Zero Cow Factory, a biotech startup that produces alternative protein and dairy products, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round. The funding was co-led by Green Frontier Capital, GVFL, and Pi Ventures, while Pascual Innoventures, an investment arm of Spanish dairy group Calidad Pascual, also participated. The Surat-based startup plans to use the funding to accelerate R&D activities, scale up production capacity, and obtain regulatory approvals to enter the market.
Zero Cow Factory uses precision fermentation technology to produce animal-free proteins and dairy products. The startup is planning to target mature markets such as the US and Singapore, and it will follow the B2B route and partner with FMCG companies to sell products to end consumers. The startup claims that its alternative protein products are about 99% pure protein and free from lactose, antibiotics growth hormones and saturated fats. India has seen a significant growth in dairy startups in recent years, with many companies trying to innovate in the dairy products space. In addition to Country Delight, MoooFarm, and Stellaps, there are several other dairy startups operating in India, such as Milkbasket, which delivers milk and other daily essentials to customers’ homes, and Epigamia, which produces Greek yogurt and other dairy products.