Boston’s Ayana Bio Pledges $3M to Accelerate Cacao Bioactives Through Plant Cell Tech
Boston-based Ayana Bio, a spinoff from Ginkgo Bioworks, has announced a $3 million investment to accelerate the production of cacao bioactives using plant cell technology to make consumer products for markets such as health and wellness, F&B, and cosmetics. Ayana Bio will utilize the capital to expedite commercialization of its cacao ingredients and prioritize R&D of the benefits of different cacao varieties as well as possible usages and applications to expand partnerships with CPG companies. Producing high polyphenol cacao extracts Ayana Bio leverages plant cell technology —growing plant cell lines in bioreactors rather than agricultural production — to discover and produce plant and fungal bioactives that support and improve human health. According to the biotech, cacao contains biologically active compounds that support healthy digestion, cardiovascular health, cognition, …