Vivici (the Netherlands), the new joint venture of DSM (Kaiseraugst, Switzerland) and Fonterra (Auckland, New Zealand) that uses precision fermentation to create animal-free dairy protein ingredients, announced it successfully closed its seed funding round. DSM-Firmenich Venturing and Fonterra are both founding investors.

With DSM and Fonterra as its founding companies, Vivici “leverages decades of experience in developing and scaling bioprocesses and holds world-leading knowledge in the isolation and application of dairy proteins,” the Vivici website states. It also has “world-class expertise in strain development, bioprocess engineering, and market approval.”

“Vivici is an exciting opportunity to combine DSM-Firmenich’s world-leading precision fermentation expertise with Fonterra’s world-leading dairy science and technology,” stated Komal Mistry-Mehta, chief innovation and brand officer at Fonterra, in a press release. Of Fonterra, Mistry-Mehta said, “This partnership aligns well with the co-op’s strategy to be a leader in dairy innovation and science.”

Pieter Wolters, managing director of DSM-Firmenich Venturing, added that Vivici “builds on multiple years of joint technology and application development, and is now well-positioned as an agile startup company.”