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Australian biotech innovator All G is accelerating its entry into the global speciality protein market through a joint venture with France-based bioactives leader Armor Protéines, alongside the close of a AUD 10 million (approx. $6.6m) convertible note round.

The capital will fuel commercial-scale production of All G’s first recombinant human lactoferrin ingredient, slated for launch in Q1 2026, supporting development of a pipeline of human milk proteins targeting the early-life and adult nutrition markets.

The newly formed joint venture brings together All G’s precision fermentation platform and Armor Protéines’ three decades of experience in producing and commercialising high-value dairy bioactives.

Armor Protéines, a subsidiary of Savencia Fromage & Dairy, brings extensive global customer networks and expertise in scaling functional dairy ingredients. The company is one of the world’s largest producers of lactoferrin, supplying infant formula, adult nutrition and supplement manufacturers for over 30 years.

The partners said the joint venture will allow rapid scale-up and commercial rollout of both human and bovine lactoferrin across global markets, leveraging established regulatory pathways and manufacturing know-how.

The inclusion of human lactoferrin represents a potentially transformative step for the infant formula sector. Human lactoferrin is structurally and functionally closer to what is naturally found in breast milk, and its availability at a commercial scale could enable formula manufacturers to more closely match human breast milk’s protein profile.

Lactoferrin is one of the most bioactive and expensive functional milk proteins on the market, prized for its antimicrobial properties, iron-binding capacity and benefits across immune function, gastrointestinal health and skin health.

Today, the global supply is constrained by traditional extraction methods, which require thousands of litres of cow’s milk to produce one kilogram of purified lactoferrin. As a result, the ingredient is used primarily in premium infant nutrition and high-value nutraceuticals.

Recombinant lactoferrin has long been seen as a promising alternative to animal-derived supply, but technical challenges, particularly achieving native-like glycosylation and high-yield expression, have limited commercial feasibility.

All G said it has overcome these hurdles through its proprietary precision fermentation processes. Its bovine lactoferrin has now reached pilot-scale production, achieving high purity and batch-to-batch consistency.

The company has also completed self-affirmed GRAS status for adult nutrition in the US and secured approval for use in personal care applications in China.

On the human lactoferrin front, All G says its first recombinant version will achieve over 95% purity and full bio-equivalence, paving the way for applications across infant and maternal nutrition.

Industry demand for lactoferrin is expected to continue outpacing supply as manufacturers focus on immune-support ingredients and more 'bioidentical' early-life nutrition solutions. Precision-fermented lactoferrin could ease supply constraints, stabilise pricing and broaden usage beyond premium SKUs.

This joint venture and capital infusion marks a major milestone in All G’s ambitions to build a portfolio of milk proteins, with its bovine lactoferrin powder planned for market introduction later this year, followed by human lactoferrin early next year.