ScaleUp Bio secures Fusionopolis Ventures as shareholder alongside ADM to expand fermentation platform

ScaleUp Bio has added Fusionopolis Ventures as a shareholder alongside ADM, marking a new phase of growth for the Singapore-based precision fermentation contract development and manufacturing organization.

• Fusionopolis Ventures joined ADM as a shareholder in ScaleUp Bio, supporting its next phase of growth as a precision fermentation CDMO in Asia.
• The company consolidated its pilot and industrial capabilities in Singapore to streamline scale-up and manufacturing.
• The move aimed to strengthen ScaleUp Bio’s role in addressing fermentation capacity constraints for bio-based products.

The investment from Fusionopolis Ventures, a subsidiary of Economic Development Innovations Singapore, brought additional strategic backing to ScaleUp Bio as it expanded its capabilities in precision fermentation. The company confirmed the move would support its ambition to operate as a leading CDMO platform serving multiple industries across Asia.

ScaleUp Bio has established itself as Singapore’s first and largest precision fermentation CDMO, offering support to companies scaling bio-based products from early development through to pilot and commercial production. Its operations include a commercial pilot facility run in partnership with A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, alongside industrial-scale capabilities in Tuas.

The consolidation of these capabilities into a single operating footprint in Singapore was designed to create a more integrated pathway from process development through to full-scale manufacturing. The company said this would help customers reduce complexity, accelerate timelines, and move more efficiently toward commercialization.

The development came as demand for fermentation infrastructure continued to grow, particularly among companies seeking to bring precision fermentation products to market across sectors such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, and energy.

Philip Yeo, Chairman of Economic Development Innovations Singapore, said the investment reflected a focus on scalable biomanufacturing platforms. “This investment reflects our conviction in platforms that combine deep technical capability with disciplined scale-up execution. ScaleUp Bio's CDMO platform in Singapore offers a strategic launchpad, with its regulatory strength and manufacturing ecosystem. In the same way that Singapore has become a manufacturing hub for biopharmaceuticals, I see this as the beginning of a broader regional platform designed to serve the growing biomanufacturing needs of Asia and beyond in precision fermentation.”

ADM, which remained a shareholder, highlighted the broader role of precision fermentation in ingredient production. Fabiana Bianchi, President of Asia-Pacific at ADM, said: “Precision fermentation is opening new opportunities to produce bio-based ingredients and solutions efficiently and at scale. Our continued partnership with ScaleUp Bio reflects ADM's commitment to bringing these innovations to market across a growing range of industries.”

ScaleUp Bio said the addition of Fusionopolis Ventures would strengthen its ability to operate as an integrated platform, combining development, scale-up, and manufacturing under one structure. The company indicated that this would support customers navigating the transition from pilot-stage processes to commercial production.

Aaron Yeo, General Manager of ScaleUp Bio, said the company would sharpen its operational focus as a result of the investment. “With FVPL's support, ScaleUp Bio will sharpen our focus as a world-class CDMO for high-value bio-based specialty molecules. With our pilot and industrial capabilities now consolidated into a single operating footprint in Singapore, we can provide a more seamless and efficient path from process development through scale-up and manufacturing. This strengthens our ability to support innovators across multiple industrial applications.”

ScaleUp Bio also confirmed that its Singapore facility would continue to operate under existing licenses and certifications, ensuring continuity for customers. The additional capital and alignment with strategic partners were expected to support further development of its infrastructure and services.

The company’s model centered on addressing a persistent bottleneck in the sector: access to high-quality fermentation capacity capable of supporting scale-up and commercialization. By offering integrated services, ScaleUp Bio aimed to reduce the technical and operational barriers that often slow the transition from laboratory development to market-ready production.

With the addition of Fusionopolis Ventures as a shareholder, the company reinforced its role within Singapore’s broader biomanufacturing ecosystem, which has been expanding across both pharmaceutical and industrial biotechnology applications.