We've been covering ground quickly
Time flies! It feels like just yesterday that we officially launched our protein Proof of Concept (POC) on February 1st, after months of meticulous planning and negotiations. Shortly thereafter, we were invited to join the 10th ProVeg (PV) Incubator, making us the first South African (and second African) startup to ever be chosen.
Our incubator journey included a trip to Berlin for the PV demo day at the end of June. During this event, we had the opportunity to connect with inspiring fellow startups and industry experts, while still managing to carve out some downtime to explore Berlin.
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Remaining true to our purpose and mission
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We welcomed two advisors to the MycoSure team in March. Rob Craig has been instrumental in supporting our commercial and go-to-market strategy, while Dr. Andrea Ferry, an ESG expert, is guiding the integration of key ESG principles and metrics into our business foundation.
At the heart of it all, MycoSure is about developing sustainable food production methods for future generations. In September we brought this closer to home by giving our children a tour of the CSIR, providing them with firsthand insight into our work, illustrating the significance of what we are doing.
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Our R&D remains on track and we have hit some key milestones
We have spent the last three months at 30L Bioreactor scale. In August we produced our first wet mycelium at 30L scale – and at the end of October we reached the exciting milestone of producing our own first-generation samples.
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30L bioreactor scale is a key stage in our POC focusing on optimising our USP (upstream processes) targeting variables such as yield, production time and nutritional content. Likewise, DSP (downstream processes) focusing on the impact of processing on cost and variables such as product consistency and shelf life.
Our core focus remains on developing a robust process to get a high-quality myco-protein product into market. At the same time, we are exploring the use of side streams as lower cost feedstock for our production process.
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We are excited about the prospects that 2024 present
2024 is going to be an exciting year for MycoSure as we turn our focus to market validation, commercialisation and positioning our business to go to scale.
Early in the new year we will move to 1,000L bioreactor scale where we will focus on testing non-linear scale related variables in our process. We will also be looking to grow our team.
We have signed agreements with potential equipment and engineering partners as we explore options around our first facility. Additionally, we've entered into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with a leading F&B company and are in ongoing discussions with several other potential partners. Establishing these key relationships early on, alongside our ongoing R&D efforts, is a strategic move to maintain momentum in our business.
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Thank you for your on-going support
As a team, we have been amazed by the support and access provided through various networks – and partners in the alternative protein sector from around the world. Many people have generously provided their support, expertise, and services to MycoSure. We thank you for your on-going investment in our success.
As a team, we wish you a wonderful festive season and look forward to sharing more news in the new year.
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MycoSure www.mycosure.co.za is a South African biotech company focusing on the production of next-generation protein, health supplements and nutraceutical ingredients.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research www.csir.co.za is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that researches, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socioeconomic prosperity in South Africa.
ProVeg Incubator www.provegincubator.com is the world’s leading Incubator of plant-based and cultured food startups. We are shaping the future of food by supporting pioneering companies that are developing disruptive alternatives to animal-based products, ingredients, and services.
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