Sophie’s BioNutrients, a Singapore-based company, produces a pure protein flour that is high in protein and can be used in any food applications such as milks, cheeses and ice cream. In 2021, co-founder and CEO Eugene Wang set up a European R&D office at Wageningen campus. A startup visa was necessary. Oost NL is an official startup facilitator and helped Sophie's BioNutrients go through the process successfully. In this third episode of our international startup series, we would like you to meet Sophie's BioNutrients.
Co-Founder & CEO Eugene Wang
Sophie's BioNutrients' product is made from protein-rich microalgae. Sophie's BioNutrients has a proprietary strain of microalgae which can grow in a fermentation tank, be fed on various food waste, and could be harvested in just 3 days. Sophie's BioNutrients’ goal is to strengthen its position as the leading microalgae-based protein supplier to the global food manufacturing industry.
Sophie's BioNutrients' Microalgae Protein Concentrate
Foodvalley: the heart of plant-based innovations
Wang’s business was given an early boost by Enterprise Singapore, which later connected him with the Foodvalley NL ecosystem, based in Wageningen in the Netherlands. “I realized that Foodvalley is the heart of plant-based innovations and with that in mind I decided to set up a European R&D office at the Wageningen Campus”, Wang explains.
In that year Sophie's BioNutrients joined - and won - the MassChallenge Switzerland Sustainable Food Systems Challenge. Recently they were the winner of the BlueBioValue Acceleration 2022! Blue Bio Value is a business acceleration and ideation program based in Portugal dedicated to the blue bioeconomy (any economic activity associated with the use of renewable aquatic biological resources to make products).
Wang is ambitious for the future: “We have plans to offer isolated microalgae protein flours with different food application functional properties. The microalgae protein flour available in the market now is so-called ‘biomass’ which means it is just a raw untreated product after the growing process. Biomass does not have any functional properties food manufacturers are looking for. These functional properties include (but are not limited to) solubility, foaming, water binding, oil binding, and emulsification. We hope to change that with our product.”
Sophie's BioNutrients' Chlorella Ice Cream
To accomplish that Wang aims to collaborate with other businesses. “We're already in talks with some major European (dairy) firms, such as food research company NIZO, to scale up the production. And we’re looking for partners to support the scale-up process and for interested investors,” says the innovative entrepreneur.
More info on Sophie's BioNutrients: Sophie's Bionutrients – Bionutrients (sophiesbionutrients.com) or LinkedIn
Startup facilitator
Powered by the Dutch National Enterprise Agency (RVO) The Netherlands Point of Entry is the first stop for international talent looking to work or set up a business in the Netherlands. A startup visa is one of the means to enter The Netherlands. East Netherlands Development Agency (Oost NL) is an official startup facilitator. This means that, with Oost NL as their facilitator, innovative non-EU citizens can grow their startups in East Netherlands (Gelderland or Overijssel). Oost NL is welcoming international startups who aim to solve global challenges using our regional ecosystem.
In this series we’ve previously published about: PLAEX Technologies and ReShore.
