Investment Propels Shiru’s Mission to Transform Ingredient Innovation Across Food, Personal Care, Agriculture and Advanced Materials
- Series B funding quickly follows the launch of ProteinDiscover.ai, Shiru’s groundbreaking AI-powered ingredient discovery platform.
- Global companies now contract with Shiru to discover and develop high-value, sustainable proteins.
- The new investment will support Shiru’s expansion as more partners realize the benefits of AI-driven ingredient innovation.
BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 12, 2024 — Shiru, the pioneer in AI-powered ingredient discovery, has secured a $16 million investment round as it leads a revolution in how ingredients are discovered and developed across multiple industries.
Shiru’s flagship platform, ProteinDiscovery.ai, hosts the world’s largest database of natural proteins from plants and microbes. The AI-driven platform enables corporate partners in food, personal care, agriculture and advanced materials to swiftly identify and test highly functional, natural ingredients. The results include dramatically reduced R&D and product development costs, accelerated time to market and high functional capabilities from nature-identical products.
“AI-powered discovery isn’t only the future of ingredient innovation – it’s here today, and we’re eager to expand our capabilities across flavor, skincare and agriculture,” said Dr. Jasmin Hume, Founder and CEO of Shiru. “Our technology dramatically reduces development timelines and costs, empowering R&D teams to revolutionize products, categories and industries through our platform, enabling valuable innovation and competitive advantage.”
The round, bringing Shiru’s total funding to $36 million, was led by longtime investor S2G Ventures, with participation from CPT Capital, Lux Capital, Nourish Ventures, and Meach Cove Capital. This investment will fuel Shiru’s ambitious growth plans, expanding its ingredient portfolio and enhancing ProteinDiscovery.ai through new commercial partnerships and expanded offerings.
Shiru’s recent advancements underscore its leadership position in ingredient innovation:
- A joint partnership with Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition to develop and scale sweet proteins, a long-sought goal in the food industry.
- The introduction of OleoPro™, a high-performance, structured fat alternative that recently received a USPTO patent; and uPro™, the active protein ingredient in OleoPro.
- Confirmed partnerships with global leaders including Griffith Foods to discover, pilot and scale sustainable food ingredients.
“While we’re starting with proteins, our vision extends far beyond,” Hume added. “ProteinDiscovery.ai is just the beginning. We’re building a comprehensive platform that will revolutionize ingredient discovery across multiple molecular classes, driving innovation that benefits both industry and consumers.”
About Shiru, Inc.
Shiru, The Ingredient Discovery Company, is accelerating the limitless potential of nature-inspired ingredients through AI-powered discovery and high-performance, sustainable products. Shiru’s groundbreaking approach, powered by its patented Flourish™ technology, is transforming the landscape of ingredient innovation. Its flagship platform, ProteinDiscovery.ai, offers an interactive marketplace and discovery suite featuring 33 million molecules, setting a new standard for applications across food, personal care, agriculture, and advanced materials. Led by a team of seasoned technologists and industry veterans, Shiru is based in Berkeley, California, and is backed by leading venture capital firms, including S2G Ventures, Nourish Ventures, and CPT Capital. For more information, visit http://www.shiru.com and ProteinDiscovery.ai.
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SOURCE Shiru, Inc.
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