Antoine Baule of Bon Vivant

Antoine Baule, image courtesy of Bon Vivant

Company News

Bon Vivant Appoints Antoine Baule as Chairman of its Board of Directors

Bon Vivant, a French startup in the animal-free dairy sector, announces the appointment of Antoine Baule as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors. Baule is the former director general of Lesaffre, a key player in the global fermentation industry, and brings a wealth of experience in agro-industry and biotechnology to the firm. Lesaffre has been a leader in the fermentation sector for over a century, boasting a turnover of 2.2 billion euros with operations across all continents, and a workforce of 10,700 employees. The strategic appointment closely follows Bon Vivant’s raise of €15 million in an oversubscribed equity finance round for its precision fermentation-derived whey and casein proteins aimed at the B2B dairy alternative market. The company also announced in October its intentions …

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Bon Vivant founders Hélène Briand and Stéphane Mac Millan

Bon Vivant founders Hélène Briand and Stéphane Mac Millan, image supplied

Investments & Acquisitions

Bon Vivant Raises €15M to “Transform the Dairy Sector” Through Industrial Scale Production of Animal-Free Milk Proteins

French Biotech Bon Vivant announces it has secured €15 million in an oversubscribed equity finance round led by Sofinnova Partners, Sparkfood, and Captech, for precision fermentation-derived whey and casein proteins for the B2B dairy alternative market. The company also states today its intention to commercialize in the US by 2025. Claiming to be one of the world’s only biotech companies developing both whey and casein proteins, Bon Vivant states this “unique capability” allows it to respond to specific requirements from the food industry, namely those of functionality and nutrition. A French world leader Stéphane MacMillan, CEO and founder of Bon Vivant, comments today, “We are very proud of this new stage in the development of Bon Vivant, which enables us to welcome leading investors from …

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Animal-free milk products by Bon Vivant

© Bon Vivant

Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Study: Animal-Free Milk Generates 96% Fewer Emissions Than Dairy

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) has concluded that Bon Vivant‘s animal-free milk uses significantly fewer natural resources than cow’s milk and has a much smaller environmental footprint. The milk is made with animal-free whey and casein, which are produced using precision fermentation. The LCA, performed by an independent third party, compared one liter of animal-free milk made with Bon Vivant’s whey to an equivalent amount of dairy milk that had the same amount of protein. Huge environmental benefits The results show that Bon Vivant’s milk generates 96% fewer emissions than cow’s milk, while using 99% less water, 92% less land, and 50% less energy. According to Bon Vivant, the dairy sector is responsible for 2.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than aviation. Consequently, a …

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Abolis Biotechnologies

© Abolis Biotechnologies

Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Bon Vivant and Abolis Biotechnologies Sign Strategic Partnership to Bring Animal-Free Dairy to France

French alt dairy startup Bon Vivant has announced a major new deal with European biotech leader Abolis. The companies have formed a strategic partnership to produce precision fermentation-based animal-free dairy products on an industrial scale.  With the aim of becoming European leaders in the production of animal-free dairy products, Bon Vivant and Abolis Biotechnologies have signed the agreement to pool their expertise to mass-produce milk proteins created with precision fermentation and offer them to the dairy industry. Together, they aim to revolutionize production methods to offer animal-free dairy products on a mass scale.  Lyon-based Bon Vivant has teamed up with fellow French company Abolis as it uses synthetic biology to support manufacturers in their transition to more sustainable molecules and production processes. The major milestone …

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Bon Vivant logo

©Bon Vivant

Beverages

French Startup Bon Vivant Raises €4M For Precision Fermented Plant Milk

Lyon-based startup Bon Vivant recently raised €4 million to develop its plant-based milk using precision fermentation, which reportedly will be much closer in taste to the existing alternatives on the market. Participants in the funding round include Alliance for Impact, High Flyers Capital, Kima Ventures, Founders Future and Picus Capital. The company was founded in late 2021 by Hélène Briand, an agricultural engineer, and Stéphane Mac Millan, a businessman. Through precision fermentation, Bon Vivant aims to accurately mimic the taste and texture of milk, without using cows and with respect for the environment. “This method of production is a process we have used for centuries, the scientific understanding of which was made possible in the 19th century by the French researcher Louis Pasteur. Today, Bon …

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