Brevel & The Wave Group to build 300,000 L illuminated fermentation plant in India

Israeli biotech company Brevel has entered a joint-venture agreement with Indian conglomerate The Wave Group to construct a biomanufacturing facility. The site in India will house Brevel’s illuminated fermentation technologies for producing microalgae and plant cell culture ingredients. 

Funded by The Wave Group, the new plant in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, will initially manufacture Purallis, Brevel’s clean-label chlorella. The expansion will result in a 60-fold increase of Brevel’s current 5,000 L production capacity at its commercial site in Israel.

The new plant is designed for a total capacity of 300,000 L, aiming to meet growing market demand for Brevel’s microalgae products. Construction will begin later in 2026, with full-scale production set to commence in the next 18 months.

The partners estimate total investment at US$10–15 million. Brevel reveals that the plant’s illuminated fermentation systems will be capable of producing additional products and organisms that benefit from light.

“We’re excited to partner with The Wave Group to bring illuminated fermentation to an industrial scale,” says Yonatan Golan, CEO and co-founder of Brevel.

“This partnership marks a major step forward in our ability to serve global markets, opening new opportunities across microalgae, plant cell culture, and beyond. Our work with partners such as Ayana Bio, a US leader in plant cell technology, already demonstrates the broad potential of our platform. Together with The Wave Group, we can turn that potential into commercial-scale manufacturing.” 

Upcycling from sugar mills

Four patents protect Brevel’s illuminated fermentation technology. It combines controlled fermentation with light in a closed system.

The new plant is designed for a total capacity of 300,000 L.By taking fermentation out of the dark, Brevel says it has created a platform for manufacturing bioactives that rely on light-driven metabolism for growth.

The company explains that sugar supplies the energy and nutrients needed for efficient fermentation, while light enables photosynthetic microorganisms such as chlorella to produce valuable compounds, including chlorophyll and carotenoids.

Brevel will use sugar production side streams from The Wave Group’s sugar mills to support what it says is a circular-economy, zero-waste model. It anticipates that the proximity of the new manufacturing facility to the sugar mills will cut transportation expenses and minimize the associated environmental footprint.

The partners share that initial trials with various byproducts from The Wave Group’s sugar mills have yielded “excellent results” in Brevel’s bioreactors, and teams from both companies are currently working to further optimize the system’s performance.

“This collaboration expands our portfolio of food processing and product innovation businesses,” says Manpreet Singh Chadha, chairman of The Wave Group. “Brevel’s illuminated fermentation, combined with our deep expertise in sugar manufacturing, defines a new era in biomanufacturing.”

“We look forward to playing a pioneering role in the future of food ingredients and nutraceuticals in a world of limited resources. This strategic alliance with Brevel also positions The Wave Group as an important production hub serving the global food and supplement markets.”

The partners signed the deal at an official ceremony in New Delhi, which was attended by the deputy head of mission of the Embassy of Israel and representatives of the Economic and Trade Mission of Israel, together with Indian government officials from Invest India.