A new organisation, managed by a team of established food-industry professionals, has been formed to address emerging issues with the alternative protein industry in Asia.

The newly-formed Asia Sustainable Foods Platform, created by Singaporean investment company Temasek, offers scaling and supply solutions for alternative protein manufacturers in the region and helps them transition towards commercial-scale manufacturing.

“Our key differentiating factor is our end-to-end enabler, operator, and investor capabilities that provide bespoke solutions and support to aspiring food-tech companies at every stage of their growth cycle,” said Mathys Boeren, CEO for Asia Sustainable Foods Platform.

“With our support to remove friction-to-adoption, companies can speed up their product development and pilot launch, as well as accelerate their commercial scale-up and go-to-market.

“Asia is expected to require around US$1.55 trillion of investment over the next decade to satisfy growing consumer demands for healthier and more sustainable food options.”

As part of the launch, the Asia Sustainable Foods Platform has made a pledge with A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) to contribute a total of over S$30 million to the Food Tech Innovation Centre.

The investment aims to offer support for start-ups in many areas. For instance, in finding production facilities for alternative protein manufacturers, which can be challenging at small scales such as a pilot program might require.

“SIFBI is excited to partner with Temasek’s newly established Asia Sustainable Foods Platform on the FTIC, which will provide much-needed pilot scale capabilities for Alternative Protein (AP) companies to shorten time to market,” said Dr Hazel Khoo, Executive Director for SIFBI.

“We expect that this partnership will help anchor AP companies, and to contribute significantly to the flourishing and vibrant food-tech landscape here in Singapore.”