Bioeconomy Reading time 2 min
Better Nature Ltd and TWB: a tailor-made R&D collaboration at the service of tomorrow's food
Expert in the management of industrial biotechnology R&D projects, TWB backed the start-up Better Nature Ltd (formerly Tempeasy), specialists in the fermentation of tempeh, a natural meat substitute. Prizewinner of the 2019 competition organised by TWB, “Pitch me your biotech start-up!” the young company benefited from a €50,000 grant enabling it to exploit tailor-made services on the TWB technological platforms. At that time their objective was to improve the nutritional quality of its tempeh. Thanks to these services and the expert support provided by TWB, the start-up was able to achieve its goal and thus accelerate the development of its patent portfolio.
Published on 18 November 2020
Better Nature Ltd is a start-up specialising in the field of tempeh fermentation. The process, born in Indonesia more than 300 years ago, makes it possible to transform almost all beans, nuts, cereals and legumes into nutritious, natural and aromatic meat substitutes.
Tempeh has several advantages, including a high concentration of protein and vitamin B12 and a low fat content. Furthermore, Better Nature Ltd estimates that tempeh fermentation produces the same amount of protein compared to beef with 20 times less greenhouse gas emissions.
Better Nature Ltd produces plant-based meat substitutes, in ready-to-eat form, available on their website.
When Better Nature Ltd won the TWB competition, “Pitch me your biotech start-up!” the start-up was looking to improve the nutritional quality of its tempeh and in particular its vitamin content. TWB then offered to set up a programme of tailor-made services, particularly in fermentation and analytical assays. The results: the company was able to quickly validate and improve its fermentation processes to naturally enrich its tempeh with vitamins. This is a welcome acceleration for Better Nature Ltd which by filing new patents is securing its technological base.
"TWB is an ideal partner because it has modern facilities and skilled experts to help companies like ours to conduct experiments tailored to our needs. Our research collaboration with TWB has enabled us to accelerate our development by reaching technical and commercial milestones more quickly. Thanks to processes that have now been validated, we can look forward to the upcoming commercialisation of our new product", says Amadeus Ahnan, co-founder of Better Nature Ltd.
"The collaboration with Better Nature Ltd illustrates the relevance of the interactions that TWB can have with biotech start-ups. They are often looking for rapid and cost-effective development. Thanks to the technological solutions built by TWB (use of automation, combination of state-of-the-art equipment), we offer them a tailor-made scientific and technical response that allows them to increase the probability of success and reduce their product development costs”, concludes Olivier Galy, director of operations TWB.
By working with TWB, start-ups have at their disposal high-tech equipment, a diverse expert environment and the specialist advice needed to validate their proof of concept at a very early stage, as well as tools and processes compatible with and representative of an industrial production scale.
Expert in steering scientific projects, TWB contributes to the development of new sustainable production pathways by providing innovative and economically sound alternative biological solutions. In order to accelerate the transition towards an eco-responsible industry, TWB has drawn on collective intelligence to drive pioneering links between researchers, industrial groups and investors. By fostering worthwhile, practical and innovative research, TWB meets a two-fold challenge: to effectively address the issue of climate change whilst creating economic value.Since the creation of TWB (2012), under the triple supervision of INRAE, INSA and CNRS, and, as of the 1st January 2020 strengthened by 52 partners; (industrial groups, start-ups, investors, research bodies, local and regional authorities, etc.); TWB has contributed to the launch of 184 collaborative research and development projects and to the growth of numerous start-ups which in total have raised more than 100M€.