Chinova Bioworks

Based in Canada, Chinova Bioworks upcycles mushroom waste into natural preservatives. The company aims to reduce food waste throughout the farm-to-fork cycle by upcycling food waste into a preservative ingredient called ‘Chiber’, which will also help in keeping food longer. According to the company, 1 kg of Chiber will help in reducing emissions equivalent to around 31.7 kg. The company also reports that its Chiber product has helped extend shelf life by 2-3 weeks for selected plant-based dairy products.

Within five years of establishment, Chinova states that it has been able to receive regulatory approval for its products in North America, secured patents for its brand, and has launched five types of its Chiber product. As reported in April 2021,  the company also claims that it generates a significant amount of revenue (value undisclosed) and is mainly working with plant-based brands that are available in over 1,000 retail stores. In September 2021, the company announced that it planned to launch Chiber for use in alcoholic beverages in 1Q2022 and was testing the product with beer manufacturers. 

To scale production of Chiber, in May 2021, the company reported that it was building a 20,000 square foot ‘Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator’ facility and a 6,000 square foot R&D and office space. The company also reported that it was partnering with not-for-profit organization PEI BioAlliance and bioscience company Royal DSM to expand into a new pilot production facility that would allow it to upcycle mushroom waste into a commercially sustainable preservation ingredient to reduce food waste.

In June 2022 , Chinova raised CAD 6 million (~USD 4.6 million) in a Series A funding round led by DSM Venturing and Rhapsody Venture Partners. Prior to this, in February 2022 , Chinova received CAD 1.5 million (~USD 1.2 million) from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). The funding was expected to help Chinova in its expansion plans.