ICL Planet Startup Hub invests in alternative-protein startup Arkeon
Arkeon uses a one-step fermentation process to create “completely customizable protein ingredients.”
Global specialty-minerals supplier ICL (Tel Aviv, Israel) announced that its ICL Planet Startup Hub has invested €2.75 million in a startup company called Arkeon GmbH. Arkeon uses a one-step fermentation process to create “completely customizable protein ingredients.” The ICL Planet Startup Hub is ICL’s investment platform targeting agrifood innovation.
“Arkeon’s patented process pioneered the harnessing of carbon dioxide to make protein—through the use of archaea, a highly resilient, single-celled microorganism—without genetic engineering,” the company’s press release states. “Archaea, part of the microbiota of all organisms, naturally feeds on CO2 and transforms these environmental emissions into nutritious protein—meaning the process is not just sustainable, it is also regenerative.”
Gregor Tegl, PhD, Arkeon’s cofounder and CEO, added, “Our team has harnessed proficiencies in microbiology and gas fermentation to create an entirely new regenerative food-production system. ICL’s support and partnership will be instrumental in helping us scale our archaea-derived protein production capabilities.”
