Standing Ovation secures US$34.2M series B for sustainable dairy production

FRANCE – Standing Ovation, a French pioneer in precision fermentation, has announced the completion of a US$34.2 million (€30 million) Series B financing round.

The funding marks a major milestone for the company as it prepares to scale its breakthrough technology for producing bioidentical dairy proteins.

The investment round consists of US$28.5 million (€25 million) in equity and US$5.7 million (€5 million) in non-dilutive financing.

The equity portion was co-led by the Ecotechnologies 2 fund, managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French government under the “France 2030″ initiative, and Crédit Mutuel Innovation. 

The round saw the entry of Danone Ventures as a new shareholder, joining fellow industry giant Bel Group, which reaffirmed its commitment to the startup, and others, like Astanor, Seventure Partners, GoodStartUp, and Big Idea Ventures.

Founded in 2020, Standing Ovation has developed a patented process that upcycles agricultural sugars and dairy coproducts—specifically whey permeates—into high-value caseins. Casein is the essential protein responsible for the texture, melt, and nutritional profile of traditional dairy products like cheese and yogurt.

By utilizing precision fermentation, Standing Ovation can produce these proteins without the need for intensive animal farming.

Recently, Tetra Pak partnered with Standing Ovation, a French biotechnology company, to enhance the production of alternative casein for dairy-free cheese.

This collaboration aims to scale up sustainable, animal-free protein solutions to meet growing consumer demand for plant-based and alternative dairy products.

The partnership focuses on optimizing the production process of casein, a key protein in milk that gives cheese its texture and melting properties. 

Standing Ovation has developed a proprietary fermentation technology to produce animal-free casein, which mimics the functionality of traditional dairy proteins. 

Tetra Pak brings its expertise in food processing and packaging to refine the production process, ensuring scalability and cost-efficiency.

The collaboration includes a €1.5 million (US$1.6 million) investment from Standing Ovation to build a pilot plant, supported by Tetra Pak’s advanced processing equipment.

Romain Dechamp, CEO of Standing Ovation, stated, “Our partnership with Tetra Pak is a significant step toward making sustainable dairy alternatives widely accessible. Their expertise allows us to scale our technology efficiently.” 

This initiative aligns with Tetra Pak’s commitment to sustainability, as it explores eco-friendly packaging solutions, including cartons made from recycled polymers.

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