What we do

We are developing a highly nutritious fungi-based protein ingredient valorizing food-industry side streams as feedstocks. Our target is to deliver an ingredient with functionality and versatility like that of animal-based proteins, but with superior sustainability, making it a fitting ingredient for food production, pet food, and aquafeed.

Why fungi?

With a billion years of evolution, fungi’s enzyme production and metabolic versatility are perfect for transforming agricultural by-products into nutrient-rich protein. Cultivated in bioreactors, they can drastically reduce land and water usage while supporting a circular economy. Packed with essential nutrients and produced using a food-grade species for guaranteed safety, we believe fungi-based protein is a game-changer for sustainable nutrition.

Why we do this

Afterlife is driven towards making a circular food system the status quo by revolutionizing protein production. We believe fungi have the power to transform low-value side streams from food processing facilities into high-value protein ingredients for several applications. The planet is calling for this ingredient!

Our target ingredient is based on mycoprotein, a nutritious protein source derived from fungi. Our mycoprotein production process is designed to be resource-efficient and to deliver a product that is readily applicable in food production.

This process ensures a functional and nutritious protein source, but also valorizes by-products while drastically minimizing land and water usage, supporting a more environmentally friendly food production system.

STEP 1

PRE-TREATMENT

Starch-rich by-products from the food and agricultural industries are treated to obtain the ideal feedstock for growth of our fungi.

STEP 2

FERMETATION

This is the core of our process. A bioreactor, similar to that used in beer-brewing, is what provides a controlled environment to achieve the fungal growth and nutrient profile we are looking for. Once the desired growth is reached, the fungi are harvested.

STEP 3

PROCESSING

Once the fungi has reached the desired characteristics, it is harvested and further processed into high-quality mycoprotein ingredients, either as a wet ingredient or powder, suitable for multiple applications.

Roadmap

Ideation phase
Network expansion
Business foundations

Prototyping (technical validation research)
Exploring industrial collaborations
Business and concept development
Milestone: Proof of Principle

Demonstrator-level testing
Securing industrial partnerships
Market validation
Milestone: Proof of Concept

Pilot-scale testing
Launching partners
Market entry on national level

We believe that the world’s protein requirements can be met with a resilient and future-proof food system that respects our planet’s ecosystems. We believe this can be achieved in a circular and efficient way with some transformation in the food industry.

The next generation of sustainable protein production

Afterlife Ingredients is an early stage biotech startup founded in 2023. Our journey began at Wageningen University & Research, in the Food Valley region.

A group of driven students came together at the Rethink Waste Challenge 2023 and formed the core of our team. The first-place victory at this competition, sparked the future development of our idea.

As our vision grew, so did our team. We secured additional prizes, established collaborations with the university, and joined a startup accelerator. Along the way, we built a network of seasoned professionals, all of whom have contributed to our progress.

Now, we are taking our idea into practice, working in the laboratories of Wageningen University to obtain our proof of concept of our circular protein production process.