Digestiva, a Davis, CA-based food biotech company, has successfully closed its Series A equity financing round, raising $18.4 million. The round was led by Magdalena, with participation from UC Investments and existing investors The March Fund and Astanor.
Founded by Dr. Wilson Mak and led by CEO John Melo, Digestiva focuses on the discovery and development of proprietary protease enzymes to address challenges in protein nutrition, functionality, and overall health. The company’s enzyme technology platform, discovered in the lab of UC Davis faculty member Dr. Justin Siegel, enhances protein bioavailability, allowing both humans and animals to maximize nutritional benefits from existing diets without increasing protein consumption. This approach aims to combat global malnutrition and promote sustainable nutrition by improving health outcomes and reducing environmental impact.
In conjunction with the Series A financing, Digestiva has entered into an exclusive manufacturing partnership with Magdalena. This agreement will facilitate the scale-up production of enzymes, enabling Digestiva to reach its commercial milestones.
The company is currently executing multiple pilot projects to accelerate commercialization and achieve initial revenue targets. Its first precision protease enhances the processability, nutritional quality, digestibility, and bioavailability of proteins. This enzyme releases an optimal mix of amino acids and peptides, offering versatile applications in nutrition and protein processing. The protease technology has demonstrated promise in pilot human studies and industrial processes, potentially revolutionizing the quality of protein ingredients from various plant and animal sources.
Digestiva aims to commercialize applications in pet food, animal feed, and human nutrition markets. The company has developed a cost-effective production method using precision fermentation and has attained Self-Affirmed GRAS status, making its first product market-ready.
