2 million euros for the production of high-quality vegan proteins go to Lemgo
2 million euros for the production of high-quality vegan proteins go to Lemgo. Founding team from the OWL University prevails nationwide. Yesterday, April 2018th, the award ceremony of the 18th GO-Bio funding competition of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) took place at the German Biotechnology Days 8 in Berlin. A research team led by Professor Hans-Jürgen Danneel from the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences was also among the eight winners. This was the first time that a founding team from a university of applied sciences prevailed in this nationwide competition.
The scientists will receive around 2 million euros in funding to set up a company that will produce high-quality vegan proteins for the nutritional sector. In almost ten years of preparatory work, Professor Danneel's team developed the foundations for a unique process with which the most valuable protein components can be enriched from almost any vegetable raw material and inferior or undesirable ingredients can be removed. "In this way, beyond all ideological discussions, we are creating for the first time qualitatively and sensorially superior products that compete with the milk or meat proteins that currently dominate the market," says project manager Danneel. The result should be proteins that are 100% plant-based, allergen-free, GMO-free and ecological and suitable for sports, baby or diet food, for example. "Our technology contributes to securing global nutrition, improves the value chain, protects our waters, avoids genetic engineering and helps with climate protection," says Timo Broeker from the research team.
With the money, the newly founded company will start production within two years. The production plant is to be equipped with a state-of-the-art digital control system and contribute as a demonstrator to the "SmartFoodTechnologyOWL" network. Danneel himself will take over the management of finance, technology and development. Timo Broeker, a master's graduate from the OWL University of Applied Sciences and a specialist in biorefinery concepts, will take over management in the areas of marketing and sales. Hendrik van Bracht (head of production and technology) and Dr. Jörg Tachil (laboratory manager and quality assurance) are "homegrown" at the university. All three have been working together with Danneel on the development for several years.
"With this project, we are the first university of applied sciences that has ever been able to assert itself in this top-class competition," says Professor Stefan Witte, Vice President for Research and Transfer. "With such an important and promising development, it is logical to take the step from research to founding a company. Hans-Jürgen Danneel and his working group have once again proven how strong the OWL University of Applied Sciences is in the field of applied research and how well positioned the Institute for Food Technology is in particular. Congratulations from the Executive Committee!”
The founding team is currently negotiating additional venture capital investments as well as company investments from raw material processors and technology providers. The OWL University itself is also considering getting involved with the company. "We are very optimistic that we can generate another million euros in equity capital and are exploring all possibilities to create the optimal starting conditions for our project, both strategically and financially," says Danneel.
The biochemist Hans-Jürgen Danneel has been researching and teaching at the OWL University of Applied Sciences in the Life Science Technologies department for twenty years and has been head of the Institute for Food Technology (ILT.NRW) for five years. The university will give him 50% time off for his start-up project.
Biotechnology start-up offensive
The program promotes the commercialization of innovative (biotech) business ideas in a two-stage process as part of the BMBF's "Biotechnology Start-up Campaign" (GO-Bio). With GO-Bio, researchers are supported for up to seven years - up to four years before the foundation and up to three years after the foundation. In addition, entrepreneurial knowledge is imparted to the award winners in the “Founder Talks” training series and they receive coaching and consulting services.
