Pigmentum

Pigmentum is an Israeli AgroTech startup that was founded through the Fresh Start FoodTech Incubator program by Tal Lutzky and Amir Toler. Along with the support of Professor Alexander Vainstein, the company has developed a proprietary technology platform.

According to the company, its molecular technology platform is able to convert plants into producers of high-value compounds at a cheaper price than fermentation-based industrial production plants. This is achieved by triggering a hyper-expression cascade mechanism via an external signal, enabling the plants (such as lettuce) to grow compounds such as protein, proteases, alkaloids, terpenes, and more for food, cosmetic, and pharma industries. Using this technology, the company intended to produce animal-free casein to be supplied to alternative dairy producers.

Funding and financials

In January 2023 , the company raised USD 6 million in a seed funding round led by Kibbutz Yotvata, Arkin Holdings, American and Israeli family offices, and other existing investors. The specific purpose for the funding was not disclosed.