Senara secures LIOF investment to accelerate cell-cultivated milk

Biotech startup Senara is taking an important next step in its international growth. With an investment from LIOF, the German company is expanding to Maastricht, where it aims to further scale its cell-cultivated milk technology towards production and market introduction. Senara is among the European frontrunners in cell-cultivated dairy and will become part of Limburg’s strong ecosystem for cellular agriculture.

Founded in Freiburg in 2022, Senara is developing a new way to produce milk. Milk-producing cells are cultivated in a bioreactor, where they produce milk in much the same way as they do in the udder. Taste, quality and nutritional value remain key, while this production method could require less space and energy, enable shorter supply chains and bring production and processing together at a single location. Senara aims to bring cell-cultivated dairy closer to consumers within the next few years.

“We don’t want to change milk; we want to improve the way it is produced.” 

- dr. Svenja Dannewitz, CEO Senara

“We are developing an innovative production method that is more efficient and sustainable. In the future, farmers could use this technology with bioreactors on their own farms. This would allow them to remain an integral part of the food system while creating new ways of producing food.”

From technology to scale-up

Senara is working on the further development and scale-up of its technology. The company is exploring applications including ice cream, cheese and panna cotta, and is working with international food producers to expand into other products. Senara also sees opportunities for non-food applications, such as ingredients for cosmetics and skincare. This market offers opportunities for faster introduction, in parallel with the more strictly regulated food sector. Senara also expects the first food products to reach supermarket shelves within the next few years.

With LIOF’s investment and the decision to establish Maastricht as its second location, Senara gains access to specialised knowledge, talent, infrastructure and partners. The company is also exploring the development of its own pilot facility in Maastricht and has launched a new funding round to support this next step. For LIOF, Senara fits its ambition to connect international entrepreneurship with ecosystems in which Limburg has a distinctive position.

 “Senara is among the European frontrunners in cell-cultivated dairy and has the ambition to grow internationally.”  

- Annemoon Borst, Investment Manager LIOF 

Limburg as a growth region for cellular agriculture

“Limburg brings together specialised knowledge, entrepreneurship, investment capital and scale-up infrastructure. This provides Senara with a strong environment in which to take the next step towards the market, while at the same time strengthening the ecosystem that continues to develop here.”

In recent years, Limburg has built a strong international position in cellular agriculture. More than ten years ago, the world’s first cultivated hamburger was developed in Maastricht. Today, organisations including Maastricht University, Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus, Mosa Meat and Cultivate at Scale form part of a regional network that enables companies to take innovations from the laboratory towards production. The independent open-access facility Cultivate at Scale, for example, provides companies with the infrastructure to scale up cell cultivation processes without first having to invest in costly production facilities of their own.

Cellular agriculture is developing worldwide from a technological innovation into an emerging industry. The Netherlands has a strong position in this field, with specialised knowledge and scale-up facilities, as well as the possibility to conduct tastings of cultivated products under controlled conditions. Building on this position, Limburg is further developing an ecosystem where new technology, entrepreneurship and international growth come together.
 

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