Standing Ovation, a food technology company focused on precision fermentation, has raised €30 million in a Series B funding round to support the commercialisation of its alternative dairy proteins.
The round includes €25 million in equity led by Ecotechnologies 2, managed by Bpifrance under the France 2030 initiative, alongside Crédit Mutuel Innovation. Existing investors such as Astanor, Bel Group, Seventure Partners, GoodStartUp, and Big Idea Ventures participated, with additional backing from Danone Ventures, Angelor, Newtree, and Noshaq. A further €5 million in non-dilutive financing was provided by Bpifrance and a banking syndicate. The company plans to scale its operations in North America before expanding into Europe and Asia.
What The Company Does
Founded in 2020, Standing Ovation develops alternative dairy proteins using precision fermentation technology. Its core product, Advanced Casein®, is designed to replicate the functional, nutritional, and sensory properties of traditional animal-derived casein while reducing environmental impact.
The company’s process uses fermentation to convert agricultural inputs such as sugars and milk whey into high-value proteins. These raw materials, often underutilised in traditional supply chains, are upcycled into casein, which accounts for approximately 80 percent of milk protein and plays a key role in texture and stability in dairy products.
Standing Ovation’s technology is protected by multiple patent families and is positioned as a scalable alternative to conventional dairy protein production, particularly in applications where functionality is critical.
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Market Context / Industry Background
Global demand for protein is expected to increase significantly, with projections suggesting an additional 250 million metric tons will be required by 2050. At the same time, environmental constraints and structural challenges in agriculture are placing pressure on traditional livestock-based production systems.
In Europe, concerns around declining livestock populations and climate-related impacts are contributing to uncertainty in milk supply, with some forecasts indicating potential risks to national self-sufficiency in the coming years. These dynamics are driving interest in alternative protein technologies that can deliver comparable performance with lower resource intensity.
Precision fermentation has emerged as a key approach within this space, offering the potential to decouple protein production from traditional farming while improving efficiency in land, water, and emissions.
Founder / Investor Commentary
Laurianne Garcia-Ordonez, Director of Investments at Crédit Mutuel Innovation, highlighted the strategic relevance of the company’s approach, noting that increasing dairy consumption combined with environmental constraints is likely to limit future milk production. She stated that Standing Ovation’s technology “makes a significant contribution to decarbonising the dairy sector and adding value to key co-products.”
Yvan Chardonnens, CEO, and Romain Chayot, co-founder and Managing Director, positioned the company within a broader shift toward sustainable food systems. They emphasised their ambition to “pioneer a new, circular, and sustainable approach to protein production” and noted that combining deep technology with dairy industry expertise enables the company to address growing global demand while supporting European food sovereignty.
Growth Plans / Use Of Funds
The newly raised capital will be used to accelerate the commercial rollout of Advanced Casein®, with an initial focus on North American markets followed by expansion into Europe and Asia.
Rather than building its own manufacturing infrastructure, Standing Ovation plans to partner with specialised fermentation producers to scale production capacity. This approach is intended to reduce capital intensity while enabling faster market entry.
The company will also continue to advance its research and development efforts, strengthen its industrial partnerships, and expand its presence within the alternative protein ecosystem.
About Standing Ovation
Standing Ovation is a food technology company developing dairy proteins through precision fermentation. Founded in 2020. Headquartered in Paris. Its mission is to create sustainable, high-performance protein ingredients by combining biotechnology with circular resource use.
