Californian biotech startup Geltor has secured fresh funding to expand its biodesigned polypeptides, including precision-fermented collagen, to new markets.
US precision fermentation firm Geltor has closed a new equity financing round for its AI-enabled, animal-free bioactive proteins, fuelling its global expansion efforts.
Although the amount raised is under wraps, co-founder and CEO Alexander Lorestani said the deal brought the firm’s total funding to $137M. At its Series B close in 2021, it had raised $116M to date.
The new round was co-led by Starlight Ventures and iSelect Fund, and included significant contributions from existing investors. During the course of the fundraising, the company’s revenue grew by around 75%.
“As the demand for biodesigned ingredients accelerates across beauty and wellness, Geltor stands out as a category-defining leader,” said Starlight Ventures partner and Modern Meadow co-founder Andras Forgacs, commending the firm’s “entrepreneurial grit and scientific excellence”. “This raise… marks an exciting new chapter not just for the company, but for the future of consumer biotechnology.”
How Geltor makes its ‘designer proteins’
Lorestani and CTO Nick Ouzounov founded Geltor a decade ago in San Leandro, having created a computational biology platform called Biodesigner AI, which employs fermentation to produce sustainable ‘designer proteins’ to replace animal-based peptides in food and cosmetics.
Peptides are a class of short-chain amino acids that act as building blocks of proteins like collagen, keratin, and elastin. They provide a host of benefits to the body, including anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, skin-repairing, and muscle-building properties.
These protein precursors can be sourced from both animals and plants, but Geltor opts for microbes instead. It taps into databases of known protein sequences in nature, and selects and optimises amino acid sequences that deliver superior performance and sustainability.
Microbes replicate the biodesigned sequence through precision fermentation. At the end of the process, the protein is separated from the fermentation broth via a thorough purification process, resulting in a formulation-ready ingredient for the food, supplement and beauty industries.
It currently supplies five ingredients to manufacturers. Its suite of polypeptides for colour cosmetics delivers benefits at just 0.1% active use level. Collume is a marine-inspired collagen peptide for hair and skin use; Caviance is a collagen peptide inspired by caviar and promotes skin rejuvenation.
HumaColl 21 is a biomemetic human type XXI collagen that stimulates core extracellular matrix components, combats signs of ageing, and enhances skin smoothness, softness and brightness.
Elastapure is a biomimetic human elastin polypeptide for skin elasticity. Elastin stretches 1,000 times more than collagen, and prevents the formation of wrinkles and sagging skin.
Geltor also makes PrimaColl, a high-purity bioactive collagen for dietary supplements, food and drink products, and “beauty from within” applications.
Geltor to introduce new ingredients and expand globally
Typically found in cattle, pigs and fish, collagen is the most abundant protein in animals. However, it has a detrimental impact on the planet. Tens of thousands of cattle raised for collagen production are on farms linked to deforestation in the Amazon, an ongoing crisis contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss.
The benefits of collagen are subject to major debate. While some claim it can improve hair, skin, nails and joints, the Harvard School of Public Health cautions consumers over study findings as most, “if not all”, of the research has been funded by industry members or scientists affiliated with stakeholder brands.
However, some studies point to the benefits of consuming collagen-building foods, rather than consuming collagen itself. Foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, copper, silicon, and the amino acids lysine and proline have been linked to healthy collagen production.
Still, the global collagen market was valued at $10B in 2024, and is expected to grow annually by 11% until 2030. Given the environmental issues associated with peptides and sustainability becoming a non-negotiable (especially among Gen Z, half of whom are happy to pay more for eco-friendly beauty), solutions like Geltor’s have huge potential.
“The beauty, wellness and longevity spaces are fusing into a $500B+ US and $2T+ global market with intense demand for technologies that deliver transformative, perceivable consumer benefits,” said Lorestani. “Designer polypeptides and their derivatives are exceptionally adept at delivering paradigm-shifting results (think Ozempic, Botox), and we’re extremely encouraged by the progress we’ve made in delivering the power of these molecules to consumers globally.”
Geltor will use the latest investment to expand access to its ingredients to customers in new geographies, bring new topical and ingestible products to market, and push the limits of its AI-led design and biomanufacturing in areas with significant disruption potential.
“We’re moving fast and have already hit key milestones: launched a vegan collagen polypeptide in Latin America; received the first and only ‘no questions’ letter for our ingestible biotech type 21 collagen (PrimaColl) from FDA in response to our GRAS notification; and signed a Biodesigner AI collaboration with a leading beauty and personal care brand.”
Other startups working with animal-free peptides include Nuritas, Avant, Lembas, and Cambrium. Meanwhile, US firm Jellatech is producing cell-cultured human collagen.
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