De Novo Dairy

De Novo Dairy (now De Novo Foodlabs) is a South Africa-based precision fermentation biotech company developing animal-free, nature-identical dairy proteins critical for human nutrition and immune development. Founded in 2021, the company programs yeast to produce high-value bioactive proteins — including immune-regulating proteins predominantly found in breastmilk — without any animal involvement. De Novo targets the global infant nutrition and functional food ingredients markets with a B2B supply model, partnering with established food and nutrition brands to incorporate its precision-fermented proteins into their product lines. The company is Africa's first precision fermentation player in the dairy protein space, backed by investors including Big Idea Ventures and Sustainable Food Ventures.