SUMMARY

PFx Biotech is a Portuguese biotech company pioneering the next generation of alternative proteins through precision fermentation. We have developed a proprietary platform that produces human milk proteins that are structurally and functionally identical to those found in breast milk, without using animals. Our ingredients serve key segments of the advanced nutrition market: early-life nutrition, medical nutrition, elderly care, and sports performance. By combining systems biology, engineering biology, and scalable fermentation, we deliver highly bioactive, non-GMO, allergy-free proteins with a fraction of the environmental footprint of conventional dairy. Our value proposition is unique: bioactive nutrition tailored for every life stage, sustainably produced for a healthier population and planet.

PROBLEM

The global food system faces two converging challenges. First, conventional animal protein production, particularly dairy, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption, making it incompatible with climate goals. Second, current protein sources fail to meet the specific nutritional needs of vulnerable groups: infants with cow milk protein allergy (one of the most common allergies in early childhood), elderly people losing muscle mass and immune function, patients requiring medical nutrition, and athletes needing high-bioavailability proteins. Plant-based alternatives often lack the bioactivity and complete amino acid profile required for these populations. There is a critical gap in the market for sustainable, highly functional, hypoallergenic proteins capable of delivering the unique benefits of human milk proteins, beyond infancy, to consumers throughout their entire lives.

SOLUTION

PFx Biotech uses precision fermentation to produce human milk proteins without animals. We provide the genetic instructions for human milk proteins to proprietary microbial strains that we have engineered to produce and secrete these proteins in high yields. In a bioreactor, the microorganisms are supplied with water, sugar, and nutrients, transforming them into pure, bioactive proteins under controlled conditions. The resulting ingredients are structurally and functionally identical to those found in breast milk, but non-GMO, allergy-free, and produced at scale.
These proteins are then supplied to companies in the advanced nutrition sector, who incorporate them into products for infants (reducing the risk of cow milk protein allergy), elderly people (supporting bone health, muscle mass, and immunity through easily digestible proteins), athletes (faster recovery and performance through anti-inflammatory proteins rich in branched-chain amino acids), and medical nutrition.
The impact is threefold. Environmental: drastically reducing the carbon footprint, land use, and water consumption associated with dairy protein production. Health: delivering optimal, bioactive nutrition to populations whose needs are poorly met today, with particular relevance for the millions of infants suffering from cow milk protein allergy. Economic and strategic: strengthening Europe's protein autonomy and positioning Portugal as a hub for biotechnological innovation in food. We are building a future where nutrition is personalised, accessible, and aligned with planetary boundaries.