Fermelanta has raised ¥2 billion ($13 million) in a Series A round, boosting its work in synthetic biology to produce rare and valuable natural compounds through fermentation. The latest funding brings the company’s cumulative capital raised to ¥4.8 billion ($31 million).
Founded with the goal of applying bioengineering to industrial-scale production, Fermelanta uses precision fermentation to replicate natural molecules that are difficult or inefficient to extract through traditional methods.
These compounds, which include rare bioactive ingredients and specialty materials, have applications across food, cosmetics, healthcare, and sustainable materials.
Japan has been building momentum in the synthetic biology field, with startups leveraging the country’s strong biotechnology base and rising demand for alternatives to resource-intensive chemical processes.
Fermelanta’s approach is positioned to support industries seeking sustainable and scalable solutions for rare compounds that typically depend on limited natural sources.
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While the company did not disclose individual investor names in this round, the Series A provides additional resources to scale production capacity, strengthen R&D, and expand commercial partnerships. Fermelanta has already been collaborating with food and material science companies to test the integration of its bio-derived components.
The raise comes amid a surge of global investment in synthetic biology. Comparable startups in the U.S. and Europe have also attracted significant backing, as industries from specialty chemicals to alternative proteins look to biology-driven manufacturing for supply chain resilience and environmental benefits.
For Fermelanta, the funding underscores investor confidence in Japan’s potential to play a larger role in the international bioeconomy.