Better Dairy

Better Dairy is a food technology company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that creates animal-free dairy products. The company was founded in January 2020 by Jevan Nagarajah (CEO) and Dr. Christopher Reynolds (CTO), who met through the Entrepreneur First program. Nagarajah has a background in investment banking and over 15 years of experience in the tech industry, including roles at Rocket Internet and SumUp, and previously founded a cloud kitchen startup. His interest in the intersection of food and technology led him to explore precision fermentation as a solution to the unsustainable practices of the traditional dairy industry.

The company utilizes precision fermentation to produce dairy products that are molecularly identical to their traditional counterparts without involving animals. This process involves genetically engineering microorganisms like yeast, which are then cultivated in fermenters with water and sugars to produce specific dairy proteins, such as casein. This core technology allows Better Dairy to create cheeses, yogurts, and ice creams that replicate the taste, melt, stretch, and texture of conventional dairy. The resulting products are free from lactose, antibiotics, and hormones. The company reports its method reduces greenhouse gas emissions and water usage by over 90% compared to traditional dairy farming.

Better Dairy operates on a business-to-business (B2B) model, with plans to supply its animal-free proteins to existing food manufacturers and cheesemakers. The company is starting with high-value proteins like casein for cheese production and bioactive proteins like Osteopontin, which has applications in infant and adult nutrition. Since its founding, Better Dairy has raised over $24 million in funding, including a £1.6 million seed round in December 2020 and a $22 million Series A round in February 2022. Key investors include Happiness Capital, CPT Capital, Stray Dog Capital, Redalpine, and Vorwerk Ventures.

Keywords: precision fermentation, animal-free dairy, cellular agriculture, casein production, sustainable food, food technology, dairy alternatives, molecularly identical dairy, B2B ingredients, food-tech, synthetic biology, yeast fermentation, alternative proteins, lactose-free cheese, sustainable protein, cultured dairy, cheese alternatives, food innovation, bioactive proteins, Osteopontin