Fostering a Year of Startup Collaborations

At BoortmaltX, we’re aiming to reshape the future of malt. Stepping beyond the boundaries of brewers and distillers, we aim to foster a world where consumers make greener, healthier choices. Through lively collaborations with innovative startups, we are harnessing the power of precision germination technologies to create a new era for malt.

Our journey began from a simple desire – the craving for diversification and the eagerness to explore new horizons. It was time to break out of our comfort zone at Boortmalt. The idea of partnering with startups emerged as the perfect avenue. Why startups? Because they bring innovative solutions and open minds, creating the ideal setting for pushing the boundaries of malt and emphasizing the nutritional aspects of our malted products. This collaboration highlights their positive impact on new applications.

At BoortmaltX, we believe in co-creation, especially when developing new products. We find ourselves at the beginning of their journey by supporting early-stage startups.

Reflecting on the first BoortmaltX Cohort

Our first collaborations with startups unfolded in 2023, setting the stage for exciting innovations. Let’s look at the collaboration stories and get a sneak peek into what’s coming in 2024.

BoortmaltX x Aquanzo: Transforming the Aquafeed Landscape

We joined forces with Aquanzo, a startup revolutionizing marine ingredient sourcing. Aquanzo’s pioneering approach involves farming Artemia on land, using liquid and solid coproducts from malting  to reshape the future of aquafeeds.

A Deeper Dive into Aquanzo’s Liquid Opportunity

Aquanzo’s vision aligned seamlessly with ours, propelling their project to new heights. The focus of our collaboration shifted towards liquid coproducts, specifically the processed water from the malting steeping phase. Before our collaboration, these liquid coproducts were lower on Aquanzo’s priority list. The key revelation was that using liquid feedstock for artemia could increase the total amount of protein made globally.

Liquid coproducts became a focal point, often underused due to transportation costs. Aquanzo’s solution involved an on-site mobile farming installation to overcome high transport expenses. This shift marked a defining moment in our collaboration – working towards a mobile farming system tailored for liquid coproducts.

‍Empowering Innovation with Innovate UK Grant

The Innovate UK Grant played a crucial role in our collaborative journey. It served two purposes: scaling Aquanzo’s system from the lab to a larger, mobile facility and testing liquid feedstock with diverse partners. Boortmalt’s support was instrumental in securing the grant, showcasing the power of collaboration with an industry leader.

‍Building Sustainable Aquafeed Solutions

Our collaboration with Aquanzo exemplifies how a shared vision can lead to transformative solutions. The innovation lies in exploring liquid coproducts and the commitment to sustainable aquafeed solutions that can reshape entire industries.

Want to read more about the collaboration with Aquanzo? Read this exciting interview with Remi Gratacap, the CEO and Co-Founder of Aquanzo.

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‍BoortmaltX x Innomy: Crafting Tomorrow’s Protein Solutions

With Innomy, an innovative startup working on mycelium-based protein solutions, BoortmaltX embarked on a journey into the realm of sustainable biotechnological processes using fungal mycelia. Their method combines innovation, ancestral knowledge, and fermentation techniques, crafting mycelium-based proteins and foods. ‍

Shaping Sustainable Protein Solutions for Tomorrow

Our partnership with Innomy is a joint exploration into mycelium-based products. Integrating Innomy’s mycelium strain into our malting process, we aim to develop a sustainable and nutritious protein source. With Innomy, we aim  combine germination and mycelium growth  to create a nutritious protein with superior value. ‍

Evolving Protein Solutions

During our ongoing collaboration, our journey with Innomy has evolved while preserving the core goal — creating a nutritious protein with superior value. Navigating away from meat alternatives, the focus shifted toward developing a proof of concept for high-functional protein, with an emphasis on scalable applications in pet food. ‍

Agility and Continuous Communication

A fundamental lesson from our collaboration with Innomy emphasizes the importance of an agile approach and continuous communication. This dynamic duo paved the way for collaborative success, allowing us to navigate uncharted territories and adapt to evolving findings during the proof of concept. ‍

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Looking Forward to Ongoing Commitment

Our commitment to fostering collaborations remains unwavering. BoortmaltX will continue working with Aquanzo and Innomy to advance our shared vision. We have also chosen three new promising startups, broadening our range of collaborations. We will be sharing further details about these new startup collaborations shortly. ‍

Conclusion: Shaping the Future Together

To summarize, the first BoortmaltX cohort was not just about collaborations; it was a mutual exploration, a collective journey with startups that were shaping the future of malt. The main lesson to take away is that meaningful partnerships are built through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to constant communication and adaptability.

‍Join Us on This Journey

If you're a startup looking to innovate, partner with BoortmaltX to explore the potential of malt and shape the future together.

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