Press release: Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) agrees to invest US$70 million in Unibio
London/Copenhagen 28 March 2023: Unibio International PLC, the leading sustainable protein company, is pleased to announce that the Saudi Industrial Investment Group (“SIIG”) has signed an agreement to invest approximately US$70 million (GBP 59 million) in Unibio. The proceeds will be deployed to enable Unibio’s vision of feeding the world’s growing population in a sustainable way. Unibio will use the funds to roll-out new global production capacity, grow operating capabilities, and accelerate innovation and commercialisation.
Improve the world’s food security
Through industrial protein production based on Unibio’s unique fermentation technology – the U-Loop® technology – it is possible to improve food security and feed the world’s growing population in a sustainable way without use of arable land and with low water usage. The fermentation technology mimics a process that occurs in nature every day and uses methane (e.g. natural gas or biogas) as feedstock. The production of Uniprotein® is efficient, stable, and independent of weather deviations that impact the production of traditional protein sources.
Uniprotein® is approved for feed in the European Union and global registrations are in progress. The protein provides nutrition on par with or better than other high-quality proteins, such as fishmeal, and has been tested successfully in various aqua and animal species. Uniprotein® is free from pesticides, fully traceable, and non-GMO. It has been launched commercially and Uniprotein® is attracting significant global interest from feed compound companies and animal and fish farmers. The production of Unibio’s protein for direct human consumption is under development.
David Henstrom, CEO of Unibio commented:
“We are delighted to welcome SIIG as a significant investor in Unibio. Their investment will enable us to play a pivotal role in meeting our customers’ need for sustainable protein. Unibio’s technology will improve food security and speed up the process of feeding the world in a sustainable way. We are pleased that SIIG shares our ambition of providing food security for the world’s growing population and helping stop hunger (#SDG2) and we look forward to working together to make it happen.”
Mr. Abdulrahman S. Alismail, CEO of the Saudi Industrial Investment Group, added:
“We are extremely pleased to invest in Unibio and see it as strongly aligned with SIIG’s new strategy to diversify its investments, enter new sectors focused on sustainability and new technologies, and develop partnerships with international companies. Unibio’s focus aligns with Saudi Arabia’s commitment to increasing domestic protein production and supporting food security through innovation and technology. We are investing in Unibio for the long-term and believe that by doing so we will contribute to a more diverse and sustainable economy.”
The investment in Unibio will be paid in two tranches: the first tranche of approximately US$25 million (GBP 21 million) is paid now with the second subject to applicable Foreign Direct Investment approvals. BofA Securities acted as placement agent to Unibio in connection with the transaction.
**Ends**
See contact information and notes for editors below:
| Unibio A/S
Trine Leth, Head of Communications/Kommunikationsdirektør
|
tel +45 23 23 19 65 |
| St Brides Partners Limited
Ana Ribeiro / Isabel de Salis
|
+44 (0) 7980 321 505
|
Notes to Editors
The Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG)
The Saudi Industrial Investment Group was established over 27 years ago, as one of the first privately owned petrochemical companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its main goal is to invest in industrial projects within the Kingdom and abroad. This is achieved by utilising its strategic partnerships from around the world, and the efficient use of the Kingdom’s natural resources. Even though SIIG’s main projects in the past have been focused on the petrochemical business, it is also looking into expanding its portfolio into other industries.
About Unibio
Unibio is a leading sustainable protein company, that has developed a fermentation technology – the U-Loop® – to produce Uniprotein®, a high-quality protein. The technology which has been scaled up to an industrial scale and is being rolled out globally, uses methane, such as natural gas and biogas as feedstock. It is Unibio’s mission to become the food of the future through the provision of secure and sustainable protein for farming and fishing feed.
Unibio’s technology is highly resource efficient and sustainable. The process replicates the same process that happens every day in nature. Unibio’s headquarters are in Roskilde near Copenhagen in Denmark, where it also has its Research & Development Centre. Unibio’s Innovation Centre, with a pilot and demo plant, is located in Kalundborg west of Copenhagen.
About U-Loop® technology
Unibio’s patented U-Loop® technology uses a continuous-flow fermentation process to mimic a process that occurs in nature every day and uses gases, including methane to produce Uniprotein®. Through its proprietary process, microbes grow with methane as feedstock, and they are turned into single-cell protein – Uniprotein® that is subsequently treated and purified to a nutritious, high-quality feed grade. Unibio owns the intellectual property rights to the U-Loop® technology.
About Uniprotein®
Uniprotein® is a high-quality and sustainable protein on par with other high-quality proteins such as fishmeal and soy protein. The amino acid profile for Uniprotein® is very close to fishmeal. Uniprotein® has been approved for feed for terrestrial and aquatic animals in the EU and registrations globally are in progress. Uniprotein® has a high uniform quality, is free from pesticides, is fully traceable, and is non-GMO. The product has been introduced commercially drawing significant interest from customers from all over the world. The product is in development for direct human consumption.
Uniprotein® – a superior protein product known for:
- single cell protein approved for animal and fish feed in the EU
- a high protein content – above 70% in dry matter
- sustainable (alternative) protein
- usable as a direct supplement in animal feed compounds
- a highly digestible feed
- in industrial-scale production
- amino acid composition similar to fishmeal or soybean meal
- non-GMO
- deforestation-free and land conversion-free source of protein
- free from contaminants like pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and antibiotics
- easily traceable
- uniform product quality
- a long shelf life
- comes as powder or pellets
Uniprotein® will be sold through a network of distributors, as well as directly to large key accounts around the world.
