The Tel Aviv-based foodtech startup uses a streamlined and cost-effective process for precision fermentation, which could make plant-based protein production more scalable
Startup Asterix Foods is looking to change the way we think about protein in the face of the climate crisis — by eliminating animal products from the equation entirely. The foodtech company just closed a $4.2 million seed round, led by CPT Capital with additional funding from ReGen Ventures, SOSV, Grok Ventures and the Israeli Innovation Authority.
Asterix focuses its efforts on alternative proteins, like high-value bioactive plant-based proteins, that can be used both for the food chain or therapeutic purposes.
The proteins are made through a process called precision fermentation at the center of current foodtech innovation, which typically requires microbes to be genetically programmed to produce the proteins in bioreactors. It’s usually costly to scale — a single precision fermentation facility requires $125 to $500 million in capital expenditure — but investors are betting on Asterix’s alternative process.
Instead of engineering microbes, the company uses plant cell suspension cultures inside its Massively Parallel Modular Bioreactors (MPMB). By implementing this technology, Asterix has cut facility costs by over 95% compared to traditional precision fermentation plants. Additionally, its development timelines drop from years to months, while removing the need to construct expensive cleanrooms — all while producing equal or greater amounts of protein, according to the company.
“Bioactivity makes these proteins so powerful for the food industry, unlocking new applications in food, nutrition, and health,” said Asterix Foods founder and CEO Dan Even, who studied plant molecular biology and genetic engineering. “Our system shows how future production facilities can be deployed quickly, flexibly, and at dramatically lower cost.”
Currently, Asterix operates a pilot facility based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The company boasts the potential for a continuous year-round production not limited by geographic location. Its bioreactors can also operate at room temperature, cutting energy needed for heating and cooling while reducing water consumption by eliminating the need for cleaning or steam cycles.
Founded in 2022, the Asterix team is led by eight Ph.D.-level researchers in biotechnology and engineering. Investors are compelled by its potential to redefine what it means to utilize precision fermentation.
“Plant cell suspension cultures are already used by at least 16 global corporations for producing everything from vaccines to food pigments,” said general partner at SOSV and managing director at the IndieBio startup development program, Po Bronson.
“Asterix is now pushing this platform further, opening new opportunities to produce alternative proteins with unprecedented cost-efficiency and precision,” Bronson added. “What makes Asterix’s even more compelling is its modularity. Partners can start profitably at low volumes with minimal upfront investment and scale up incrementally. Even small facilities can produce multiple proteins in parallel.”
