based Newtree Impact.

“We are very enthusiastic about this collaboration and ready to support the company on this exciting journey,” said Nick Russell, senior vice president, business incubation group, Symrise.

“We share with EvodiaBio the same vision for a greener future and believe that the precision fermentation technology developed by the team will greatly contribute to a more sustainable flavor and fragrance industry, starting with non-alcoholic beer applications and with the potential to go much further.”

One of the first big challenges being undertaken by the company is the difficulty brewers face in brewing a great tasting non-alcoholic beer.

EvodiaBio’s monoterpenoid aromas are produced using yeast cells that secrete individual aroma components – these are then combined to mimic the aroma profiles of different hops.

The technology to accomplish this has been developed over a number of years by company co-founders, Prof. Sotirios Kampranis, Dr. Simon Dusséaux, and Dr. Victor Forman, who together have developed an approach that has surpassed all existing methods, and has for the first time, created a cost-effective and sustainable biotechnological production method for the volatile aroma molecules for hops.

The company’s first offering – called Yops – can improve the taste of non-alcoholic beer, while also serving as a sustainable alternative to traditionally cultivated hops for the wider brewing industry.

Having this alternative to conventional hops allows brewers to avoid depleting limited resources by reducing water usage and CO2 emissions tied to field production and transportation by more than 90 percent.

“A better food system is not only about securing essential nutrition, but also providing the aroma and sensory experiences we love – without depleting scarce resources,” said Lauri Reuter, founder and partner, Nordic Foodtech VC.

“The EvodiaBio team has discovered an elegant solution to a difficult bottle neck in sustainable production of aroma compounds. They are passionately building a sustainable future that also tastes great.”

In the longer term, the company stated that it plans to develop aromas for additional beverages, foods, perfumes, and other segments, adding that this funding is critical to reaching those goals.

“Our vision is to create a sustainable, global company within the development, production, and commercialization of natural aromatic substances and this funding is our opportunity to realize this vision,” commented Jarne Elleholm, co-founder and chairman, EvodiaBio.

“The funding was made possible by strong support from the BioInnovation Institute and by the great progress we have made during our only one-and-a-half-year lifetime.”

Next steps for EvodiaBio include the establishment of its own offices and laboratories, the expansion of its team, and the commencement of pilot production in Denmark as they prepare for the launch of Yops later this year.

Commenting on the company’s huge potential, newly appointed EvodiaBio board member Flemming Besenbacher, who is the former chairman of Carlsberg and the Carlsberg Foundation said, “As former chairman of Carlsberg, I see huge opportunities for our company, now that our financing is secured.”

“EvodiaBio is a very promising project that solves an industry challenge, which I excitedly have been involved in solving, and I look forward to being part of the further developments, we are beginning now.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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