The 2025 Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge by figlobalinsights

The 2025 Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge

Empowering the next wave of global

nutraceutical innovators

The 2025 Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge

The Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge offers health, wellbeing, and nutraceutical startups a platform to pitch their ideas at Europe’s leading nutraceutical trade show as well as the opportunity to network with key stakeholders across the industry, connect with potential collaborators, and, of course, to win a variety of high-value prizes geared toward furthering startups’ reach and visibility.

The Startup Challenge takes place at Vitafoods Europe, held between 20 and 22 May 2025, which after 26 years in Geneva, is heading to Barcelona for the first time.

The free-to-apply Challenge is organised by Informa Markets, the global company behind the Fi Europe Startup Challenge, which has been fostering the success of food ingredient startups since 2016.

Angelique Cachia, senior director of content and digital at Vitafoods Europe, said: “For two years now, we have been running the Startup Challenge at Vitafoods Europe, and we are thrilled to host its third edition in 2025.

“With over 21,000 expected attendees from more than 162 countries, the Vitafoods trade show is the annual meeting place of product developers, C-suite executives, and marketers in the nutraceutical industry. This is what makes the Challenge an

unparalleled opportunity for early-stage nutraceutical startups to connect with established industry players.

“At Vitafoods, we are proud to facilitate such interactions: the kind that support innovative startups in bringing affordable health and nutrition solutions to succeed in this highly competitive industry.”

Martyna Halas, conference producer and lead programmer of the Startup Challenge, said that she was excited to see the competition grow.

“2025 marks the third edition of the Challenge, and each year we are blown away by the exciting innovations startups are developing to disrupt the industry,” she said. “Together with our expert judges, we will shortlist up to 20 finalists who will join us in sunny Barcelona – first pitching to the jury behind closed doors on 19 May, then live on stage at the exhibition on 20 May, after which we’ll announce the lucky winners.”

Entries will close on 12 March 2025 so don’t delay - click here and send your application now!

The Startup Challenge judges, winners, and finalists at Vitafoods 2024.

Win big: Four categories and a range of prizes

The categories

All relevant startups that have been active for seven years or less are welcome to apply to the Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge, and entries are open until 12 March 2025. Judging will take place on 19 May, the day before the show opens.

To apply for free, click here

Startups can apply to one or more of the following categories:

1. Most Innovative Finished Nutraceutical Product

This category covers finished nutraceutical products offering innovation in ingredient composition, consumer focus, or delivery format.

2.Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient

This category covers innovative ingredients for nutraceuticals, supplements, or functional foods and beverages that can offer scientific substantiation of their efficacy.

3. Most Innovative Service, Technology, or Digital Solution Supporting the Nutraceutical Industry

This category covers innovations that support improvements in ingredients sourcing and production, food safety and quality, traceability, transparency, smart packaging, supply chain management, personalisation services, and/or digital and AI solutions supporting the nutraceutical industry.

4.Most Innovative Sustainable Solution – Jury’s choice award

The jury will award this special prize to the startup with the most sustainable innovation. All startup finalists across all categories can be considered for this award, with the winners being decided by the expert jury. Startups cannot apply specifically for this award. The startup’s overall sustainability efforts will be considered.

The prizes

The winners can choose from a selection of high-value prizes offered by the organisers and expert jury, such as:

•A prominently placed, in-person booth at Vitafoods Europe 2026 in Barcelona; or

•A selection of mentorship opportunities and specialised support programmes offered by the panel of judges.

Bonus prize: Two selected Startup Challenge finalists as well as the winner of the Most Innovative Sustainable Solution (jury’s choice award) will get an exclusive digital marketing package, sponsored by Smartcore, the official digital marketing provider for exhibitors at Vitafoods Europe!

All finalists enjoy:

• Free access to promote their innovations at Vitafoods Europe 2025 in Barcelona, Europe’s biggest gathering place for nutraceutical stakeholders;

•Free stage time to pitch their company to the attendees of Vitafoods Europe 2025;

•The chance to meet other innovators, investors, industry leaders, and potential clients; and

•The opportunity to showcase their award-winning innovation to international media.

Why apply? Read the testimonials from last year’s winners

One of the best ways to see the direct impact of participating in the Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge is through the experiences shared by previous year’s winners. We spoke to three of the finalists from last year who claimed first prize in their category in 2024.

“Taking part in the Startup Challenge was a great opportunity for us It gave us the chance to share our vision and mission with a much broader audience and boost BiOkuris’ visibility It also helped us clearly explain our business model and technology platform, which was especially useful as we were starting to explore new partnerships and expand our pipeline The experience came at just the right time and really set the stage for our next steps

“The Challenge is a fantastic opportunity to focus on what makes your company unique and to refine your pitch. Beyond that, it opens doors—meeting the jury, networking, and presenting your ideas to a wider and well-targeted audience.”

Since participating, BiOkuris’s fungal chitin-glucan is now Monash University Low FODMAP-certified, and the startup has published two papers: a clinical paper on BK001 – its product targeted at alleviating gas-related symptoms; and a preclinical study testing the combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus and fungal chitin-glucan. In addition, it has signed two partnership deals for BK001, one with Apriwell for online sales in Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg, and another with Amdis Health Sciences for exclusive distribution rights in the United Arab Emirates.

Dr Benoit Palms, chief business officer, BiOkuris 2024 winner, Most Innovative Sustainable Solution

“Participating in the Startup Challenge allowed us to engage with pioneering startups in European innovation, fostering discussions and brainstorming with fellow founders on the most innovative trends in health and wellbeing

“We had the opportunity to present the innovativeness of our senolytic solutions to a team of industry leaders, receiving valuable recognition as well as constructive feedback for improvement.

“Furthermore, being recognised with the Most Innovative Finished Product award enhanced our visibility and strengthened our credibility among key global industry leaders within the Vitafoods network.

“The experience was a true enabler for our global business development, connecting us with potential suppliers and strategic partners, from India to Brazil, and significantly expanding our collaboration network to accelerate the launch of our senolytic medical foods.”

Alessandro Aronica, co-founder and head of business development, Flavolife 2024 winner, Most Innovative Finished Nutraceutical Product

“Winning the award provided an excellent platform to introduce our innovative technology to the market

“These events are always crucial to get out there and meet people in the industry. As a startup founder, it’s easy to keep your head down and keep working on the technical aspects of your business – I guess we’re all guilty of this as we’re passionate about what we’re doing. But there is a danger that you can miss out on making valuable connections and growing your network, which can be equally important.

“Vitafoods is a particularly helpful event as it brings together all of the industry stakeholders in one place over a few days, so you have the chance to meet suppliers, partners, customers, service providers, investors, and even competitors.

“The Startup Challenge provides young companies an opportunity to receive unbiased feedback on their business idea, business model, route to market, and product/fit. It also proves an opportunity to see what the next wave of entrepreneurs in the sector are working on, how they’re innovating, and the problems they’re solving. It’s very motivating as being a founder can be a lonely place sometimes.”

Ken O’Shea, co-founder and chief science officer, Reso Health

2024 winner, Most Innovative Service, Technology, or Digital Solution Supporting the Nutraceutical Industry

©Vitafoods2024

Meet some of our industry expert judges…

The panel of judges at the Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge includes health and nutrition experts as well as venture capital investors and startup specialists. This year’s panel features, among others, Aline Santa Izabel, ecosystems and networks manager of new technologies at Business Helsinki; Adam M. Adamek, director of innovation and chief impact officer at EIT Food; Grégory Dubourg, founder of the Nutrikéo consultancy; and Michael Stott, patent attorney and partner at Mathys and Squire LLP.

Aline Santa Izabel

Aline Santa Izabel is an innovation ecosystem builder, entrepreneur, and bioscience specialist with a broad experience in entrepreneurship and innovation at a European level. She has been working with different startups and scaleups operating at the intersection of business, science, and tech, focusing on impact. Aline supports the development of the AI ecosystem and innovative startups, deploying new technologies with the AI Start incubator and the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Finnish AI Region (FAIR), the WomenTECH EU, and the European Innovation Council EIC Accelerator.

Adam M. Adamek

Dr Adam M. Adamek is a food innovation leader, currently serving as director of innovation and chief impact officer at EIT Food. With over 25 years of experience, Adam has played pivotal roles in transforming the food industry through his work at companies such as Danone, Mondelez, and foodspring. His expertise lies in personalised nutrition and the application of advanced food technologies to create sustainable solutions. Adam’s career has been marked by his ability to foresee industry trends and develop strategies that not only enhance business performance but also contribute to global health and sustainability.

Grégory Dubourg

Grégory Dubourg is an agricultural engineer specialised in agrifood and nutrition. He graduated from AgroParisTech. After 10 years of experience in marketing and innovation in the agri-food and nutraceutical industries, he founded Nutrikéo in 2009. Since then, he has managed this nutrition strategy consulting agency, whose expertise covers research, innovation, marketing, and communication strategies across the entire supply chain, from agriculture, food, and nutraceuticals to health and cosmetics.

Michael Stott

Michael Stott is a UK and European patent attorney and partner at Mathys and Squire LLP, a full-service intellectual property firm with offices in the UK and Europe. Stott has worked in the patent profession since 2008 and, prior to that, worked in the pharmaceutical industry. He has significant experience of drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the UK and Europe, managing international patent portfolios, and providing freedom-to-operate advice. He works with a wide range of clients, including startups, university spinouts, SMEs, and multinational corporations, across a wide range of technologies, and has particular expertise in the field of food chemistry and pharmaceuticals.

Vitafoods Insights:

Taking a look at last year’s trailblazers

With year-round coverage of the latest research on nutrients, supplements, and health applications, as well as new product development, and deep dives into startups making waves in the industry, among many other topics, Vitafoods Insights is the leading source of health and nutrition industry news and analysis. All Startup Challenge finalists receive an article about their startup published on Vitafoods Insights.

From medical foods that contain a patented and proprietary mix of flavonoids to help chemo patients; to a company that processes microalgae biomass to create what it describes as a sustainable, tasty, and convenient ingredient; a precision nutrition platform enabling employees to freshly prepare personalised supplement drinks to support their individual health and performance goals; and a biotech company applying proprietary technology to develop effective solutions for various gastrointestinal diseases beyond just irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – read below about the startups that took the spotlight at the 2024 Vitafoods Startup Challenge.

Leveraging flavonoids to combat chemotherapy side effects

Targeted flavonoid-based products that deliver essential nutrients, strengthen the immune system, and combat treatment-induced toxicity could help boost the health of chemotherapy patients, says Italian startup FlavoLife.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy often suffer from a range of side effects, which can include malnutrition and haematological, cardiac, and renal dysfunctions, as well as fatigue and other psycho-physical stresses.

“FlavoLife was born from the desire to support such people in achieving healthy ageing, even if they are in a fragile condition,” explained founder Paolo Correale.

“We wanted to introduce a medical food that, on one hand, ensures the right nutrient intake for patients and, on the other, helps manage the toxicity caused by chemotherapy.”

Protection against chemotherapy-induced toxicity

One of the primary challenges in addressing toxicity induced by chemo- and radiotherapies is the delicate balance between effectively targeting cancer cells while minimising harm to healthy cells. Traditional treatments often lack precision, leading to significant side effects.

“The complex and variable nature of different cancer types add another layer of difficulty, making it hard to develop a one-size-fits-all solution,” said Correale. “Overcoming these challenges required the introduction of innovative approaches designed to selectively mitigate toxicity without compromising the efficacy of the cancer treatments.”

Correale noted that FlavoLife’s journey has been marked by extensive research and rigorous testing with leading R&D centres.

“One of the initial challenges was identifying the right combination of flavonoids that could effectively combat toxicity,” he said. “Additionally, securing funding and navigating the regulatory landscape were significant hurdles. However, through persistent effort, we were able to refine our product.”

Leveraging senolytic efficacy

FlavoLife’s patented mix of flavonoids works by leveraging the unique senolytic efficacy of these compounds. Senolytics are a category of compounds that reduce the impact of cellular senescence. In oncology, a direct relationship between most chemotherapies and cellular senescence has been established.

Many genotoxic chemotherapies have debilitating side effects and induce cellular senescence in normal tissues. These senescent cells remain chronically present, where they can promote local and systemic inflammation that causes or exacerbates many side effects of chemotherapy.

“Flavonoids can neutralise senescent cells that accumulate due to chemotherapy and cause toxicity due to chronic inflammation,” added Correale.

“Our flavonoids mix has also been shown to promote tissue renewal and clearance, restoring tissue homeostasis, and mitigate local and systemic toxicity exacerbated by senescent cells and their SASP [senescence-associated secretory phenotype] cascade.

“It has also been shown to reduce cancer relapse and metastasis formation, by avoiding the SASPmediated effects in pre-metastatic niche formation. The combinations in our product are designed to enhance these effects synergistically, providing a more comprehensive protective mechanism against chemotherapy-induced toxicity.”

“FLAVONOIDS

CAN NEUTRALISE SENESCENT CELLS

THAT ACCUMULATE DUE TO CHEMOTHERAPY AND CAUSE TOXICITY DUE TO CHRONIC INFLAMMATION.”

Boosting quality of life and treatment effectiveness

FlavoLife’s key target market is patients with conditions related to the accumulation of senescent cells, particularly those undergoing oncological treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Severe side effects can significantly impact their quality of life, as well as the effectiveness of treatments.

“Our products are designed to prevent risk of malnutrition, strengthen the immune system, and reduce cancer treatment toxicity,” said Correale. “This helps patients maintain their overall health, adhere to their treatment plans, and continue daily activities with fewer interruptions.”

The company is currently in the initial stages of market rollout. First clinical trials are under way, and the business is preparing for launch through building up a network of international distributors.

“We have already secured our first national distributor,” said Correale. “We are also focusing on establishing partnerships with healthcare providers and cancer treatment centres.”

Future steps include conducting larger-scale clinical trials to further validate products and exploring additional applications of the company’s flavonoid blend in other areas of healthcare.

For its ground-breaking work, FlavoLife was recognised as the category winner – Most Innovative Finished Nutraceutical Product – in this year’s Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge.

“Our motivation to enter the Challenge stemmed from our unwavering belief in the transformative potential of our product,” said Correale.

“We have dedicated countless hours to research, development, and refining our solution, and participating in [the Challenge] offered us the perfect platform to showcase our hard work and creativity. Winning this award not only validates our efforts, but also propels us forward, to ensure our product reaches the patients who need it most.”

Webinar Series 2025

The Vitafoods Insights Webinar Series covers key nutraceutical market topics, offering attendees the opportunity to get up to speed on market trends, consumer insights, and ingredient innovations to create effective formulations.

Fuel your business with

Transforming microalgae into a functional textured protein

French startup Edonia has developed a processing technique that leverages microalgae’s properties – the gelling properties of certain molecules and the presence of aromatic precursors – to create a functional textured protein.

Microalgae is one of the most nutritious food sources on our planet. It can be cultivated at large scale with low environmental impact and is already approved for human consumption. To date, however, formulators and manufacturers have struggled to fully exploit the potential of this incredible resource.

“The public overall has a positive image of microalgae due to the use of spirulina and chlorella as dietary supplements,” noted Hugo Valentin, CEO of Edonia. “This presents a fantastic opportunity to build a more sustainable food system. So, why isn’t microalgae more present on our plates? Why isn’t it yet a cornerstone of our protein transition?”

For Valentin, a key reason is the consumer experience.

“No one wants to eat green powders with a strong taste,” he said. “So, we at Edonia decided to innovate to address this problem.

“We created ‘Edonisation’, a patent-pending technology that transforms microalgae into a delicious textured ingredient for consumers, and one that is easy to work with for the food industry.”

Valentin described Edonisation as the company’s “secret weapon” – its “confidential” black box.

“This clean and natural process does not rely on fermentation or extrusion,” he said. “It is a unique method that leverages the specific properties of microalgae, such as the gelling properties of certain molecules, the presence of aromatic precursors, and the capacity of pigments to evolve.”

The process was invented in collaboration with AgroParisTech laboratories’ SayFood Joint Research Unit.

©iStock-Edonia

Vitafoods

Microalgae taste, texture, and colour transformed

Transforming the taste, texture, and colour of microalgae without extraction, extrusion, and additives was an immense scientific challenge. To achieve this, Edonia collaborated with scientists to master the reactions that are now at the heart of the Edonisation process.

“Today, a team of about ten researchers and engineers continues to work internally to scale this process to industrial levels,” added Valentin

The process works like this. First, biomass is collected from cultivation partners and standardised. The Edonisation process is then applied to generate texture, reveal aromatics, and change the colour of microalgae from green to black. Stabilisation and packaging are then carried out before the ingredient is frozen, delivered, and ready to eat.

“The end result is Edo, a microalgae crumble with excellent texture,” said Valentin. “The product contains 30% protein – more than soy and even beef – as well as a lot of iron and other micronutrients.”

“It has a natural smoky, grilled, umami taste, and a soft, fluffy grain texture, achieved without extraction or extrusion. What’s more, the environmental impact is 12 times lower than beef, and three times lower than soy mince.”

Pioneering the ‘foodification’ of nutraceuticals

Edonia plans to target manufacturers, who can use the ingredient as a beef replacement in various preparations such as Bolognese sauce, lasagna, and chilli. The aim is to have the product on the market by the end of the year. Significant funding has been secured to scale up the Edonisation process.

“For the first time, we have a plant-based recipe that can nutritionally outperform the animal version, with a similar consumer experience and with a much lower environmental impact,” said Valentin. “We are already delivering dozens of kilograms of Edo to beta-testing customers and are negotiating commercial partnerships.”

For their innovative approach, Edonia was recognised as the Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient at this year’s Vitafoods Startup Challenge. The award, said Valentin, has provided the business with credibility and legitimacy, and helped to raise awareness of the potential of microalgae in this sector.

“We are obviously very proud to win this award just one year after our creation,” he said. “We wanted to check if our vision was aligned with industry. We felt there is a ‘foodification’ of nutraceuticals happening, and by winning the award for ‘Best Nutraceutical Ingredient’ with a ‘food’ ingredient, we successfully demonstrated this.”

“FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE A PLANT-BASED RECIPE THAT CAN NUTRITIONALLY OUTPERFORM THE ANIMAL VERSION. ”

I’ll take my precision nutrition to go, says Reso Health

Could accessing precision nutrition really be as convenient as getting a coffee? An Irish startup hopes its functional beverage dispensers could create healthier, happier workplaces.

Reso Health has made an innovative platform that enables employees to freshly prepare personalised supplement drinks to support their individual health and performance goals.

The innovation is the brainchild of co-founders Dermot O’Riordan and Ken O’Shea.

“We worked together for a number of years in the pharma sector,” said O’Riordan. “We wanted to work on something more proactive in the healthcare sector and were seeing society as a whole move towards taking more proactive measures to health.”

Precision nutrition: Balancing science with convenience

O’Riordan, who has a background in engineering, and O’Shea, who has a background in science, thought that a balance between science and convenience was what was missing in the nutritional sector. Convenient products were not always that effective, while good science was often buried behind better branded products.

Another thing they realised was that a great deal of health data was being collected on wearables but was not going to good use.

“We thought that there must be a better way to use this data, to combine it with technology, and to use that science to deliver a better customer experience,” said O’Riordan. “So, we set about designing a platform to deliver precision nutritional products in a convenient way.”

©Reso

Health,

Vitafoods

Their innovation consists of three key elements – the platform itself, the product, and the dispenser. The dispenser, which operates like a coffee machine, receives information from an app worn or carried by an employee.

“This app is like having a nutritionist in your pocket,” said O’Riordan. “It learns about you, your habits, your goals, where you might be nutritionally deficient, and what supplement might work for you.”

Data is sent from the platform to the dispenser, which then formulates the right nutritional mix from single ingredients. Reso Health has broken down multivitamins into individual essential vitamins, minerals, and flavours. Ingredients include antioxidants and adaptogens, which can help reduce stress and improve mood.

“All an employee needs to do is walk up to the machine, place their water bottle, fill it up, and walk back to their desk,” said O’Riordan. “Ingredients are recombined according to specific data.”

Healthier, happier workplaces

O’Riordan believes that providing access to proper nutrition at the workplace in this way could help boost employee wellbeing, improving cognition, energy, and resilience levels. This ultimately means happier workplaces.

“The idea is that access to quality supplements should be as easy as getting a coffee,” he said. “It has to be like this, as this is what people expect.”

The long-term goal is to install this technology in workplaces and gyms, and in hospitality and retail settings.

“It’s not about making employees give up their coffee, but rather [offering] an alternative,” said O’Riordan. “Coffee is often the answer to every problem in the office space – if people are tired, stressed, worn out, etc. There is an overreliance on coffee. At the same time, though, who is going to walk around the office with a pocket full of multivitamins?”

Combining product, software, and hardware

The company has developed a prototype that has been trialled at various locations in Ireland. The feedback, said O’Riordan, has been fantastic.

“When you show people what is possible, the response is amazing,” he said. “It’s like taking them on a bypass around a city, while they have been driving through town for years. It’s a weight off people, to know that effective nutritional supplementation can be so convenient. It clicks with them.”

Reso Health was recognised as being the Most Innovative Service, Technology, or Digital Solution Supporting the Nutraceutical Industry at the 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Challenge.

“There is nothing like being approved by your peers,” said O’Riordan. “It is the ultimate differentiator.”

Moving forward, the company will continue to raise funds, as it moves towards commercialisation.

“What we have simply hasn’t been built before,” said O’Riordan. “The technology has existed in different fields – it has just never been combined to deliver nutrition. We believe that bringing the product, the software, and the hardware all together is what is going to change the game.

“THE IDEA IS THAT ACCESS TO QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD BE AS EASY AS GETTING A COFFEE.”

Biopolymers from fungi could transform digestive health

BiOkuris, a biotech startup, is applying proprietary technology to develop effective solutions for various gastrointestinal diseases beyond just irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

More than 25% of the global population suffer from functional gastrointestinal or motility disorders, with about half of these being IBS patients.

“Current treatments, such as antispasmodics [a group of medicines that suppress muscle spasms] and laxatives offer only limited relief and come with potential side effects,” noted Dr Benoit Palms, chief business officer of BiOkuris.

“This dissatisfaction can significantly impact quality of life. Additionally, patients with conditions such as coeliac disease and colitis can also experience IBS-like symptoms.”

Fungal chitin-glucan’s role in digestive health

One promising solution to addressing these symptoms is chitin-glucan. Chitin-glucan and its derivative, chitosan, are patented biopolymers from fungi.

BiOkuris, which was spun out from parent company Kitozyme, recognised its potential benefits in healthcare.

“While Kitozyme handles extraction and production, our challenge was to determine how fungal chitin-glucan could benefit digestive health, and how we could translate these features into patient benefits,” said Palms.

“This journey involved extensive research to understand the biopolymer’s role in the gut, ensuring its efficacy and safety for patients.”

Palms and his team thoroughly investigated chitin-glucan to better understand its gut interactions. Many of the key findings have been published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Through its research, BiOkuris was able to demonstrate fungal chitin-glucan’s benefits in terms of reducing pain and bloating, as well as improving stool consistency and decreasing inflammatory lesions.

“This understanding allowed us to move to the next step, ie. identifying the ingredients that could combine with our fungal chitin-glucan,” said Palms.

“For every new product, we went through a screening step, ideally with a partner, in order to identify the ingredient or probiotic that would give that extra level of efficacy. The final step involved extensive clinical trials to confirm consumer benefits.”

A pipeline of innovative solutions

These efforts have resulted in a pipeline of innovative solutions.

“The novelty lies in the versatility of fungal chitin-glucan,” explained Palms. “The biopolymer acts on multiple fronts within the gut: it restores gut homeostasis by modulating microbiota, it strengthens the intestinal barrier, and [it] reduces inflammation.

“It also reduces adhesion of some pathogens and chelates bile acids, as well as bacterial and fungal toxins.”

The company’s BK001 product, for example, which is currently on the market in some EU countries, combines simethicone, an antiflatulent medicine, with chitin-glucan to reduce bloating and improve stool consistency.

“Initial clinical trials (published in the WJGPT) have been positive, with over 77 % of patients reporting marked symptom relief within two weeks,” said Palms.

BK002, which is at the clinical stage, combines chitin-glucan with a probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus strain, as well as vitamin D3.

“This product would relieve the global symptoms of IBS and thereby improve patients’ quality of life. BK002 would specifically alleviate pain and bring back bowel regularity across all types of IBS patients,” said Palms.

Another clinical-stage product, BK003, combines chitin-glucan with vitamin D3, B vitamins, and minerals to meet micronutrient deficiencies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients suffering from IBS-like symptoms.

Finally, BK004, which is ready to enter clinical trials, combines fungal chitinglucan and chitosan for patients suffering from recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. “We have very promising pre-clinical data showing superiority vs fluconazole,” said Palms.

“THE

NOVELTY LIES IN THE VERSATILITY OF FUNGAL CHITINGLUCAN.”

Seeking partners for further rollouts

BK001 is currently being rolled out in partnership with Mayoly-Spindler in France, Apriwell in Germany, and Essensia in central and eastern European countries.

“We are seeking partners for a further rollout across the EU and beyond,” said Palms. “For BK002 and BK003, although still at the clinical stage, there is significant interest. Overall, we are on track, and pleased with our progress.”

To generate interest, visibility is, of course, crucial. For Palms and his team, entering the Vitafoods Europe 2024 Startup Challenge was an effective means of achieving this. BiOkuris was a finalist in the Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient category, which helped to affirm the company’s belief in chitin-glucan’s potential.

“Furthermore, winning the Jury’s Award for the Most Sustainable Ingredient was a pleasant surprise, and highlighted our commitment to sustainability and our circular economy approach,” said Palms. “We gladly dedicate this award to our parent company, Kitozyme. This has generated a lot of visibility, especially as this process was an integral part of Vitafoods.”