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Breakthrough ingredients innovator sets up operations at BioPartner 5 in the Netherlands to launch into global networks, partnerships, and initiatives
Nourish Ingredients, a leader in speciality fats and precision fermentation, today announced the establishment of its global commercial hub in Leiden, the Netherlands. This strategic expansion positions the company to capitalise on Europe’s robust food manufacturing ecosystem, forge deeper partnerships with global food companies, and access EU support for sustainable food innovation.
As a deep tech company, Nourish Ingredients is a leader in the field of animal-free fats and precision fermentation. Combining nature’s most potent lipids with cutting-edge science, the company creates the fats that make dairy irresistibly creamy and meat delicious, offering a key solution for the growing plant-based and hybrid food markets.
The new facility at BioPartner 5 in Leiden will house innovation capabilities, product development, customer demonstration facilities, and commercial operations. Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Anna El Tachy has also relocated to lead the European operations.
BioPartner 5 is the first energy-neutral laboratory of the Netherlands, designed to be energy-efficient, circular, and aligned with the climate goals of the Paris Agreement of 2015.
“Setting up a hub in Europe represents an enormous opportunity for Nourish Ingredients as we scale our animal-free fats globally,” said James Petrie, Co-founder and CEO, Nourish Ingredients. “The region is home to the world’s largest food manufacturers, brands and provides unparalleled support for sustainable food innovation. Establishing our commercial hub in the Netherlands allows us to work directly with European customers and partners, tapping into local networks that will accelerate our growth.”
The Netherlands facility will feature a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen, enabling food manufacturers to experience firsthand how Nourish Ingredients’ fats can enhance their own products. The facility will also include specialised food and sensory laboratories focused on application development, supporting rapid product customisation for European and global markets.
The choice of the Netherlands reflects Europe’s leadership in sustainable food innovation and a thriving ecosystem. The region offers numerous grant opportunities and funding initiatives specifically designed to support companies developing sustainable ingredients, an area where Nourish Ingredients demonstrates strong alignment.
“Europe offers an ideal environment for the next stage of our growth, with a highly supportive ecosystem and some of the world’s leading food companies based here,” said Anna El Tahchy, Co-founder and CTO of Nourish Ingredients. “Combined with a deep pool of scientific and commercial talent and its reputation as a hub for food innovation, Europe is the natural next step in our global journey. We’re looking forward to building our team here and working closely with local partners.”
The BioPartner 5 facility will also position Nourish Ingredients as a neighbour to Vivici, a company supported by DSM-Firmenich and Fonterra that develops animal-free dairy proteins. This proximity creates opportunities for knowledge sharing and potential future collaborations between complementary food technology companies.
“We’re excited to welcome Nourish Ingredients as our neighbour at BioPartner 5,” said Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici. “Having innovative companies focused on sustainable food solutions working side by side creates tremendous opportunities for knowledge sharing and potential projects. We have found having a base in the EU to be incredibly advantageous, opening us up to some of the most influential food and beverage companies globally. ”
Nourish Ingredients expects to have its Netherlands facility fully operational by 2026. The company plans to host a formal opening event and customer sampling showcase in 2026 once operations are fully established.
“We’re delighted to welcome Nourish Ingredients to BioPartner 5,” said Thijs De Kleer, Director of BioPartner at the Leiden Bio Science Park.
Their innovative approach to sustainable food ingredients perfectly complements our mission to foster breakthrough biotechnology companies. The shared use of advanced biotech processes like fermentation shows how life sciences and food innovation reinforce one another, making Nourish Ingredients a valuable addition to our ecosystem.”
Using its new global commercial hub in Europe as a launch pad, Nourish Ingredients expects to finalise additional strategic partnerships with leading food manufacturers worldwide in the coming year.