PINC has backed a UK start-up building an AI platform programmed to discover and design next-generation enzymes – naturally occurring proteins found in plants and microbes – for bio-based ingredients and sustainable chemistry.
This investment fits in with PINC’s strategy to focus on start-ups with health and sustainability at the forefront and with Paulig’s own ambitions to ‘drive innovation in food and flavour while reducing environmental impact’.
By combining advanced AI models with proprietary, experimentally validated reaction data, the Scindo platform accelerates enzyme discovery and optimisation. This enables complex reactions to be carried out more efficiently and sustainably; supporting the consistent, scalable production of natural flavours and fragrances.
“Traditional manufacturing of ingredients like flavours and fragrances still relies heavily on petroleum derivatives. However, alongside consumer expectations and policy changes, companies like Paulig also recognise its responsibility to drive the shift towards clean and sustainable alternatives,” said Rosemari Herrero, senior investment manager at PINC.
“Scindo’s ambitious enzyme platform offers a cost-effective way to produce bio-based ingredients, thereby driving the transition towards both more sustainable and affordable products.”
Founded in 2020, Scindo is now entering its next phase of growth and with this new funding, it will be able expand its enzyme discovery engine, scale wet-lab capabilities and strengthen its team.
Scindo’s tech has already pulled in interest from the industry, having established partnerships with chemical manufacturers and initiated a ‘pilot scaling’ to bring the first products to market.
It has also made a number of recent hires, including research scientists from top pharma companies and the University of Oxford, bolstering expertise in machine learning, enzyme engineering, process scaling and commercialisation.
“We’re thrilled to have the backing of such a strong consortium of investors,” said Gustaf Hemberg, co-founder and CEO of Scindo.
“This support enables us to accelerate the scale-up of our enzyme platform and start producing sustainable, high-value products. With PINC and Paulig as strategic partners, we gain not only capital but also expertise in food, flavour, and sustainability, helping us bring cleaner solutions to market faster.”
The £4 million investment round into was co-led by Kadmos Capital (London) and Clay Capital (Singapore).
