UC Davis Institute and Nestlé Health Science to commercialize “transformative” nutrition research

The Innovation Institute for Food & Health (IIFH) is partnering with Nestlé Health Science to move transformative discoveries from labs at the University of California (UC) Davis, US, into practice. The organizations aim to boost the development of innovative leaders and science-backed products that can improve nutrition and well-being.

The partnership will focus on advancing solutions in healthy aging, women’s health, metabolic health, gastrointestinal issues, and diet-related needs in areas such as chronic kidney disease, oncology, and pediatric health. 

Nutrition Insight speaks with experts at both organizations to explore how they will nurture early-stage ventures from the UC Davis ecosystem, helping them with scientific validation, technical expertise, and strategic insight needed for long-term success. 

Eugenia Oton, head of the Nestlé Product Technology Center for Nestlé Health Science, underscores that advancing nutrition innovation requires a collaborative approach. 

“By combining UC Davis’s leadership in food and health research with our global expertise in scaling innovation and understanding consumer needs, our collaboration paves the way for innovative, nutrition-based solutions.”

Dr. Justin Siegel, IIFH faculty director and professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Molecular Medicine at UC Davis, adds: “Science-driven nutrition innovation is playing a critical role in how we can adapt to meet the changing needs of a global population. UC Davis is pioneering breakthroughs in this space.” 

“Our partnership with Nestlé Health Science allows us to build a robust pipeline of solutions to address some of the biggest food and health opportunities in the last 100 years. We will strengthen the technologies coming out of UC Davis by combining our complementary capabilities and expertise to translate breakthrough technologies into meaningful impact.”

Next-gen nutrition

Kim Fisher, IIFH director of Programs at UC Davis, emphasizes that the university has some of the brightest minds working at the intersection of food and health. “IIFH helps researchers think entrepreneurially so they can take their discoveries out of the lab and into venture-ready start-ups.” 

We recently discussed Amplifye’s enzyme to double protein absorption with the UC Davis start-up’s chief commercial officer.“By combining this foundation with Nestlé Health Science’s global insight into scaling innovation and understanding consumers, we’re helping founders transform cutting-edge science into ventures that connect with people and shape the future of food and health.”

Fisher notes that healthy aging, women’s health, and metabolic health are complex and historically underexplored areas, especially through the lens of food. 

“Amplifye, a recent UC Davis start-up, is exploring this space through nutrition supplements that can help unlock the benefits of proteins that were previously not absorbed in the body, which is extremely beneficial for aspects of healthy aging and women’s health.” 

“Amplifye and many other UC Davis start-ups will benefit greatly from this collaboration, as it will elevate the groundbreaking work happening at UC Davis and connect it with Nestlé Health Science’s deep understanding of consumers, global markets, and product development,” she details. “Together, we can help entrepreneurs navigate that complexity and turn promising research into solutions that make a difference.”

Boosting start-ups and new tech

Oton says that the partners will identify and support the development of highly differentiated nutritional solutions that address key growth areas. With IIFH, Nestlé Health Science aims to translate scientific breakthroughs into real-world solutions. 

“More broadly, our goals include supporting research on novel ingredients, optimizing nutrition for longevity, and empowering entrepreneurs to bring science-based solutions to market. By leveraging our combined strengths, we are committed to improving health outcomes and quality of life for people around the world.”

Siegel says the partnership will strengthen the foundation for early-stage technologies by combining academic rigor, leadership development, and industry insight. He highlights several technologies developed at UC Davis that will benefit from collaborating with Nestlé Health Science.

“We have start-ups working on natural decaffeination technologies, nutritious snacking, infant gut health, optimizing fiber integration, unlocking protein bioavailability, natural colors, non-invasive health-tech wearables, and so much more.” 

“For example, PrismBio is working to identify an array of natural colors to replace their synthetic counterparts, which is increasingly important across the food industry. Another example is PIPA, an AI platform for R&D to accelerate innovation in the food, nutrition, and health sectors.” 

The partnership aims to strengthen the foundation for early-stage technologies by combining academic rigor, leadership development, and industry insight.Although several of these start-ups are featured on the institute’s website, many more are emerging regularly, underscores Siegel. “We’re excited to see how the partnership with Nestlé Health Science can help these innovations reach people faster and more effectively.”

From academia to the market

In their partnership, IIFH and Nestlé Health Science will create a shared platform to bridge the translation gap between academic research and market readiness with practical support and expertise. 

Siegel underscores that this gap is “often immense,” with many researchers never seeing their work reach the public because “the infrastructure and support simply don’t exist.” 

“This partnership is building that bridge, filling critical knowledge gaps, providing hands-on guidance, and empowering academic innovators to bring science-based technologies to market that can help impact people’s health and well-being through nutrition foundations.”

Fisher says that she has seen how fragile the early stages of start-up development can be, as she spent much of her career as an entrepreneur. “Through partnerships like this, IIFH is creating an environment where new companies can thrive by connecting researchers with industry experts like Nestlé Health Science, who can share insights and guidance.”  

“From angel investors to entrepreneurship training to potential corporate partnerships like this, we’re building a continuum of support that gives these start-ups a fighting chance to succeed.” 

Oton details that Nestlé Health Science will bring deep technical expertise in product development and consumer health, as well as a global perspective on market trends and regulatory pathways. 

“Collaborations with academic institutions such as UC Davis allow us to reach and support early-stage ventures with business-specific and technical guidance, access to our extensive innovation ecosystem, and opportunities for mentorship and networking.” 

“Our experience in developing and commercializing science-based nutrition solutions empowers entrepreneurs to navigate the complexities of product development and connect with people to deliver meaningful health outcomes,” Oton concludes.