Evo Foods and Ginkgo Bioworks have announced they are working together to develop animal-free egg proteins. As part of the collaboration, Evo will use Ginkgo’s Cell Development Kits (CDKs) to cut costs and speed up development times.
While the Indian company has already successfully developed plant-based egg alternatives, it is looking to further improve the properties of its next generation of products. Through the use of Ginkgo’s CDKs, Evo will be able to more rapidly build plant-based egg proteins and prototype its ideas in modules.
Programming cells
Ginkgo describes itself as the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, and has previously worked with biotech company Bolt Threads to make its vegan spider silk more sustainable and cost-effective. According to Ginkgo, the goal of its platform is to allow users to “program cells as easily as computers”.
“World’s first”
In March, Evo Foods unveiled what it described as the “world’s first” heat-stable plant-based boiled egg. Then, last month, the company exhibited its boiled and liquid eggs outside India for the first time at a product showcase in San Francisco.
Evo is well-placed to launch overseas, after achieving one of the largest ever seed funding rounds for an Indian food startup in 2021. Several high-profile investors — including Ryan Bethencourt’s Sustainable Food Ventures, Michiel Van Deursen‘s Capital V, and VegInvest — participated in the round.
“As consumers and food brands alike call for more sustainable food options, we are excited to collaborate with Ginkgo to pioneer a new class of animal-free ingredients,” said Kartik Dixit, CEO of Evo Foods. “Evo is committed to playing a part in feeding our ever-growing world, and this partnership will support us as we develop next-generation products in this market.”
