Led · Equity · Mar 2026

Sequential operates a proprietary non-invasive testing platform that integrates microbial and molecular analyses to quantify how ingredients and consumer, biotech, and pharmaceutical products alter skin biomarkers. The company has amassed one of the industry’s largest clinical datasets with over 50,000 samples, 4,000+ ingredients tested, and 10,000+ participants worldwide. Sequential runs labs in Cambridge, New York City and Singapore and has received support from Innovate UK, Enterprise Singapore and A*STAR among others. Following its $3.5M first equity round, bringing total dilutive and non-dilutive funding to $7.5M, the company plans to build an AI-driven discovery engine to predict, optimize and discover next‑generation active complexes and bioactive ingredients. Sequential is also expanding its biomarker discovery programs and global partnerships to commercialize scientifically validated ingredient complexes.

Participated · Series A · Feb 2026

Verley engineers beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) whey proteins through precision fermentation, selling them under the FermWhey™ range to manufacturers looking for high-protein, clean-label and easily digestible ingredients. The proteins are functionalized to improve solubility, emulsification, gelling and nutritional profiles, enabling applications such as high-protein yoghurts and protein shots. By using fermentation rather than conventional dairy production, Verley claims to cut natural-resource consumption and help alleviate structural supply constraints in traditional whey. In less than four years, the company has secured self-affirmed GRAS status (2024) and an FDA “No Questions” letter (2025), validating product safety for the U.S. market. Verley holds a growing IP portfolio around both fermentation and protein functionalisation technologies that aim to outperform standard dairy proteins. The fresh capital will fund U.S. commercial rollout, early customer scale-up and increased production capacity, followed by planned expansion in Europe and the Middle East. Continued R&D investment is earmarked to push performance, efficiency and sustainability of its platform.

Participated · Series B · Sep 2024

Micropep develops micropeptide crop protection technologies and an AI-powered discovery platform called Krisalix™ for rapid discovery of micropeptide molecules. Krisalix combines proprietary design algorithms with a suite of bioassays to measure efficiency, stability, and production feasibility. The company plans to use the new funding to solidify its market position and strengthen existing partnerships. It also intends to build new relationships with R&D, manufacturing, commercial, and distribution partners in the industry. Micropep is led by CEO Thomas Laurent and operates in the US and France. The firm has raised over $60M in total funding to date. Micropep builds pesticides from micropeptides—natural proteins under 100 amino acids—aiming for a new class of crop protection that is more targeted and less toxic than synthetic chemicals. Its initial products are leaf‑applied sprays for soybean that wait for fungal spores and then disrupt fungal cell membranes, causing the fungus to self‑destruct. The company has developed predictive models and plans to test 1,000–2,000 candidates in the lab, narrow to 50–100 for greenhouse trials, and advance leads into field trials. A key technical challenge is peptide persistence in soil, so Micropep has optimized formulations that remain stable on leaves for a few days while it seeks more durable candidates. Micropep is running regulatory trials in the U.S., Brazil and Europe, aims for regulatory review by 2026, and hopes to be on the market in the U.S. and Brazil by 2028 and in Europe by 2030. Founder Thomas Laurent says the company will partner with other firms to embed its ingredients in third‑party products, and the startup recently raised funding to support its go‑to‑market strategy. Micropep has developed a patented, non‑GMO technological platform that uses exogenous micropeptides—short natural plant peptides—to precisely modulate plant gene expression without altering DNA. The company positions its products as biological, spray‑applied alternatives to conventional chemical crop protection aimed at controlling resistant weeds and pathogens while preserving yields and the environment. Micropep was founded in 2016 as a spin‑off of the LRSV plant research laboratory at CNRS and Toulouse University and is based in Toulouse, France. The firm is moving from research toward commercialization and is accelerating development of its first micropeptide candidates. The recent financing will fund expansion into the United States and the recruitment of a local team to deploy solutions in that market. The company emphasizes the broad potential of its discovery platform and intends to bring cost‑effective, environmentally safer tools to farmers. Micropep develops novel peptide-based biological products for agriculture using a proprietary discovery platform. The company has created miPEPs, a family of natural peptides that regulate plant microRNAs and can be sprayed to precisely enhance plant traits without modifying DNA. Led by Thomas Laurent, Micropep was spun out from the CNRS and Toulouse University in 2016. The firm aims to address disease control and weed suppression and to enter the EUR 47 billion-plus pesticides market, initially targeting $28 billion herbicides and fungicides markets in the Americas and Europe. The Series A financing will be used to further develop its discovery platform and progress its pipeline. Micropep positions its technology as an alternative to traditional chemical pesticides by leveraging biological peptide solutions. Micropep Technologies is a Toulouse, France-based biotech company developing biological alternatives to agrochemicals. Founded in 2016 by Thomas Laurent, the company focuses on bioherbicides and biostimulants. Its core technology uses plant-derived "micro-peptides" to transiently modulate gene expression and regulate plant growth while leaving DNA intact. Micropep currently advances four development programs targeting germination, flowering, growth, and weed control. The company raised €4M in Series A funding led by Sofinnova Partners. The funds will be used to strengthen the technology platform, advance R&D programs to proof of concept, and initiate international commercial growth.

Led · Seed · Oct 2023

Bon Vivant develops animal-free milk proteins by reprogramming yeast via precision fermentation to produce both whey and casein intended as B2B ingredients for food manufacturers. The company focuses exclusively on a supplier model rather than consumer products, aiming to provide multinational food companies with proteins that deliver functionality such as gelling, foaming and texturizing. It plans to scale production and obtain regulatory clearances—targeting U.S. clearance first with potential commercialization as soon as 2025, and expecting EU approval to take two to three years. The seed funding will be used to open a new Lyon lab capable of producing 40‑litre pre‑production samples to accelerate testing, trials, product development and IP generation. An early third‑party LCA modeled at 2,160 tonnes/year suggests potential reductions of ~97% GHG emissions, ~99% drinking water consumption and ~50% energy use versus cow’s milk. Bon Vivant says it will continue to use third‑party producers for the foreseeable future while progressing toward commercial scale supply for large dairy customers.

Led · Series A · Jun 2023

Bluu Seafood develops cultivated (lab-grown) fish products using stem-cell technology derived from a one-time fish biopsy that does not require killing fish. The company unveiled first products in August, including fish sticks and fish balls made from cultivated fish cells enriched with plant proteins to improve mouth-feel and cooking. Bluu was founded in Berlin in 2020 as Bluu Biosciences. The startup is focusing on regulatory approval and commercialisation, targeting Singapore (expects approval sometime in 2024), has initiated the FDA approval process, and plans to enter European markets thereafter. Financially, the company had previously raised €7.1 million and is now funded to pursue market entry and scaling. Bluu positions its products as a response to overfishing, contamination and animal-cruelty issues in seafood production. Bluu Biosciences is developing lab-grown salmon, trout and carp, with a particular focus on carp as an attractive target for large Asian markets. The company leverages immortalized fish cell lines developed by co‑founder Sebastian Rakers, who cultivated and immortalized cell lines from more than 20 fish species during research at the Fraunhofer Institute. Bluu says those immortalized cells allow vastly greater proliferation than normal cells, which the founders describe as a strong competitive advantage for scaling production. The startup plans to have a prototype product by the end of 2022 and is actively pushing for regulatory progress as one of the last obstacles to commercialization. Bluu raised €7 million in the announced financing to accelerate commercialization and to benefit from emerging technology providers in media, bioreactors and scaffolding. Founders Simon Fabich and Sebastian Rakers aim to focus on the Asian market, where shifting production behavior could have the biggest sustainability impact.