Evanium raises seed funding for technology boosting supplement bioavailability

Evanium has secured €2.2 million (US$2.6 million) in seed funding to scale its proprietary Optisolv technology, which it says can solve the “bioavailability crisis” behind ineffective supplements. 

The German life science start-up says the funding will accelerate its ingredient platform. Specifically, it will use the capital to scale its Optisolv technology, expand the team, advance clinical studies, and accelerate commercial partnerships in nutraceuticals, nutricosmetics, and functional foods. 

“The future of nutraceuticals lies not in higher dosages, but in smarter formulations. Optisolv turns promising bioactives into high‑performance ingredients, enabling truly effective products. With this funding, we are able to accelerate the scale of our impact,” says Felix Rolka, co‑founder and CEO of Evanium.

FoodLabs and Feast Ventures back the seed funding round, with participation from existing angel investors.

Dual-coating system

Optisolv combines an inner cyclodextrin-based core with an outer phospholipid shell to stabilize natural actives in a crystal-free, highly dispersible state. Evanium says the dual-coating system prevents re‑agglomeration, improves permeability, and enables higher solubility and absorption, using natural materials.

For example, in challenging ingredients like curcumin, the company says its technology results in over 1,000 times higher solubility and 170 times improved release during digestion, compared to the native form. It also outperforms conventional phospholipid-based approaches in side-by-side comparisons.

According to Evanium, preclinical studies demonstrate Optisolv Berberine has a 13.7 times higher absorption than native berberine, and 10 times faster release during digestion.“Evanium addresses one of the most expensive inefficiencies in the nutraceutical industry,” says Adrian Friederich, head of Investments at FoodLabs. “Improving bioavailability doesn’t just benefit brands, it directly improves consumer outcomes.”

Scaling Optisolv portfolio

In 2025, Evanium launched Optisolv Curcumin with Hevert-Arzneimittel, a leading German manufacturer of herbal medicines. Its portfolio also includes Optisolv Berberine, Boswellia, and Passiflora.

Optisolv Berberine, developed to support metabolic health, is a finalist in this year’s Vitafoods Europe 2026 Start-Up Challenge in the category “Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient.”

The company has obtained four patents for its Optisolv technology, while preparations for clinical trials are underway to strengthen the scientific evidence behind its formulations.

“With proven technology, early commercial traction, and a dedicated platform strategy, Evanium is well-positioned to become a key technology partner for next‑generation ingredients in applications across food, supplements, nutricosmetics, and pharmaceuticals,” says Benedikt Stöckert, partner at Feast Ventures.

In related bioavailability news, Activ’Inside opened a joint laboratory in France earlier this year to drive scientific research on the bioavailability of phytonutrients and their health benefits.