New Culture

New Culture Inc. is a food technology company focused on developing animal-free dairy products through precision fermentation. Founded in 2018 by Inja Radman and Matt Gibson, the company aims to disrupt the traditional cheese market by producing caseins, the key proteins responsible for the characteristic melt and stretch of dairy cheese, without involving any animals. Both founders bring relevant scientific expertise to the venture; Radman has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, while Gibson's background is in genetics, which has been instrumental in engineering microbes to produce casein proteins.

The company's core business revolves around creating a cow's casein protein through a fermentation process, which is then combined with plant-based fats, salt, sugar, and water to replicate the taste, texture, and functionality of conventional cheese. New Culture's flagship product is an animal-free mozzarella specifically designed for use in pizzerias. This mozzarella is formulated to melt, stretch, and brown just like its dairy-based counterpart, offering a one-to-one substitute for chefs and foodservice operators. By targeting the foodservice industry, particularly pizzerias, New Culture is positioning itself to capture a significant B2B market segment. The company has already secured a partnership with James Beard-award winning chef Nancy Silverton to feature its cheese at Pizzeria Mozza.

New Culture's business model is centered on producing and supplying its animal-free cheese to foodservice clients. The company has raised significant capital to scale its operations, with funding rounds attracting investors like ADM Ventures, Evolv Ventures (the corporate venture arm of Kraft Heinz), and Ahren Innovation Capital. This financial backing is directed towards increasing manufacturing capacity to commercial-scale, a critical step for supplying national pizzeria chains. The primary value proposition lies in offering a product that is functionally identical to traditional mozzarella but is also lactose-free, cholesterol-free, and produced with a substantially smaller environmental footprint, reducing water and land usage.

Keywords: precision fermentation, animal-free dairy, casein protein, mozzarella, food technology, cellular agriculture, sustainable food, B2B foodservice, alternative protein, cheesemaking