As the market becomes more open towards alternative protein, we begin to see a wider variety of products offered by foodtech startups in Southeast Asia. Made from everything from protein whey to even insects, these products offer a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative to existing solutions.

SoiLabs is one of the latest companies to come up with unique solutions.

The Singapore-based company offers a unique and integrated solution to the issue of okara disposal.

Okara is soy processing waste produced by soy processors or tofu manufacturers. To give a perspective, the tofu industry produces around 800,000 tons of okara in Japan; about 310,000 tons in Korea; and around 2.8 million tons in China annually. Despite its environmental threat, okara is known to be highly nutritious: It has a high content of proteins, fibres, vitamins, phytonutrients and minerals.

To make it consumable, the company transforms okara into Soi-X, a proprietary intermediate that can be used for multiple final products.

According to SoiLabs CEO Mauro Catellani in an email interview with e27, it is a similar concept to converting wheat into flour.

“We could then see that, through the development of the Soi-X intermediate, we had the ability to industrialise the conversion of okara into value-added nutrition products, starting with the cheese and soup,” he explains.

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“This allows us to solve the waste disposal problem for soy processors by converting it into an intermediate product that can be transformed initially into a food product, but also into multiple high-value-added products, addressing other application segments such as animal nutrition, food supplements, cosmetics, biostimulants, and probiotic drinks.”

SoiLabs was founded by Hafnium Ventures, a Singapore-based investment and advisory firm that is focused on speciality chemicals, sustainable materials and agri-food tech as well as in the identification and commercialisation of early-stage innovative technologies and products, bringing hands-on support to their development.

Hafnium cooperates with many institutions and universities in Singapore and abroad, including Republic Polytechnic. It first identifies the technology for producing soy cheese slices, cream cheese and soup from okara during its discussions with the institution.

Nutrition for the nation

According to Catellani, SoiLabs differentiate itself by industrialising the transformation process of okara at scale, and by preventing a valuable, nutrition-rich material from going to waste. By doing this, the company aims to add to the global food supply.

This goal is aligned with Singapore’s 30 by 30 Initiative, a movement to build up the country’s agri-food industry’s capability and capacity to sustainably produce 30 per cent of local nutritional needs by 2030. It is also in line with the Sustainability Development Goals.

“We focus on the vegetarian and vegan market and expanding our product line in these sectors. Okara is a good raw material and a rich source of good fibres; it can also be used as a dietary supplement to prevent diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia,” Catellani says.

Also Read: ‘Meat’ing the needs of the alternative protein space in Singapore

In February, SoiLabs announced that it has raised S$500,000 (US$370,000) in a seed funding round from Sanyo Chemical and Hafnium Ventures. In addition to the investment in SoiLabs, Sanyo Chemical has also entered into a MoU with SoiLabs to grow its business in Japan and expand additional end-product applications.

The funding will allow the company to accelerate the commercialisation of Soi-X and further develop its existing and upcoming end products for both local and international markets.

“The funding gives us a strong platform for both the commercialisation of our current technologies and building a strong pipeline of complementary technologies and end product applications. With Sanyo’s investment, it also brings with it a close collaboration with a strong industrial player and we look forward to working in partnership with them as we develop the Japanese market,” Catellani comments on the funding.

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Image Credit: SoiLabs

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