Numi secures €3M Seed funding to advance cultivated breast milk

Today French milktech startup Numi, formerly MUMilk, raised €3 million in Seed funding.

Founded by Eden Banon-Lagrange and Eugénie Pezé-Heidsieck, the company is working to recreate in vivo breast milk in vitro, through cell cultivation, offering parents a natural choice when breastfeeding isn't an option.

"Thanks to cell culture, we can get as close as possible to the benefits of natural breast milk" co-founder Eden Banon-Lagrange told BFM Business this week. 

To produce the milk, human breast cells are isolated, cultured, and grown in laboratory conditions.

The company sources mammary cells through partnerships with hospitals and lactariums. Using a series of laboratory processes, the cells are then cultivated under controlled conditions to kickstart milk production. The milk is extracted and then purified. 

The company aims to get a result as close to 'real' breast milk, which is home to over bioactive molecules.

The seed funding is raised from a range of investors, including Heartcore Capital, HCVC, Financière Saint James Kima Ventures, Kost Capital, 

According to Eden Banon-Lagrange, the funding will assist the company with recruitment and R&D acceleration. 

This is a growing area of interest in bioscience with numerous startups in the space, including US companies BioMilq (Bill Gate backed), Helaina, and TurtleTree in Singapore. 

The company plans to make the US its first market, unsurprising considering the delays in novel food regulatory approval in Europe. 

Lead image: the Numi team via Numi. Photo: Uncredited.