Agri-food giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has joined forces with Asia Sustainable Foods Platform to create a new firm called ScaleUp Bio.
In collaboration with A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology, ScaleUp Bio will open a Singapore-based pilot laboratory for precision fermentation startups. The facility will provide contract development and manufacturing services, featuring co-working spaces and test kitchens alongside fermentation and extrusion equipment. It is set to begin operating in the first quarter of next year, providing startups with up to 100L of fermentation capacity.
Successful startups will then be able to transition to ScaleUp Bio’s larger facility, which will have up to 10,000L fermentation capacity and should be in operation by mid-2023.
ADM and alt-proteins
In recent years, ADM has increasingly been moving into alt-proteins. The company entered into a collaboration with Eat Just in May to help scale up the latter’s cultivated chicken; this marked ADM’s first strategic partnership in the cultivated sector.
Just a month previously, ADM announced it would be investing $300 million to expand one of its existing alt-protein facilities and open a new Protein Innovation Center. And last year, the company acquired Sojaprotein, a leading European provider of non-GMO soy ingredients.
“We are seeing strong demand for alternative protein sources and more companies are developing new alternative protein solutions to meet these needs,” said Francisco Codoñer, CEO of ScaleUp Bio. “With our facilities and technical know-how, we are well-positioned to support and help these companies advance their fermentation innovations.”
