Brevel targets plant-based food with new commercial plant for microalgae protein supply

06 Jun 2024 --- Microalgae protein company Brevel opened its first commercial facility which has the capacity to produce hundreds of tons of microalgae protein powder to serve the global alternative protein space. This protein is clean, non-GMO and planet-friendly. The company expects the new facility to start rolling its first products by early 2025. 

The new site is located in the desert periphery of Israel facilitates and allows Brevel to produce commercial volumes of a new plant protein.

From the new facility, Brevel can provide a fresh source of protein extracted from the uniquely grown microalgae belonging to the chlorella family. The resulting ingredient is highly nutritious possessing the full amino-acid profile and is hailed as cost-effective. 

It has a neutral flavor and color and leaves a negligible environmental footprint. 

Fermentation and light
Brevel cultivates its microalgae in indoor bioreactors via the fermentation of sugars. The simultaneous application of light and fermentation enables the generation of nutrient-rich microalgae to produce abundant yields, without any form of gene modification.

“Combining light and fermentation to produce microalgae is like putting an electric motor into a Tesla car,” explains Yonatan Golan, Brevel’s co-founder and CEO. “It may sound like a very simple straightforward task to achieve but is actually extremely complex. This was the challenge we managed to crack and lies at the core of our technology.”

The new facility can provide a fresh source of protein extracted from the microalgae from the chlorella family (Image credit: Eldad Shatz).“Until now, fermentation has been confined to dark environments and is instrumental in producing extremely high yields. However, microalgae’s natural makeup of nutrients—including protein, lipids, fiber, and pigments—depend on photosynthesis for their development and growth.”

Microalgae for alt-dairy
The microalgae protein concentrate can be applied into a full range of meat and dairy alternatives. Brevel will initially focus on alternative dairy products.

“Our versatile solutions can boost protein content in dairy alternatives while mimicking the same sensory experience, " adds Golan. “We have strategized several joint-venture partnerships in the US, Europe, and Asia. The result will be construction of larger facilities to fulfill growing demands for our sustainable protein in multiple applications.”

Brevel valorizes all of the algae’s valuable components, making the oil and fiber byproducts available as clean label emulsifiers and a source of food enrichment for functional foods and food supplements.

Last year the company netted nearly US$19 million in seed funding. The round, led by NevaTeam Partners and supported by the European Union’s EIC Fund, enabled this current phase of commercial-scale production and global outreach.

Edited by Gaynor Selby