Australian startup All G has secured A$10M ($6.6M) ahead of a Series B raise and signed a joint venture with Armor Protéines to expand production of its precision-fermented lactoferrin proteins.
As it prepares for a market launch in early 2026, Sydney-based All G has received a capital boost to produce its recombinant milk proteins on a commercial scale.
The startup, which uses precision fermentation to make protein bioequivalent to bovine and human lactoferrin, has brought in over A$10M ($6.6M) in a convertible note round, ahead of a Series B raise.
The financing effort included new and existing investors like Agronomics, Döhler Ventures, and ID Capital, and means the company has raised more than $36M in funding since being established five years ago.
To further aid its scale-up efforts, All G has signed a joint venture with French bioactives leader Armor Protéines to produce and commercialise its proteins.
Precision fermentation solves key bottlenecks for lactoferrin
Precision fermentation involves inserting specific DNA into microbes to instruct them to produce desired molecules when fermented. All G uses the technology to make several recombinant milk proteins, with lactoferrin its main focus.
A whey protein found in both bovine and human milk, lactoferrin is prized for its ability to boost iron regulation, as well as its antiviral, antibacterial, immunity-boosting, and gut-strengthening properties. The ingredient is used to treat low iron levels during pregnancy, and lactoferrin supplements lower the risk of respiratory tract infections.
However, it’s present in small concentrations in cow’s milk, so extracting 1kg of purified lactoferrin requires at least 10,000 litres of milk. This drives up costs – ranging from $600 to $2,000 per kg – and makes its supply reserved for infant nutrition and premium supplements.
But several precision fermentation companies are targeting the protein (whether bovine or human versions) for use in functional foods and drinks, protein powders, and sports and elderly nutrition, including Helaina, TurtleTree, Eden Brew, PFx Biotech, Daisy Lab, De Novo Foodlabs, and Eclipse Ingredients.
All G’s version has exhibited high purity and bioactivity, equivalent iron saturation status, and native-like glycosylation patterns.
The startup also works on producing human lactoferrin, which is present in significantly higher concentrations in breast milk than dairy. “Human lactoferrin is structurally identical to the protein found in breast milk, with distinct glycosylation and bioactivities compared to bovine lactoferrin,” co-founder and CEO Jan Pacas told Green Queen in July.
“These factors make human lactoferrin preferential in natural applications such as infant and clinical nutrition, where there is scientific rationale and growing commercial demand,” he added.
All G to leverage Armor Protéines’s lactoferrin expertise
All G said it has overcome the barriers of producing recombinant lactoferrin, including replicating native glycosylation patterns and achieving commercially viable yields.
In its optimised upstream process, microorganisms secrete the lactoferrin into the fermentation media. The biomass is then separated and the lactoferrin purified through a chromatography process, before the salt is removed and it’s dried into a powder.
The company has already completed pilot-scale production of its bovine lactoferrin, and achieved over 95% purity for its human equivalent. It has self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for adult nutrition sales in the US, alongside approval for personal care sales in China, but these regulatory clearances don’t cover infant formula yet.
“We are progressing regulatory submissions across multiple geographies in parallel. Our global strategy includes the US, China, Australia/New Zealand, and the EU, aligned with our product timelines,” Pacas told Green Queen earlier this year.
Ahead of its ingredients’ launch next year, it is leveraging Armor Protéines’s expertise in high-value, bioactive functional milk proteins to transform how lactoferrin is made, purchased and consumed. The latter is owned by dairy major Savencia, which is among the world’s top producers of bovine lactoferrin.
The joint venture also includes human lactoferrin, charting a path to creating infant formulas with protein profiles closer to breast milk. Armor Protéines’s experience in bioactive, large-scale manufacturing and commercialisation of infant formula ingredients, and long-standing relationships with leading nutrition companies will help All G reliably scale its human lactoferrin production across global markets.
Aside from lactoferrin, the startup is also working on human micellar caseins, which make up 20-45% of the protein content in breast milk and boost calcium absorption, growth, development and satiety. All G has filed multiple patents covering its proprietary compositions and processes, including micelle assembly, scalable manufacture, and applications in human milk compositions.
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