Market Impact

In today’s coffee-centric world, the variety and availability of coffee drinks have captivated consumers, transforming coffee drinking into an all-day indulgence rather than just a morning ritual. However, the downside of this coffee culture is the potential for excessive caffeine consumption, which can lead to sleep disturbances and health issues.

Enter Caffree, a technology that improves the decaffeination process, making it more efficient and effective. Unlike traditional methods that often compromise the flavor of coffee, Caffree uses advanced extraction techniques to selectively remove caffeine while preserving coffee’s rich aroma and enhancing its health benefits.

Developed by Barnstorm Foundry in collaboration with the Innovation Institute at UC Davis, Caffree offers a compelling solution that will enable consumers to reduce their caffeine intake without sacrificing the taste they love. As ongoing research and development continue to refine this technology, Caffree has the potential to set a new standard for all decaffeinated beverages.

The food we love does not always receive the same appreciation from our digestive tract and can be the leading cause of GI discomfort. Imagine being able to seamlessly assimilate the most challenging protein for your gut while transforming it into super-food simply by sprinkling a dash of specialized enzyme like you would season your favorite dish. This is how Digestiva innovates.

Using computational modeling and AI-powered technology, Digestiva, a biotech company catalyzed by IIFH, is developing a broad range of proteases (enzymes that break down proteins) to improve food digestibility and unlock the full health potential of dietary proteins. Designed with high specificity and efficiency, Digestiva’s proprietary enzymes maximize the nutritional value of our food by improving protein absorption and quality. This IIFH-enabled technology takes nutrition and global health to the next level. By creating unique connections between food and engineered enzymes, the startup offers an unprecedented opportunity to modulate the release of specific bioactive peptides that affect our health and well-being. From metabolic and cognitive health to inflammatory disease mitigation and healthy aging, the applications are virtually endless. In addition to its impact on individual health, this technology provides a valuable solution to nutritional challenges in undernourished communities by improving the digestibility of suboptimal protein sources. Co-founded by Justin Siegel, Faculty Director of IIFH, and Wilson Mak, a former graduate student in Siegel’s lab and now Chief Technology Officer at Digestiva, the startup has received venture funding from The March Group (TMG) and Astanor.

Using data science, AI-driven software, and analytics, Engage3 helps retailers and brands refine their pricing strategies to drive performance and achieve more competitive profitability. Engage3’s Price Image tool enables the company to accurately predict how consumers will perceive, remember, and react to retailers’ pricing strategies. By analyzing various factors such as historical data, market trends and consumer behavior patterns, Engage3 can provide retailers with valuable insights to help them make informed decisions and optimize their pricing strategies. Recognizing the growing importance of personalized nutrition in the retail industry, Engage3 is actively leveraging its expertise to drive advancements in this area. Through its partnership with the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Engage3 engages with key stakeholders in the food tech startup ecosystem and fosters knowledge sharing and collaboration among food and ag entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors. This approach not only accelerates research and innovation, but also provides valuable networking opportunities for startups to connect with potential partners and mentors.

Comprising approximately 85 percents of the by-product produced by the beer brewing process brewer’s spent grain (BSG) represents an untapped reservoir of proteins and dietary fibers. With 9 million tonnes of BSG generated by the brewing industry each year, AB InBev, the world’s leading beer brewer, recognized the need to investigate its potential for human health and environmental sustainability and created Evergrain. Under the guidance of a scientific advisory board chaired by Harold Schmitz, PhD, senior scholar at the Graduate School of Management at UC Davis, and including the director of IIFH, Pr. Justin Siegel, the company is harnessing the hidden potential of upcycled BSG to create a new category of plant-based protein ingredients enhancing the taste and nutritional profile of various food and beverage products. Evergrain is now leveraging the LEAP platform developed by the AI leader PIPA at UC Davis to streamline its R&D process and propel the discovery of functional ingredients in BSG.

FoodShot Global (FSG) is a collaborative investment platform dedicated to accelerating the transformation of the food system toward health, sustainability, and equity. Each year, FSG launches a FoodShot initiative, akin to a MoonShot for Better Food, that targets a critical systemic challenge within the food system. This annual initiative embodies a transformative vision for the future of food and provides an opportunity for scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors to collaborate and innovate. By providing funding through mechanisms such as the GroundBreaker Equity Award and the GroundBreaker Prize, FoodShot Global aims to catalyze the development of world-class, scalable, impactful, and inspiring solutions. Initiated by IIFH, Mars and other key partners, this collaborative effort aims to forge a food future that ensures our planet, and its global citizens can be fed and sustained for generations to come. Through collaborative action and investment, FoodShot Global seeks to address pressing challenges and unlock the potential for a more resilient and inclusive food system.

Grainge.ai is a food technology company revolutionizing product formulation by integrating artificial intelligence with grain chemistry. Co-founded by CEO Tarini Naravane—a former UC Davis PhD student and IIFH Innovator Fellow—the company addresses nutritional deficiencies in modern diets by enhancing foods with whole grains and functional fibers without compromising taste or texture. Their AI-driven platform predicts ingredient performance, optimizes formulations, and accelerates research and development cycles, enabling food companies to innovate and adapt to challenges like climate change and supply chain volatility.

Nurturing the right community of gut microbes early in life is critical to long-term health. Research has shown that the absence of a single strain of bacteria – B. infantis – during childhood, can have a major impact on the incidence of immune-related diseases. With more than 90% of infants born in the U.S missing this specific bacterium, something has to be done. Leveraging years of proprietary research into the role of human milk and its impact on human development, a team of microbiologists and food science and technology experts at UC Davis came up with a solution. They created Infinant Health, a spin-out of the Food for Health Institute led by Pr. Bruce German, to develop B. infantis EVC001, a natural bacterial strain that unlocks the critical function of HMOs (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) to selectively benefit short- and long-term health. By promoting a balanced gut microbiota that support the development of a strong digestive and immune system in infant, Infinant healthTM probiotic lays the foundation for a healthier future generation.

With its tasty, nutritious, and earth-friendly whole cuts of alternative meat sourced from mycelium, the filamentous-like roots of mushrooms, Meati is revolutionizing the alt-meat market. By turning a teaspoon of fungal spores into the equivalent of hundreds of cows’ worth of protein, the company offers a sustainable and health enhancing solution to traditional meat production. Recognized for its beneficial impacts on heart health, digestion, the immune system, and glucose metabolism, mycelium has a lot to offer. To further expand on this health benefit and unlock the full potential of mycelium as a whole-food source of complete protein, Meati has created a Scientific Advisory Board including the nutrition specialists Harold Schmitz, former CSO of Mars Inc, and Justin Siegel, Faculty Director at IIFH. Through its partnership with the AI leader PIPA, the company identified additional bioactives unique to its base ingredient MushroomRootTM that help address nutritional deficiencies in the US diet. Co-funded by The March Group, Meati recently launched a product line that is now available in major food distributors across the US.

Many people turn to fasting to promote weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity, boost brain function, and even enhance longevity. While it can be beneficial for some individuals, adhering to such a strict regimen can be extremely challenging and may not be suitable or safe for everyone. Imagine experiencing the benefit of fasting without having to give up on food? That’s what Mimio Health’s offer. Following an extensive screening process of hundreds of molecules supported by years of clinical research at UC Davis, the longevity start-up developed, Mimio, a biomimetic supplement made of four bioactives that replicates the cellular health and longevity benefits associated with fasting. Co-founded by the nutritional biologist Dr. Chris Rhodes at UC Davis and biotech expert Caitlin Beatty, Mimio Health harnesses the power of human biology to extend healtspan and improve people’s well-being. The company received funding from the IIFH VC partners, Better Ventures to further expand its product lines, conduct additional clinical research, and discover new biomimetic formulations that promote healthy aging.

Fibers, known as non-digestible type of carbohydrates found in plant foods, come in a wide variety of structures associated with a number of health benefits. In addition to keeping our heart healthy, helping to lower blood sugar and manage weight, they feed the trillions of microorganisms that inhabit our digestive tract and keep our gut happy. Maintaining a healthy microbiome is crucial to our overall health as it boosts our immune defenses, improves our mood and much more. The problem is that many of us do not get enough fibers from our diets and, more importantly much of it is wasted and replaced by unhealthy simple sugars through food processing. One.bio, a company founded by UC Davis experts in food science, organic chemistry and microbiology, is tackling this problem by using an IIFH enabled biotechnology to bring active fibers back on our plates. The startup has developed a natural, proprietary process to extract, purify and break down active fibers, resulting in Glycopedia, a catalog of nearly 3000 plant carbohydrate with previously uncharacterized structures and functionalities. Leveraging this extensive database, the team is delivering health-enhancing products by seamlessly integrating wholefibersTM into the foods we love.

Optimized Foods is a UC Davis spinout leveraging mycelium—the root structure of fungi—to create sustainable and nutritious food products. Co-founder Minami Ogawa, a former PhD student at UC Davis and IIFH Innovator Fellow, helped develop the company’s proprietary MycoCarrier™ platform, which transforms agricultural byproducts into high-value foods. Their innovations include fish-free cultivated caviar and HYphat™, a plant-based fat alternative designed to replicate the sensory experience of animal fats, providing environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional animal-based foods.

As key indicators of our body’s energy utilization and fat metabolism, Ketones exert a profound influence on our metabolic health. When managing medical conditions or simply following a ketogenic diet, being able to measure ketone blood levels swiftly and accurately is critical. However, current blood ketone testing relies on invasive and expensive finger prick test strip techniques. Phenotap, a venture-backed early-stage company funded by Cornucopian Capital is revolutionizing this process. The start-up is collaborating with IIFH to develop and bring to market KetotapTM, the first and only non-invasive continuous ketone monitor. The technology uses a simple sensor to deliver hourly trends of ketone blood concentration to a smartphone, enabling real-time and personalized adjustments to optimize metabolic health through diet and lifestyle interventions. Founded and led by the business and technology expert, Giovanni Battistini, Phenotap is taking innovation in biomeasurement to the next level with a platform that empowers people to proactively manage their health and well-being.

As key indicators of our body’s energy utilization and fat metabolism, Ketones exert a profound influence on our metabolic health. When managing medical conditions or simply following a ketogenic diet, being able to measure ketone blood levels swiftly and accurately is critical. However, current blood ketone testing relies on invasive and expensive finger prick test strip techniques. Phenotap, a venture-backed early-stage company funded by Cornucopian Capital is revolutionizing this process. The start-up is collaborating with IIFH to develop and bring to market KetotapTM, the first and only non-invasive continuous ketone monitor. The technology uses a simple sensor to deliver hourly trends of ketone blood concentration to a smartphone, enabling real-time and personalized adjustments to optimize metabolic health through diet and lifestyle interventions. Founded and led by the business and technology expert, Giovanni Battistini, Phenotap is taking innovation in biomeasurement to the next level with a platform that empowers people to proactively manage their health and well-being.

On a mission to create a healthier and more sustainable future for all, PIPA integrates cutting-edge AI technologies into every stage of R&D, manufacturing and commercialization processes to accelerate innovation in the food, nutrition and health sectors. By making data intelligent and accessible across the entire value chain, the AI leader in nutrition and life sciences offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to unlock innovation opportunities for its partners, drive scientific breakthroughs, and increase productivity. From the discovery of functional ingredients with health-promoting properties, the development of next-gen AI-enabled foods to the identification of new biomarkers for disease prediction, the company is revolutionizing the food and health industry. Founded by Dr. Ilias Tagkopoulos, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Davis, and Director of the USDA/NSF AI Institute for Next-Generation Food Systems (AIFS), the company recently appointed synthetic biology expert and IIFH Executive Chair John Melo as CEO.

Affecting approximately 2.4 million Americans, Celiac disease, is characterized by the body’s inability to tolerate gluten. This autoimmune disorder causes a range of symptoms, including acute gastrointestinal distress, malnutrition, and an increased risk of death. Currently, the primary treatment for celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet. However, adhering to this diet can be challenging and expensive. Gluten is present in many foods, making it difficult for people with celiac disease to avoid accidental exposure. PvP Biologics, a startup company co-founded by IIFH Faculty Director Justin Siegel and Ingrid Swanson Pultz, Ph.D., based on technology developed at the University of Washington and UC, Davis, is addressing this problem. The team has developed an oral enzyme that can break down the immunoreactive parts of gluten in the stomach, relieving painful symptoms and preventing damage to the small intestine. With the acquisition of PvP biologics by the Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company Takeda, in 2020, this technology offers a promising therapeutic approach to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from celiac disease.

RegenScore is a unified, adaptive framework that recognizes and integrates various approaches to regenerative agricultural management, monitoring, and verification. It assigns a numerical value to farms and ranches, translating detailed information on practices and outcomes into an accessible, engaging format for purchasers and consumers.

Co-founder and President Dr. Jessica Chiartas, a former UC Davis postdoctoral scholar and IIFH Innovator Fellow, is a soil biogeochemist whose research focuses on the long-term impacts of management on soil carbon, soil health, and ecosystem services across diverse soils, climates, and production systems.

Today’s consumers often find themselves compromising between snacks they know aren’t beneficial for their health and supposedly “healthier” options that often lack flavor and only marginally improve nutritional quality. Inspired by IIFH technology, Rivalz revolutionize the snacking landscape by introducing a vegetable-based snack that not only matches the taste of traditional potato chips but also redefines nutritional standards within the snacking industry. Through its collaboration with the AI leader PIPA, the start-up figured out how to extrude hard-to-work ingredients and maintain the same indulgent texture and flavor as a high-carbohydrate, unhealthy snack while improving protein digestibility. Formulated with yellow pea proteins, Rivalz offers vegan and gluten-free snacks providing 8 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 7 essential vitamins and minerals per serving all without any added sugar. The company, founded by food experts Harold Schmitz and Ralph Jerome, and currently led by UC Davis alumni Peter Barrick, has received venture funding from The March Group (TMG). With their nutrient dense snacking options Rivalz has recently been named the official snack of UC Davis Athletics.

Turning grape waste into a premium food ingredient that makes chocolate tastier and healthier ­- this is how Wine to Bar innovates to transform the future of food. Globally, the wine industry generates approximately 10 billion pounds of grape waste each year, with around 20 percent of it going unused in the fermentation process. Collaborative research led by food experts at UC Davis, USDA Agricultural Research Services, and Sonomaceuticals, LLC has revealed that this byproduct of winemaking, known as marc, is rich in bioactive compounds contributing to a healthier gut and cardiovascular system. This inspired the creation of WellvineTM Coastal Chardonnay marc, a new superfood ingredient enhancing the nutritional and sensory properties of the Wine to BarTM earth-friendly line of dark chocolate. This partnership involving the chocolate expert Ralph Jerome and the former chief science officer at Mars, Inc Harold Schmitz, Wine to Bar paves the way to new model for developing upcycled food ingredients that deliver great taste, health, and environmental sustainability.

Wine is remarkably complex, and part of that complexity comes from the impact of environmental conditions on grape quality. Unfortunately, this does not always translate into elegant and subtle aromas. With the increasing frequency of wildfires due to climate change, smoke taint has become a serious issue for the wine industry, resulting in significant economic losses. Smoke taint compounds are challenging to detect accurately and reliably before fermentation. Traditional methods such as chemical analysis are not always conclusive, and sensory evaluation through tasting can be subjective. VinZymes a biotech company based at UC Davis and Co-founded by Justin Siegel, is developing enzyme-driven solutions to address this challenge. Using the power of computational science, the team craft enzymes to improve the measurement and remediation of smoke taint in wine. The startup received funding from The March Group to develop advanced biotech solutions to improve wine quality in response to climate change and help build a more resilient and sustainable wine industry.