French startup AuraLIP, a producer of fermented hemp seed-based ingredients, has announced the completion of its first funding round.
The round saw participation from BADGE Business Angels des Grandes Écoles, YES Invest, Food Planet (Yves Schladenhaufen), Femmes Business Angels, FFBB Management (Pierre-Yves Divet), Emmanuel Vasseneix, Cédric Le Rochais, and Jean-Thibault Geerts. The funding will be used to accelerate the development of AuraLIP’s Low Impact Protein, create jobs, and expand internationally.
AuraLIP’s hemp seed fermentation technique is said to naturally enhance texture and umami flavor through a fast, sustainable, and easily scalable process. It can also be used to valorize industrial by-products.
The resulting ingredients are said to have good nutritional claims, providing a source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. They have relatively short ingredient lists, are 100% of plant origin, and have the potential to be used in various industries, including meat alternatives.
“Food should drive change”
AuraLIP was founded in 2023 by Laetitia Halbeisen and Marine Messant. Since then, the startup has gained significant recognition, including being selected for the European EIT Seedbed Incubator and the BIOTOP by VIB acceleration program. Additionally, AuraLIP has been labeled French Tech Seed by French Tech Paris Saclay and was one of the winners of last year’s Challenge InnoTech, organized by INRAE.
The startup has also been recognized as a Deeptech company, supported by the French Tech Emergence Grant (BPI) and financially backed by the Île-de-France Region.
“We believe that food should drive change toward a more sustainable future,” said Laetitia Halbeisen, President of AuraLIP. “That’s why we are proud to produce high-quality fermented foods using a naturally protein-rich plant: hemp, enhanced through our 100% natural production process.”
