Aravis is the first independent Swiss on-shore private equity house, an established investor in the renewable energy and life science spaces.  We are a ''hands-on'' investor taking leading positions and understanding the balance between finance, commercial assets and people. With this distinct and crafted approach, we are serving over 30 leading investors including corporates, pension funds, government funds, insurance companies and family offices.  Currently actively managing more than a quarter of a billion Swiss francs, we have a cumulative history of investments in over 100 companies. These have resulted in several noticeable exits including the divestment of several renewable energy companies and a number of life science reverse take-overs, listings and trade sales.  Our many years of experience in the Swiss fund industry have enabled us to establish a platform with a comprehensive offering of investment, accounting, regulatory and reporting expertise.  Located in Zurich, Aravis was founded in 2001.

Aravis Ventures

Novartis Venture Fund's primary focus is on the development of novel therapeutics and platforms. They balance the therapeutic focus with investments in medical devices, diagnostics, or drug delivery systems. In their investments, they look for unmet needs and clinical impact, novel proprietary science, an understanding of mechanism, management and board experience, and capital efficiency in the program. Novartis Venture Fund prefers to have their initial investment at the early stage to build the company and follow with additional investment in pace with the company's progress. Their approach involves larger focused investments, with anticipation of total investments up to USD 30 to 50 million per company over its life, but it can be as little as 100,000 USD to get started. They plan to increase their activities to lead or co-lead deals further and remain open to participating in larger syndicates.

Novartis Venture Fund

Dansk Innovation is a venture capital firm specialized in early stage investments.

Dansk Innovation

Yamanouchi Venture Capital is a venture capital.

Yamanouchi Venture Capital

APIDC Venture Capital is a venture capital firm. APIDC Venture Capital is one of a handful of Fund Managers that focus on early stage VC in India and has been working closely with research and technology institutions in India. APIDC VC is looking to build global leaders from scratch, by backing both Indian and overseas entrepreneurs or companies with big ideas that leverage India's

APIDC Venture Capital

Since 1998, AURIGA PARTNERS, an independent Venture Capital firm, has been managing several early stage funds specializing in Information Technology and Life Sciences.

Auriga Partners

Astellas Venture Management is a California-based financial organization that targets investments in the biotechnology sector.

Astellas Venture Management

Vinci Capital is a leading Swiss private equity firm with over MCHF 200 under management. Since 1998 they have provided equity to over 30 Swiss technology and industrial companies to finance innovation, growth and succession-buyouts.  Their investment team capitalizes on 40 years of cumulated experience in private equity and a solid operational background in growth, turn-around, consolidation, IPOs and M&A situations.

VINCI CAPITAL

BioMedPartners is one of the leading European venture capital firms providing private equity and mezzanine financing to early- and mid-stage healthcare and human life science companies. They target the entire industry with special focus on pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, diagnostics and medical technology.

BioMedPartners

Wellington Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in technology and life sciences companies, focusing on Digital Media, Software, Electronics & Photonics, Resource Efficiency, and Biotech/Life Sciences. It is committed to providing outstanding entrepreneurs with the necessary resources to fund their strategies. We typically lead financing rounds ranging from € 0.5 million to € 20 million. Depending on the maturity of the company, its own commitment can go as high as € 15 million. Wellington was established in 1998 and has offices in Munich, London, and Zurich.

Wellington Partners

Entrepreneurs Fund provides early stage and growth financing alongside active support to entrepreneurial teams. Their current areas of investment focus are Life-sciences, Water, Materials and Automotive Technology.

Entrepreneurs Fund

Swisscom Ventures is an venture capital arm of Swisscom AG, that specializes in early stage tech investments founded in 2007. Swisscom Ventures invests in growth companies with emerging business models and technologies of strategic relevance to Swisscom's core business. As a value-add investor, Swisscom brings its investees the technical expertise and strategic insights of an incumbent telecom operator. We act as a bridge to Swisscom's operational business units, which portfolio companies can also leverage as a test environment for their products and services. Swisscom Ventures seeks minority stakes in companies related to the information/communications/entertainment space.

Swisscom Ventures

Evolva

Evolva is a biotech company that develops and commercializes ready-to-formulate and nature-based ingredients.  Evolva was founded in 2004 around a distinctive, proprietary, technology platform that uses synthetic biology to create innovative small-molecule drugs and other compounds. In particular, their platform allows the creation of chemistries that recapitulate the themes found in natural products, but without the disadvantages of those approaches. The company is headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland.

Evolva is a Switzerland-based company that provides natural flavor and fragrance ingredients through precision fermentation. The company has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2009. The company offers customized services in various industries, specializing in science and technology-based contract development and manufacturing for a range of products. Evolva’s products are available in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Empowering sustainable food innovation through food engineering tech

Alternative Ingredients

Evolva Holding SA: Approval of temporary exemption from c...

Evolva is a Switzerland-based company that provides natural flavor and fragrance ingredients through precision fermentation. The company has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2009. The company offers customized services in various industries, specializing in science and technology-based contract development and manufacturing for a range of products. Evolva’s products are available in Europe, Asia, and North America.The company's products include the following:&nbsp;•&nbsp;Nootkatone: Derived from grapefruit peel and Alaskan yellow cedar bark, primarily used in fruit-flavored products, with high purity levels of 85% to 98% achieved through natural precision fermentation.&nbsp;•&nbsp;Valencene: Found in orange peel and other plants, used in foods, beverages, and fragrances.&nbsp;•&nbsp;Vanillin: A natural ingredient used in various food and beverage products, including ice cream, cakes, coffee, and tea.&nbsp;•&nbsp;Veri-te Resveratrol: A fermented ingredient found naturally in grapes, peanuts, cranberries, and berries used to make dietary supplements.&nbsp;•&nbsp;L-Arabinose: A natural sugar blocker for foods and beverages, sustainably produced by fermentation at greater than 99% purity and without the use of hydrochloric acid.The company has received approval for its Veri-te Resveratrol as a dietary supplement ingredient in countries including Thailand (September 2023) and Taiwan (July 2023).In November 2023, Evolva signed a <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24576">Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) </a>with Danstar Ferment AG, a Swiss subsidiary of Lallemand Inc., a developer of microorganisms for natural fermentation, to acquire 100% of the shares of Evolva AG, including all business operations, for CHF 20 million (~USD 30 million).Key customers and partnershipsIn May 2022, Evolva signed a distribution agreement with Tovani Benzaquen Ingredients to jointly develop the Brazilian business for Veri-teTM resveratrol. In May 2023, Evolva entered a multi-year agreement with a prominent Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) to secure the Vanillin business with a global Flavors and Fragrances (F&amp;F) customer. Further, in September 2023, Evolva partnered with LEHVOSS UK, to distribute Veri-teTM Resveratrol in over a dozen European countries for dietary supplement use.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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 California Cultured is a producer of cocoa products such as cocoa powder, chocolate, cocoa butter, and flavanols using plant cell culture technology by taking biopsies from selected cacao plants. The company developed its research based on Criollo cacao varieties, fine-tuning cell lines for specific flavors. In August 2022, the company announced that it was working on the development of cell-cultured coffee.
 
 
 As of December 2022, the company was building its 12,100 sq m facility in West Sacramento and had begun building its pilot plant. As of July 2023, the company was finalizing production methods, with the aim of a commercial launch by 2025&ndash;2026, following FDA approval.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In 2022, California Cultured partnered with VTT, a Finnish national research institute, to develop cell lines for cell-cultured coffee. 
 &nbsp;In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates">
 February 2023
 </a>
 , the company inked a 10-year commercial partnership with Japanese chocolate corporation Meiji to incorporate its cell-based cocoa into Meiji's products. This collaboration marked the first global use of cell-cultured chocolate.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 California Cultured received undisclosed investments from investment platforms focused on clean, lab-grown food such as CULT Food Science (February 2022) and Blue Horizon (March 2022). In October 2021, the company raised USD 4 million in seed funding led by Agronomics to expand its R&amp;D activities.
 
 
 
 .
 
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California Cultured

Nukoko is a UK-based company that produces 100% cocoa-free chocolate peanuts made from locally sourced fava beans using a biotransformation and precision fermentation process. It also uses a microbial library of cocoa flavors to match chocolate in terms of flavor, thickness, and texture.As of October 2023, the company had opened a limited product launch and sold out the first batch of cocoa-free chocolate nuts, with a full launch planned for 2025 for the EU/UK markets as a B2B ingredients supplier. The company claims to produce 90% less carbon emission per kg than conventional chocolate&nbsp;and its chocolate alternatives contain 40% less sugar and higher protein, fiber, and antioxidants than traditional chocolate.&nbsp;

Nukoko

<div>
 
 Win-Win (WNWN Food Labs prior to 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27014">
 February 2024
 </a>
 ) is a London-based producer of cocoa-free chocolate using plant-based ingredients such as grains/cereals and legumes through a proprietary fermentation process. The company's cocoa-free chocolate can be used in candy bars, confectionery, cookies, chocolate coatings, ice cream, and beverages. It claims to use 90% less water and emit 80%&ndash;90% less greenhouse gases than regular chocolate.
 
 
 In May 2022, Win-Win was operating on a lab scale, capable of producing between 300kg and 600 kg (~661 and 1,323 lbs) of chocolate per month. In November 2022, the company began expanding its facility in Hackney Wick, increasing its production space 8x. In November 2023, the company expanded its plant-based milk chocolate to bakeries, foodservice, confectionery groups, and CPG/FMCG companies 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24144">
 worldwide
 </a>
 .
 
 
 The company had previously introduced limited-edition cocoa-free products via D2C channels: dark chocolate thins at GBP 10 (~USD 13) per box (May 2022) and the Waim! Bar priced at GBP 8 (~USD 9) for a pack of three bars (September 2022). In March 2023, the company finalized the recipe and process for a line of milk chocolate products that are cocoa- and dairy-free and contain both oats and tiger nuts. The company also experimented with an alternative chocolate ice cream bar at the H&auml;agen-Dazs Start-Up Innovation Challenge in June 2023.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In September 2023, Win-Win partnered with the UK department store Fortnum &amp; Mason to showcase its cocoa-free chocolate and technology, including a demonstration and tasting during Fortnum's Harvest Week. In December 2022, the company partnered with Milan-based luxury gift service DLISH to include its specialty chocolate hazelnut gianduja, a northern Italian confection, in DLISH's holiday gifts. In December 2023, the company completed the 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24805">
 CoLab Tech accelerator
 </a>
 with Mondelēz International and showcased its cocoa-free chocolate bars, truffles, and coated biscuits at Mondelēz's North American headquarters.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In February 2023, Win-Win raised GBP 4.5 million (~USD 5.6 million) in Series A funding to scale up manufacturing and increase headcount in anticipation of its UK retail launch.
 
 
 
</div>

Win-Win

<div>
 
 Planet A Foods is a Germany-based startup that makes cocoa-free chocolate ChoViva (formerly NoCoa/QOA) via precision fermentation of oats and sunflower seeds. It then uses proprietary micro-bacteria and flavor formation processes to create a vegan product that mimics the texture and flavor of chocolate. In addition to Germany, ChoViva focuses on Austria and Switzerland, with expansion plans to the US in 2024.
 
 
 Planet A Foods produces cocoa-free chocolates by blending cocoa-free ingredients: a cocoa powder substitute (ChoViva Concentrate) and a cocoa butter substitute (ChoViva Butter). ChoViva represents Planet Foods' debut cocoa-free chocolate product, created using Planet A Foods' cocoa concentrate alternative. The chocolate is produced in-house at Planet A&rsquo;s facility in the Czech Republic. As of October 2023, the ChoViva range included 21 products with prices ranging from EUR 0.5 to EUR 9.95 (~USD 0.53 to USD 10.48).
 
 
 Additionally, the company was in the process of developing its cocoa butter alternative through precision fermentation technology, using single-cell oils and fermentation byproducts. As of October 2023, the company was shipping this fat to early customers for R&amp;D purposes.
 
 
 The company asserts that its chocolate product could be 10x more sustainable, 20% cheaper, and emit about 92% less than conventional chocolate while also using 30% less sugar and 94% less water.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In April 2023, the company partnered with German online retailer Confiserie Seidl to launch ChoViva, its first sustainable chocolate line. The brand sees itself as a B2B player, after partnering with oat cereal maker K&ouml;lln on a new line of vegan mueslis using the company's cocoa-free chocolate in September 2023. In December 2023, ChoViva teamed up with 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24997">
 Lindt
 </a>
 to launch a special edition chocolate bar for Veganuary, named &quot;Soft &amp; Creamy Hazelnut.
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26955">
 February 2024
 </a>
 , Planet A Foods partnered with REWE Group, Germany&rsquo;s second-largest supermarket chain, to supply ChoViva for REWE Group&rsquo;s own-label cocoa-free products.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In its latest funding round in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26176">
 February 2024
 </a>
 , the company raised USD 15.4 million in Series A funding led by World Fund, with participation from Omnes Capital, Cherry Ventures, Nucleus Capital, and others. The funds were earmarked for additional scientist hires to bolster its 50-person team in Germany to increase the production of cocoa butter and palm oil alternatives on an industrial scale.
 
 
 
</div>

Planet A Foods

<div>
 
 Atomo Coffee is a developer of beanless coffee that comes in two flavors: 1) regular beanless coffee with 100 mg of caffeine per serving made from date seeds, ramon seeds, sunflower seed extract, pea protein, millet, lemon, guava, and defatted fenugreek seeds and 2) decaffeinated (decaf) beanless coffee. The company claims to be the world's first beanless coffee maker.
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s products are available for retail purchase at 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23234">
 Gumption Coffee
 </a>
 in New York. In addition, the company began taking pre-orders for wholesale at a price of USD 20.99 per pound (as of October 2023).
 
 
 The company also plans to open a facility in March 2024 that can annually produce four million lbs of ground coffee, made from upcycled date pits (~80 million cups).
 
 
 Atomo's brews reportedly use 94% less water and produce 93% less carbon emissions than traditional coffee.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In July 2022, the company partnered with Minor Figures, a vegan products company, to launch the 8-ounce canned Oat Milk Latte, a beanless cold brew, one of Atomo's first focus products.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In June 2022, the company raised USD 40 million in a Series A funding round for product development and to scale up manufacturing. In November 2023, the company secured an undisclosed multi-million dollar investment from Japanese beverage leader 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24577">
 Suntory Holdings
 </a>
 to strengthen its international distribution.
 
 
 
</div>

Atomo Coffee

Companies providing technology related to fortification, cell culture, and fermentation and those supplying equipment including bioreactors and fermenters for the production of novel foods

Companies offering salt substitutes to reduce sodium content in foods and beverages

Companies developing natural sweeteners and solutions to reduce sugar content in foods and beverages

Companies creating natural flavor, texture, and coloring ingredients from plant-based sources like seaweed and algae

Companies producing chocolate without cocoa using ingredients like oats, seeds, and cell-cultured cocoa

Companies making coffee substitutes from ingredients like barley, date seeds, and sunflower seeds

Companies offering plant-based alternatives to honey and nut spreads, addressing dietary restrictions and allergies

Companies producing cooking oils and fats through fermentation, cell-cultured and plant-based extraction processes

Companies developing protein ingredients via cell-culture or fermentation for dietary supplements and food production, excluding plant-based or cell-cultured meat

Transforms raw materials into novel, sustainable food products with minimal environmental impact

<div>
 
 Evolva, a Swiss producer of natural flavors and fragrances, has agreed to sell 100% of its shares to Danstar Ferment AG, a Swiss affiliate of Lallemand Inc., which develops microorganisms for natural fermentation. The transaction is awaiting shareholder approval.
 The purchase price is set at CHF 20 million (~USD 23.5 million), with potential for an additional CHF 10 million (~USD 12 million) if certain sales targets are met over 18 months.
 Proceeds from the sale will be distributed to Evolva Holding SA shareholders, after satisfying creditors and warranty expiry. The company's liquidation is expected to be concluded in Q1 2026.
 Evolva's board, facing funding uncertainties, decided in June 2023 that independent operation was no longer viable. A general meeting will be held to approve the sale and delisting from the SIX Swiss Exchange, expected within six to 12 months following shareholder approval.
 
</div>

Evolva

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