Biotechnology company Nuritas which is transforming the discovery and development of plant-based peptide products – naturally occurring proteins consumed as food ingredients and supplements to deliver clinically proven health benefits – has welcomed investment from Wheatsheaf Group as part of a $45 million USD Series B funding round. 

The funding will accelerate Nuritas’ global expansion – as it launches consumer products in early 2022 – supporting its mission to unlock the power of nature to make many of the foods we consume daily, healthier, safer and more sustainable. 

Stephan Dolezalek, Executive Director, Wheatsheaf Group, said: “We are pleased to join Nuritas as it prepares to launch new consumer products alongside an impressive pipeline of novel molecules and ongoing partnerships with global consumer product businesses. Nuritas’ capabilities match Wheatsheaf’s mission to re-shape how food is produced and consumed while benefiting the environment and human health.” 

Peptides are smaller versions of proteins with the same nutritional power. Nuritas, which has established the world’s largest peptide knowledge base, uses their specific active functionalities to provide human and animal health benefits. It uses a proprietary AI and genomics platform to rapidly analyze billions of hidden peptides in plants and natural food sources to predict and identify how they impact specific health areas, molecular pathways, or receptors. The Nuritas platform has been shown to identify and develop new bioactives 10 times faster and 500 times more accurately than traditional discovery methods, while significantly reducing costs. 

Nuritas has developed PeptAide™ 4, the world’s first AI-discovered ingredient in rice which protects skin and hair against inflammation, and recently launched two new clinically proven ingredients: PeptiYouth™, discovered from peas which slows down cellular aging and supports skin health, and PeptiStrong™, discovered in fava-beans which supports muscle health.