AI meets animal feed ingredients: Nuritas partners with Stonehaven Incubate

24 Jul 2019 --- Swiss-based Stonehaven Incubate and Nuritas – a discovery platform for active peptides – have entered into a new partnership agreement. The two companies are joining forces to use cutting-edge AI technology to discover and develop advanced animal health solutions. The initial focus of the partnership will be on exploring animal feed ingredients. The financial terms of the partnership have not yet been disclosed.

“We see working with Nuritas on the use of its artificial intelligence platform to identify bioactive peptides for novel animal health solutions. “The initial phase of our work together will include establishing a new company focused on this platform for animal health and conducting a series of evaluation trials,” says Dr. Mark Heffernan, CEO of Stonehaven Incubate.

“The partnership with Stonehaven Incubate represents a new and additional business model that complements our current ‘on-demand’ discovery partnerships – like with Nestlé and BASF. The creation of spin-off businesses where we partner with entrepreneurial individuals or groups with specific expertise – be that scientific, translational or route-to-market – enables us to add more value, both at the ingredient and shareholder level,” Neil Foster, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Nuritas, tells NutritionInsight.

Founded in 2014 by mathematician and bioinformatician Dr. Nora Khaldi, Nuritas is the first company in the world to demonstrate that AI can accelerate the discovery of a healthcare product from concept to market. The platform is touted as able to prevent or treat disease with speed and accuracy.

Stonehaven Incubate is an animal health group committed to creating new companies from disruptive human technology.Stonehaven Incubate is an animal health group committed to creating new companies from disruptive human technology. The company works with innovators and builds strategies for new, stand-alone animal health companies, as well as sourcing capital to bring human innovations to animal health. The company’s endeavors are also supported by its parent company Stonehaven Holdings. 

“We have long recognized the considerable opportunity for Nuritas within animal health. This partnership will deliver a unique edge in this space by pairing Stonehaven Incubate’s industry-specific understanding and experience with Nuritas’ AI technology,” says Emmet Browne, CEO of Nuritas.

“The formation of the new company will enable us to add value to existing Nuritas discoveries in the field of animal health in addition to partnering externally on specific ground-breaking new projects,” adds Browne.

Nuritas positions itself as playing a role in tackling the big issues in global healthcare and food industry, be that: the global epidemic of non-communicable disease; addressing the impact of malnutrition; anti-microbial resistance; and more generally, the supporting of sustainable and healthy food supply. 

 “Just as with human nutrition, the health and happiness of an animal is hugely impacted by the food it consumes. Nuritas has already demonstrated that bioactive peptides discovered by AI, and incorporated into the diet of humans, can result in a significant and meaningful improvement in health,” notes Foster. 

He also adds that going forward, the company plans to establish the new venture focused on the platform of animal health, as well as conduct a series of evaluation trials within a number of clearly defined and high-value areas.

By Kristiana Lalou