DURHAM — BIOMILQ, a women-owned infant nutrition company producing cultured breastmilk, today announced it has raised $3.5 million in funding.
The round was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1 billion-plus fund established by business leaders in support of innovative technologies that help address climate change. Shazi Visram, founder of Happy Family Brands and healthynest, also participated in the round.
BIOMILQ is producing cultured breastmilk that offers supplemental nutrition to mother’s milk with the practicality of formula. As explained out its webite, the startup is culturing mammary cells outside the body and leveraging their natural ability to produce all 2500-plus components of breastmilk.
“We recently produced human casein and lactose and we believe that we can fully replicate the nutritional profile of breastmilk,” it said.
The company was co-founded by Leila Strickland PhD, a mother-of-two and accomplished cell biologist, and Michelle Egger MBA, an experienced food scientist and avid social entrepreneur.
“The BIOMILQ team is thrilled to be supported by such inspirational and mission-aligned investors who understand the needs of parents and the planet” said Egger, co-founder and CEO of BIOMILQ, in a statement. “While there is no replacement for breastmilk, we believe we can harness the power of science, technology, and nature to deliver comprehensive and sustainable infant nutrition.”
With funding, BIOMILQ said it plans to optimize its production, expanding its team, and engaging its stakeholders: families, pediatricians, and the breastfeeding community, to bring the best cultured breastmilk product to market.
“We believe parents, caregivers, and infants deserve more options in early-stage nutrition,” said Leila Strickland, co-founder and CSO of BIOMILQ. “We’re determined to give them just that and to create a better world for future generations.”
“There are immense opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock used in the production of foods like dairy, and BIOMILQ offers a superb dairy alternative for the production of infant nutrition,” said Carmichael Roberts, Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “The company has created a first-of-its-kind product that not only offers a better solution for the environment but will also improve nutrition for infants around the globe.”
BIOMILQ is currently hiring a number of roles in Durham, North Carolina.
