Founder-led biotech company launching the next generation of renewable proteins in the U.S., backed by American industrial leaders and strategic capital.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 14, 2025 — Nortian, a biotech company pioneering the production of ultra-pure collagen through a proprietary, vertically integrated process, today announced it has raised $41 million in a landmark funding round—one of the largest in the collagen space—to launch its U.S. manufacturing operations and accelerate commercialization.
The round was led by AJ Hollander, one of the world’s largest hide processors and traders, which brings unmatched scale and security in hide sourcing, processing over 10,000 hides daily across five U.S. facilities. Additional participation came from Hubbard Ingredients, the owner of Integrated Proteins, a Midwest-based supplier to the global animal protein industry; XPTO, the family office of XP Inc.’s founding partners; and several prominent family offices from Texas and the Midwest. Together, these investors bring deep operational expertise and industrial alignment, ensuring Nortian is positioned for long-term growth and supply chain resilience.
With a post-money valuation of $100 million, Nortian is now poised to activate its state-of-the-art U.S. manufacturing hub — the largest in the country — in St. Joseph, Missouri. The production facility spans over 90,000 square feet on a 24-acre site, with an initial capacity of 600 tons per month and plans to scale up to 1,000. The project is expected to create 138 new jobs in the region, supporting local economic development alongside national production goals. Nortian’s proprietary process transforms hides—typically discarded in the meat industry—into highly purified collagen with 99% purity and 98% protein concentration, among the highest in the global market. In doing so, the company is also tackling a longstanding environmental challenge: animal waste. By reclaiming and upgrading this byproduct, Nortian is creating a scalable model for upcycling animal byproducts into high-value ingredients, bridging industrial food systems with modern biotech to drive impact across health, nutrition, and manufacturing.
“Eighty percent of collagen sold in the U.S. is still imported, often with limited quality control,” said Andre Albuquerque, Nortian’s Founder & CEO. “We’re building the most advanced and reliable high-protein ecosystems in the world. Fully made in the U.S. and optimized for next-generation health and nutrition.”
Nortian’s U.S.-first strategy is tightly aligned with today’s economic and policy climate. With tariffs on imported collagen, rising consumer demand for local manufacturing, and strong federal and state incentives, the company is uniquely positioned to meet demand for performance collagen across nutrition, beauty, and pharmaceuticals.
Before founding Nortian, André Albuquerque built and sold Suplax, one of the largest supplement contract manufacturing companies in Latin America. He later founded an ingredient manufacturing company, which was acquired by an investment fund in 2024. With over a decade of experience in the food, supplements, and ingredients sectors — Albuquerque brings a proven track record of scaling category-defining businesses. Nortian’s leadership team includes alumni from Morgan Stanley, UBS, and leading biotech companies, and is supported by a board of seasoned operators and strategic investors.
“Nortian combines American manufacturing muscle with biotech-level precision,” said Benjamin Ganz, Founding Partner of AJ Hollander. “This team knows how to scale, and they’re doing it with the right partners, in the right place, at the right time.”
The global collagen market is expected to nearly double from $9.8 billion in 2023 to nearly $20 billion by 2030, fueled by growing demand across the wellness, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Nortian’s collagen is engineered with targeted amino acid enhancements to support performance, recovery, and overall bioavailability. Early testing indicates benefits on par with whey protein, with broader functional applications and a cleaner, more traceable sourcing model.
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About Nortian
Founded in 2024, Nortian is a U.S.-based biotechnology company pioneering the production of ultra-pure collagen from hide through a proprietary, vertically integrated process. Designed for use across the supplements, food, and pharmaceutical industries, Nortian’s ingredients meet the highest standards of purity and performance. With industrial operations in Missouri, the company is proudly built in America and positioned for global scale.
SOURCE Nortian
