Enzymes are natural, powerful processing aids that can unlock new sweeteners with lower calorific value from plant material. And are therefore, a promising sugar reduction solution. As a result, various startups are innovating ways to convert sucrose into healthy dietary fibers and fructose into sorbitol, a natural sweetener, using enzymes!
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Unlike artificial sweeteners, these sugar-reducing enzymes are safe and work precisely while maintaining food’s taste, texture, and other properties and reducing the amount of sugar absorbed into the bloodstream.
This article details five innovative food-tech startups using enzymes for sugar reduction processes in 2024.
1. Zya uses enzymes to reduce sugar ingestion during digestion
| Founding Year | 2018 |
| Headquarters | London, GB |
| Total Funding Amount | $5.2M |
| Last Funding Round and Amount | undisclosed |
| Website | zya.co |
Formerly known as Inulox, Zya uses enzymes to transform how our bodies use food. Instead of changing the food, they add micro quantities of naturally derived enzymes to foods for sugar reduction and to retain taste profiles while improving digestive outcomes.
Their first product is Convero, an enzyme that converts 30% sugar into fiber after eating.
The company collaborates with scientists and bioengineering institutes, such as Boston Bioprocess, Aminoverse, Aelius Biotech, etc., to expand their understanding of human physiology and test new solutions.
Their CEO, Joshua Sauer, holds a chemistry degree and a bioscience Ph.D. from the University of Oxford. His co-founder, Niels Wicke, is also an Oxford Ph.D. holder and a biotechnologist with a decade of experience.
Zya plans to commercialize Convero in the US by 2026.
2. Better Juice Ltd turns sugars into healthier sweeteners using enzymes
| Founding Year | 2018 |
| Headquarters | HaDarom, Israel |
| Total Funding Amount | $8.6M |
| Last Funding Round and Amount | Series A |
| Website | better-juice.com |
Better Juice Ltd. is a food-tech startup that uses an enzyme-powered process to dramatically reduce the sugar content in sweet beverages. Their patented process uses enzymes to change sugars into dietary fibers and other non-digestible sugars.
This technology uses all-natural ingredients to convert fructose, glucose, and sucrose sugars into prebiotic and non-digestible fibers. The juice passes through a continuous-flow bioreactor housing microorganisms that transform the unwanted sugars into beneficial, non-digestible molecules.
In January 2024, Better Juice Ltd entered a collaboration with Ingredion, Inc., a leading global provider of specialty ingredients to the food and beverage industry. Ingredion’s venture investment arm, Ingredion Ventures, led the Series A funding round for Better Juice.
Better Juice has raised $8.6M in this funding round. This partnership will fast-track the penetration of Better Juice’s breakthrough sugar reduction solution into the US juice market.
In an interview with GreyB, their CEO, Eran Blachinsky, said:
“We are not removing the sugar but converting it. So there’s no change in mouthfeel.”
Watch the full interview here:
Short on time? Read the highlights to know how Better Juice reduces 80% sugar.
3. Ambrosia Bio achieves sugar reduction using enzymes
| Founding Year | 2020 |
| Headquarters | HaMerkaz, Israel |
| Total Funding Amount | $130K |
| Last Funding Round and Amount | Seed Round/$130K |
| Website | www.ambrosia.bio |
Ambrosia Bio developed a proprietary enzyme-based biotechnological platform to convert obesity-promoting sugars into minimal-calorie rare sugars.
The startup’s technology provides a biochemical and structural analysis of designed proteins, reducing dietary sugar content and allowing customers to purchase healthier food products.
Its B2B business model provides leading sugar & juice manufacturers the opportunity to meet customer expectations of sugar reduction through enzymes without affecting the consumption experience.
The CEO, Ziv Zwighaft, has expertise in molecular biology and holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Ambrosia Bio has raised a total of $130K in funding. This was a Seed round raised on Mar 18, 2022.
4. Resugar makes calorie-free compounds that taste just like sugar
| Founding Year | 2018 |
| Headquarters | HaDarom, Israel |
| Total Funding Amount | $3M |
| Last Funding Round and Amount | Series A / $3M |
| Website | resugar.com |
Resugar’s sugar replacement solutions replicate sugar’s taste and properties while eliminating its harmful effects. It primarily serves the food industry, providing manufacturers with alternatives to reduce sugar content in their products without altering flavor profiles.
Resugar’s technology, developed with scientists from Technion Institute, uses a cost-effective enzymatic process to produce a virtually calorie-free plant-based molecule that still provides the same sweetness and sugar properties.
Their product, Resugar Synergy™, uses a proprietary composition of commercially available natural ingredients to replace the added sugars in any product without changing the original recipe, texture, or taste of foods.
Unlike current sugar substitutes, Resugar’s solutions can meet consumer and manufacturing needs due to their unique sweetness profile, which is indistinguishable from table sugar. This allows them to serve various applications in the food industry.
They’ve partnered with leading brands like Nestlé-Froneri, supplying the key ingredient behind their new low-calorie ice cream bars.
Their co-founder, Ron Livny, has over a decade of experience as a dietician.
Resugar has raised a total of $3M in funding. This was a Series A round raised on Mar 21, 2022.
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5. RxSugar makes plant-based sugar products using allulose
| Founding Year | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, GA |
| Total Funding Amount | $4M |
| Last Funding Round and Amount | Seed round |
| Website | rxsugar.com |
RxSugar is a health-and-wellness company that makes plant-based certified sugar and syrups. These products are ideal for baking, cooking, smoothies, beverages, pancakes, ice cream, and more.
Their products are made with Allulose, a rare, natural, plant-based certified sugar. This is not artificial sugar, sugar alcohol, or high-intensity sweetener. RxSugar products are gluten-free, blood sugar-friendly, and suitable for people with diabetes.
They use allulose because the human body does not metabolize this low-calorie sugar like table sugar. Therefore, it does not significantly impact blood glucose levels.
Their CEO, Steve Hanley, has over thirty years of experience in senior management and leadership positions across large corporations and his ventures.
RxSugar has raised funding from a seed round on Jan 1, 2022.
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