Nous, an Italian ingredient company developing functional ingredients for the food and beverage and nutraceutical industries, has secured €2.315 million in a seed funding round led by dsm-firmenich Ventures, with participation from FoodSeed, CDP Venture Capital’s foodtech accelerator program, and Eatable Adventures through Accelera Ventures, as Vestbee was informed.
- Founded in 2023, Nous develop next-generation functional ingredients, Nous focuses on creating science-backed botanical solutions for the global food, beverage, and nutraceutical markets.
- Its first commercial ingredient, Koncentra, is a branded botanical functional ingredient developed using the company’s proprietary extraction technology and designed to support energy levels, focus, cognition, and mood enhancement.
- Koncentra has undergone preliminary functionality assessments, including a comparison with caffeine, and a clinical study is expected to be published by the end of 2026.
- The ingredient is being developed in response to growing consumer demand for natural alternatives that support energy and wellbeing without relying solely on traditional stimulants.
- The company’s proprietary extraction platform is also being used to develop additional functional ingredients for global markets, with Nous building a broader pipeline of science-driven products for the food and health sectors.
Details of the deal
- The seed investment will support Nous’ next phase of growth by advancing clinical research, strengthening the scientific foundation of Koncentra, expanding supply chain capabilities across Europe and Asia, and enabling its planned US market entry in November 2026.
- The company will also scale production capacity to reach at least 60 tonnes annually by the end of 2027 and expand its team with specialist talent to support international growth.
