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Onego Bio hatches US headquarters for its egg alternative
According to Onego, Bioalbum is identical to ovalbumin, the major protein in chicken egg white.
Onego BioOnego Bio, a Finnish foodtech startup has opened a new office in San Diego, aimed at scaling up its animal-free egg protein production.
The company hailed the new office as a significant milestone in its growth. The office serves as Onego’s commercial headquarters in the US and features lab facilities and a test kitchen. The latter will be used to demonstrate applications for Bioalbumen, the company's non-animal egg protein produced using a patented fungal fermentation technology. Onego claims it matches traditional eggs' taste, nutrition and functionality while delivering an over 90-per-cent reduction in environmental footprint.
“By leveraging precision fermentation technology, we are addressing the global demand for egg protein at scale, helping to create resilient supply chains and power a more sustainable food system,” said Maija Itkonen, CEO and co-founder of Onego Bio. “The opening of our San Diego office is a critical step forward in our journey to scale sustainable protein production.”
Onego Bio chose the US as its launch market due to a faster regulatory landscape. Pictured the Onego team.
Onego BioThe company is already working with major food companies to use Bioalbumen as an egg substitute in various products, including baked goods, confectionery, sauces and pasta. Currently, it's produced with co-manufacturers, but Onego is finalising plans for its first industrial-scale manufacturing facility in the US. It will boast a two-million-litre fermentation capacity, which is equivalent to the protein output of roughly six million laying hens.
Foodtech trailblazer
Onego has been on a fast track since its spin-off from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in 2022. In 2023, it was a winner of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas award. In early 2024, it completed a 36.5 million euro funding round led by Nordic Ninja, a Japanese-Nordic venture capital firm.
The ingredient has already been proven successfully in numerous recipes.
Onego BioA few months later, Onego secured an additional 14 million euros in funding from the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Accelerator programme and series-A investors, bringing its total funding to 65 million euros. Out of 969 applicants, only 68 companies were awarded funding through the accelerator programme, which focuses on high-impact companies with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones.