Novonesis joins forces with TurtleTree to bring precision-fermented lactoferrin to global markets

Novonesis has agreed to exclusively scale, manufacture and commercialize TurtleTree's precision-fermented lactoferrin, LF+, in a partnership that brings together one of the world's largest biosolutions companies and the first producer to secure FDA clearance for animal-free lactoferrin.

Announced alongside a strategic investment by Novonesis and participation from 321Catalyst Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Mitsui Chemicals, the agreement gives TurtleTree access to industrial-scale manufacturing and global commercial channels as it prepares to expand production of the specialty protein for early life nutrition and selected dietary supplement applications.

• Novonesis will exclusively scale, manufacture and commercialize TurtleTree's LF+ for the early life nutrition market
• The partnership follows TurtleTree becoming the first company to receive an FDA GRAS 'No Objection Letter' for precision-fermented lactoferrin
• The agreement combines TurtleTree's fermentation technology with Novonesis' global manufacturing and commercial network

For Novonesis, the agreement strengthens a Human Health Biosolutions portfolio that already includes human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), probiotics and synbiotics. For TurtleTree, it represents another significant milestone in a journey that has seen the Singapore-based company reshape its commercial strategy while steadily removing many of the barriers that have slowed the wider precision fermentation sector.

Originally founded with ambitions to produce cell-cultured milk, TurtleTree gradually narrowed its focus to high-value functional dairy proteins that could be produced using precision fermentation. Lactoferrin quickly emerged as the company's lead product, not only because of its nutritional benefits but because conventional production has long struggled to meet demand.

Naturally present in both human and bovine milk, lactoferrin supports immune function, iron regulation and gut health, making it a valuable ingredient in infant formula, women's health products, medical nutrition and dietary supplements. Yet only tiny quantities occur naturally in milk, meaning manufacturers must process vast volumes of raw dairy to recover relatively small amounts of the protein. That combination of limited supply and growing demand has made lactoferrin one of the highest-value dairy ingredients on the market, with prices reaching around US$1,000 per kilogram.

Precision fermentation offers an alternative route to production, allowing manufacturers to produce the same functional protein without relying on cows or the constraints of milk supply.

Thomas Stenfeldt Batchelor, Senior Vice President for Early Life and Specialized Nutrition at Novonesis, said the partnership was intended to help make lactoferrin more widely available.

"Our aim is to make lactoferrin more accessible and cost-competitive and showcase what is achievable with precision fermentation in early life nutrition and dietary supplements. If successfully scaled, this will enable customers to deliver proven health benefits to consumers more efficiently. LF+ fits well in our broader portfolio of both precision fermentation projects and our specialized nutrition ingredients."

Today's announcement follows a series of regulatory milestones that have steadily strengthened TurtleTree's commercial position.

In May 2025, the company became the first to receive an FDA GRAS 'No Objection Letter' for precision-fermented lactoferrin after the agency reviewed its safety dossier and raised no questions regarding the company's conclusion that LF+ is Generally Recognized as Safe. The decision opened the US market for the ingredient across human food applications, particularly infant nutrition, where lactoferrin is valued for its role in iron absorption, immune development and gut health.

At the time, Fengru Lin, Founder & CEO, described the FDA decision as validation of years of scientific and regulatory work. "This is one of the most significant milestones in TurtleTree's journey," she said. "Having our science and technology validated by the FDA is a powerful moment, not just for us, but for the entire precision fermentation space. What excites us most is the opportunity to bring this remarkable ingredient to more people, through more products, and into everyday lives."

However, regulatory approval was never viewed as the finish line. Earlier this year, Lin told Protein Production Technology International that regulatory strategy had shaped the company long before its FDA submission was complete. "Regulatory competence is a meaningful advantage in precision fermentation because it is what allows science to translate into commercial adoption," she said. "Many companies can produce a protein in the lab, but far fewer can build the data package and operating systems that customers and regulators are comfortable with."

Rather than treating regulation as a separate exercise once product development was complete, TurtleTree incorporated regulatory expectations into everything from experimental design to manufacturing processes.

"Knowing what regulators will expect influences how experiments are designed and how rigor is embedded into daily operations," Lin explained.

She also argued that the discipline required to satisfy regulators ultimately strengthened the business itself by keeping scientific, manufacturing and commercial teams aligned around the same objectives.

That thinking appears to have laid much of the groundwork for the Novonesis partnership.

Reflecting on the announcement on LinkedIn, Lin looked back on how dramatically the company's position has changed in just a few years.

"Five years ago it was just our small team trying to convince anyone that lactoferrin mattered and could be made without a cow. Most people outside the industry asked us what lactoferrin even was.

"Today Novonesis, one of the biggest names in the biotech space is putting their manufacturing and commercial strength next to ours to bring LF+ to global scale. They anchored our Pre-B round today, and this is what five years of pushing through that turns into."

In the joint announcement, Lin said the partnership addresses one of the industry's biggest challenges: translating technical success into reliable commercial supply.

"This partnership is about doing the hard work required to make the unique benefits of lactoferrin truly usable at scale. Not just technically, but economically available for all. By pairing TurtleTree's precision fermentation platform with Novonesis' manufacturing and commercialization capabilities, we're unlocking the consistency, cost structure, and supply reliability that modern health brands need. Ultimately, this enables our customers to formulate with confidence and deliver meaningful benefits to the people who rely on these products every day."

The agreement also reflects a broader evolution within the precision fermentation sector. While many startups have spent the past decade demonstrating that complex food proteins can be produced without animals, commercial success increasingly depends on access to large-scale fermentation capacity, established manufacturing systems and long-standing customer relationships.

For Novonesis, formed through the merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen, the partnership provides an opportunity to expand its precision fermentation activities within an area of nutrition where demand continues to outpace supply. For TurtleTree, it removes one of the biggest hurdles facing emerging ingredient companies: how to move from successful pilot production to supplying global food manufacturers at industrial scale.

Speaking to Protein Production Technology International earlier this year, Lin suggested that competitive advantage in precision fermentation is changing.

"The real differentiation now is execution," she said. "This year, our focus is on manufacturing scale, supporting customer launches, and expanding the market through clinical work and broader applications."

That focus is already becoming visible. Alongside supplying ingredient partners, TurtleTree has launched its own IronKind supplement, combining LF+ with a prebiotic to improve iron absorption while reducing some of the gastrointestinal side effects often associated with conventional iron supplements.

The commercial opportunity extends well beyond consumer supplements. Analysts estimate the global lactoferrin market to be worth around US$300 million, driven by demand across infant nutrition, immune health, medical nutrition and functional foods. Despite that demand, most commercial lactoferrin is still extracted from dairy, leaving manufacturers exposed to the limitations of milk supply and the costs associated with recovering relatively small quantities of the protein.

Several companies, including Australia's All G and South Africa's De Novo Foodlabs, are now pursuing precision-fermented lactoferrin, but TurtleTree remains the only company to have secured FDA clearance for the ingredient.

The partnership with Novonesis signals that the conversation around precision fermentation is increasingly shifting from whether these proteins can be produced to how quickly they can be manufactured, commercialized and integrated into mainstream food and nutrition products.