October 13, 2021

By Lynda Kiernan, Global AgInvesting Media

Kingdom Supercultures, a Brooklyn-based biodesign startup targeting the development of a new class of natural ingredients called “Supercultures”, has closed on a $25 million Series A led by Shine Capital.

Joining Shine Capital were Valor, Tao, Lux, SALT, Reference, Digitalis, and existing investors, along with high-profile names connected to the future of food including the founders of Daring Foods, Good Culture, Hungryroot, RXBAR, Waterloo, and others.

This round brings total funding for the company to $28.5 million, following a $3.5 million Seed round in 2020 backed by Sequoia, Y-Combinator, Lakehouse Ventures, and Brand Foundry Ventures. 

For the last hundred years the food industry has relied mainly on chemistry, and most recently, on genetic modification for the development of new ingredients. However, Kingdom is using cutting-edge scientific tools to revert to nature, taking its inspiration from millennia of human tradition in which humans discovered the power of natural microbial cultures to transform food such as milk, grapes, and wheat into new products like yogurt, cheese, wine, or beer.

Toward this end, Kingdom is amassing a library of natural microbes derived from food, from which it assembles new speciality ingredients it calls “Supercultures” that is sells to manufacturers of consumer goods. These Supercultures are used to improve the flavor, textures, and functional properties of foods in a healthier and more sustainable way than chemically-based alternatives.

“We are pioneering an entirely new field of science and class of ingredients by working with biology at the ecosystem and microbiome level,” said Ravi Sheth, CSO, Kingdom Supercultures. “Our Superculture platform allows us to assemble natural microbial cultures into new combinations, delivering healthy and sustainable breakthrough ingredients to our customers — all without genetic modification.”

It is clear that the plant-based market is not slowing down, and with this momentum more and more established food companies vie to gain market share.

“There is no doubt that the consumption of plant-based proteins is a trend that is only going to grow, and will thus have a significant long-term impact on both the animal protein industry as well as the plant-based protein ingredients sector (i.e. lentils, peas, soy),” noted Adam Bergman, managing director, EcoTech Capital,  in his article published by GAI News, Plant-Based Protein is Here to Stay. “I also am hopeful that, as future generations of plant-based protein offerings are developed using fresher and healthier ingredients, this will also have a positive impact on human health and nutrition.”

Through Kingdom Supercultures’ technology, CPG companies are able to finely tune the sensory and functional properties of their products through the ingredients they use in their production. Much like global ingredient companies have built out vast libraries of artificial chemical isolates to change the properties of consumer goods, Kingdom is now doing the same, but with microbial strains found in nature.

“The last few years have seen tremendous growth in demand for consumer goods that are healthier and more sustainable,” said Kendall Dabaghi, CEO, Kingdom Supercultures. “This funding will allow us to meet the need for novel, natural ingredients by continuing to build out our world-class team and advancing our Superculture R&D.”

With the capital from this round, Kingdom intends to expand its portfolio of Superculture ingredients, and to expand its R&D work to meet the demand it’s seeing from the world’s most innovative and quickly growing CPG brands across the food, beverage, and personal care sectors.

“We were drawn to Kingdom’s visionary founders and their use of natural biology coupled with machine learning to help catalyze our move towards natural food, beverage, and beauty products,” said Mo Koyfman, founder and general partner, Shine Capital.

“Particularly as the plant-based market continues to expand, Kingdom Supercultures is poised to enable large and small brands alike to deliver the highest quality natural products to consumers,” continued Koyfman. “We are in the early stages of this market’s development, and we are thrilled to support the company’s vision from the ground floor.”

– Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor 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 Oilseed & Grain News. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.