• Albatros is an AI-powered microbiology platform designed to accelerate fermentation • The platform enables the use of byproducts as feedstocks, making the process cheaper and more sustainable • MOA is also offering a calculator service to allow manufacturers to estimate the potential value of their byproducts as ingredients derived from fermentation

Navarre, Spain, 7th May - MOA Foodtech, a European biotech startup, has announced the launch of Albatros, the industry's first AI-driven microbiology platform. Albatros is designed to help food and feed manufacturers identify the best fermentation-based solutions to upcycle their side-streams into high-value ingredients. By leveraging AI and the industry's most complete microbiology dataset, the platform dramatically accelerates product development, from the industry standard of 6 months, down to 2 weeks, while significantly reducing cost.

Traditionally, developing new fermentation-based products is a slow and expensive process, often taking months or even years. During testing, Albatros developed a new ingredient using upcycled starches 75% faster than traditional R&D methods, at just 5% of the typical cost. By integrating AI-driven modelling, the platform predicts the best microbial strains and fermentation processes to maximise yield, quality, and functionality.

Unlike conventional methods that rely on refined sugars and other high-cost inputs, Albatros optimises the use of lower-cost feedstocks such as food industry byproducts. This approach not only lowers production costs but also helps companies upcycle waste into commercially viable ingredients, reducing raw material dependency and enhancing sustainability.

The platform works by analysing characterisation data from food industry byproducts to identify the best microorganism(s) for fermentation. With a library of 200 byproducts, the platform can match each one to the most efficient fermentation strategy based on specific goals like boosting nutritional value or biomass yield. Once the optimal approach is selected, MOA's lab team runs the suggested experiment, using Albatros' recommendations to reduce trial-and-error and speed up development.

"We developed our groundbreaking technology to speed up the development of new bio-based sustainable products," said Bosco Emparanza García, Founder & CEO of MOA Foodtech. "Using proprietary protocols, Albatros can analyse a microorganism's DNA and, in just 10 minutes, predict its nutritional needs and how to reprogramme its metabolism. This unlocks huge possibilities with fermentation, and it has the power to transform the food industry."

MOA Foodtech has trained the AI platform with the industry's most complete, accurate, and validated data covering microbes, byproducts, metabolic models, enzymes, and experimental data, enabling data-driven decisions at every stage.

The company also offers Albatros in a ‘Microbiology-as-a-service (MAAS)' model, providing an end-to-end solution for companies looking to scale fermentation-based products. From selecting raw materials to optimising production, the platform simplifies the entire process, making advanced microbiology more accessible.

In addition to the Albatros platform, MOA has launched a calculator service on the website. Manufacturers will be able to submit details of their byproducts and receive a tailored assessment on the commercial and nutritional potential of their side-streams using MOA's directed fermentation technology. MOA Foodtech has already succeeded in transforming byproducts into ingredients that generate up to 20 times more revenue compared to conventional low-value applications.

MOA has created this landing page so you can analyse the full potential of your by-products through fermentation: https://www.moafoodtech.com/landing-by-products-calculator