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Novonesis has entered into an agreement with TurtleTree to scale, manufacture and commercialise TurtleTree’s precision-fermented lactoferrin ingredient, LF+, for the early life nutrition market.

As part of the agreement, Novonesis will make a minority investment in TurtleTree. 321Catalyst Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Mitsui Chemicals, has also joined the investment.

Under the collaboration, Novonesis will exclusively work to scale and commercialise LF+ for early life nutrition applications, while also gaining selected commercial rights for use in dietary supplements.

TurtleTree is a precision fermentation company and was the first to receive a US GRAS ‘No Objection Letter’ for precision-fermented lactoferrin LF+.

Lactoferrin is a protein naturally found in milk and is associated with benefits in immunity, iron regulation and gut health, particularly for women and infants. However, conventional production requires large volumes of milk, contributing to high costs, supply limitations and environmental inefficiencies.

Through the partnership, Novonesis and TurtleTree aim to expand access to high-purity, cost-effective lactoferrin for global customers.

The agreement builds on Novonesis’ work in precision fermentation and complements its human health biosolutions portfolio, which includes human milk oligosaccharides, probiotics and synbiotics.

Thomas Batchelor, senior vice president for early life and specialised nutrition at Novonesis, said the company aims to make lactoferrin more accessible and cost-competitive, while demonstrating the potential of precision fermentation in early life nutrition and dietary supplements.

“If successfully scaled, this will enable customers to deliver proven health benefits to consumers more efficiently,” Batchelor said. “LF+ fits well in our broader portfolio of both precision fermentation projects and our specialised nutrition ingredients.”

Fengru Lin, founder and CEO of TurtleTree, said the partnership is intended to make lactoferrin more usable at scale, both technically and economically.

“By pairing TurtleTree’s precision fermentation platform with Novonesis’ manufacturing and commercialisation capabilities, we’re unlocking the consistency, cost structure and supply reliability that modern health brands need,” Lin said.