Helaina
Helaina is a New York-based biotechnology company that uses precision fermentation to produce effera®, the world's first bio-identical human lactoferrin, selling the proprietary B2B ingredient to consumer brands and enterprise nutrition partners across women's health, infant nutrition, active nutrition, gut health, and longevity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Helaina does
Helaina is a privately held, venture-backed biotechnology company founded in 2019 by food scientist Laura Katz and headquartered in New York City. The company uses a proprietary precision fermentation platform — engineered yeast programmed with human genetic instructions and fermented in 75,000-liter bioreactors at over 99% purity — to produce bio-identical human proteins, with its first commercial product being effera® human lactoferrin. The R&D operating system behind the platform follows a four-step process (Design, Build, Assess, Scale), leverages machine learning models trained on over 170 million data points, and is supported by 49 patents and a multidisciplinary team of more than 35 scientists including 15 PhDs.
Helaina's business is B2B: the company sells effera® as a proprietary ingredient to consumer brand partners and formulators across women's health, infant and child nutrition, active nutrition, gut health, and longevity, with approximately 12 finished commercial products on market by early 2026 and an average of one new product launch per month. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with revenue generated through B2B ingredient sales and strategic co-development partnerships — most notably a multi-year collaboration with Nestlé for early-life nutrition announced in June 2026.
The company has raised $83 million+ across four funding rounds, including a $20 million Series A in 2021 (Spark Capital and Siam Capital) and a $45 million Series B in 2024 (Avidity Partners). Helaina reached metric-ton scale manufacturing in 2025, producing more than 10 million efficacious servings per fermentation run, and is positioning effera® as a clean-label, dairy-free, allergen-free alternative to bovine lactoferrin that the human immune system recognizes as self — supported by clinical evidence including a 28-day safety study showing zero antibody production. International expansion has begun through a Mitsubishi International Food Ingredients distribution partnership and brand partners entering European markets.
Helaina firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Helaina
- Legal name
- Helaina Inc.
- Website
- https://myhelaina.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Helaina is a New York-based biotechnology company that uses precision fermentation to produce effera®, the world's first bio-identical human lactoferrin, selling the proprietary B2B ingredient to consumer brands and enterprise nutrition partners across women's health, infant nutrition, active nutrition, gut health, and longevity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Helaina industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bioactive Protein Ingredients
- NAICS
- Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Infant Formula & Specialized Dairy Nutrition Manufacturing (AFAKAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialized Dairy Nutrition Base Powder & Premix Manufacturing (Vitamin/Mineral/Functional Premixes) (AFAHAHAJ)
Keywords
Where Helaina is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Helaina business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- B2B ingredient sales (effera® human lactoferrin): Helaina sells its proprietary effera® bio-identical human lactoferrin as a B2B ingredient to brands and formulators in functional foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. Recurring purchase model as brand partners reorder ingredient for their commercial production runs; tier-tonnage production at scale (10 million+ efficacious servings per run).
- Strategic co-development partnerships / licensing: Multi-year strategic innovation collaborations with major nutrition companies (e.g., Nestlé) for early-life nutrition applications. Revenue likely structured as milestone payments, joint development funding, and/or long-term offtake/supply agreements tied to commercialization.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based / Not publicly disclosed for effera® ingredient |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Helaina product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Helaina produces and sells effera®, the world's first bio-identical human lactoferrin, manufactured via proprietary precision fermentation. The company operates a B2B ingredient model, supplying brand formulators and consumer packaged goods companies in women's health, sports and active nutrition, infant and child nutrition, gut health, and longevity. A flagship multi-year strategic collaboration with Nestlé extends the platform's reach into early-life nutrition.
Product overview
Helaina's offering centers on a single flagship bioactive ingredient, effera® human lactoferrin, produced by a proprietary precision fermentation platform. The platform (Design → Build → Assess → Scale) is the technology foundation that enables effera® and its planned pipeline of additional bio-identical human milk proteins; effera® itself is deployed across four labeled application segments — Women's Health, Sports & Active Nutrition, Infant & Child Nutrition, and Gut Health — and is sold B2B to brand partners and formulators (e.g., through the Nestlé multi-year collaboration and consumer products such as Amulet Daily Cycle Support, Kroma Wellness Super Core, Levelle, Desert Harvest, Healthgevity ImmunoRestore+, Kepos, Sunny Within, The Feed Swiss Rx Revitalize, VEEP Nutrition, Vital Nutrients, Silver Fern, and Vital Woman).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- effera: Helaina's proprietary bio-identical human lactoferrin ingredient brand, produced via precision fermentation. Marketed as the world's first bio-identical lactoferrin — functionally equivalent to the protein found in human milk — and sold as a B2B ingredient to consumer brands in women's health, active nutrition, infant & child nutrition, and gut health.
Products and services
- effera® (Bio-Identical Human Lactoferrin) effera® is the world's first bio-identical human lactoferrin, precision-fermented to be structurally and functionally equivalent to the lactoferrin in mother's milk. Sold B2B to brand formulators in women's health, active nutrition, infant & child nutrition, gut health, longevity, and personal care, with claimed 63% reduction in inflammation in ex vivo studies and 400% better uptake than bovine lactoferrin. The brand is trademarked and is Helaina's flagship product.
- Helaina Precision Fermentation Platform Proprietary four-step R&D operating system (Design → Build → Assess → Scale) that programs yeast with human genetic instructions to produce bio-identical human proteins. Leverages 170M+ data points of machine learning, advanced robotics and mass spectrometry for parallel strain characterization, and 75,000-liter commercial-scale bioreactors achieving over 99% purity. Operated by 35+ scientists (including 15 PhDs) at Helaina's New York City facility.
Quantifiable outcome
- 63% reduction in inflammation across all donors in ex vivo human immune cell studies
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Helaina
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Helaina technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Helaina partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- NestléflagshipMulti-year strategic innovation collaboration announced June 2, 2026 to explore the role of new bioactive proteins in early-life nutrition. Pairs Nestlé's expertise in infant nutrition research and innovation with Helaina's precision fermentation platform. Part of Nestlé's broader open innovation strategy. Isabel Bureau-Franz (Head of Nestlé Product Technology Center for Nutrition & Health) and Laura Katz (Helaina Founder/CEO) are quoted publicly. Also covered in WSJ exclusive interview.
- Amulet (Squared Circles / L Catterton)flagshipSquared Circles (partnered with L Catterton) launched Amulet in April 2026 with Daily Cycle Support — a biotech supplement containing bio-identical lactoferrin (effera®) plus creatine. Investors include Maria Sharapova and Gabriela Hearst. Featured on Helaina's Where to Buy page.
- Kroma WellnesscoreConsumer brand partner that has launched products formulated with effera® (e.g., Super Core dairy-free colostrum and related longevity/immunity products). Listed on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page and featured in Forbes (August 2025).
- The FeedcoreConsumer brand partner selling products formulated with effera® (e.g., Swiss Rx Revitalize supplement for performance/recovery). Featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- Mitsubishi International Food IngredientscoreDistribution/ingredient channel partner for effera® in international markets, leveraging Mitsubishi's global food ingredients network.
- HealthgevitycoreConsumer brand partner selling ImmunoRestore+ supplement powered by effera®, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- Vital WomancoreConsumer brand partner selling 'Human Nature' monthly supplement powered by effera® for women's health, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- Kepos (Bellie)coreConsumer brand partner selling 'Human Milk Prebiotic Superfood' (human milk-equivalent) powered by effera®, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- Sunny WithincoreConsumer brand partner selling 'Longevity' watermelon-lime liposomal supplement powered by effera®, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- Desert HarvestcoreConsumer brand partner selling 'Human Lactoferrin with SSAV' supplement for menopause support powered by effera®; entered European menopause market September 2025. Featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- VEEP NutritioncoreConsumer brand partner selling 'Immunity Code Young Gut Ultra' supplement powered by effera®, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- LevellecoreConsumer brand partner selling cycle-syncing plant-based protein (Boom Chocolata) powered by effera®, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- Vital NutrientscoreConsumer brand partner selling 'Mighty Multivitamin Without Iron' for kids using effera®, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
- Silver FerncoreConsumer brand partner selling 'Women's Whole Food Multivitamin' formulated with effera®, featured on Helaina's 'Where to Buy' page.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Helaina competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Perfect Day: Direct precision fermentation peer producing bio-identical dairy proteins (whey and casein) via engineered microorganisms; comparable B2B ingredient model, fermentation platform, and CPG brand partner go-to-market as Helaina.
- Remilk: Precision fermentation company producing animal-free milk proteins for food and beverage applications; overlaps with Helaina in B2B bioactive protein production using engineered yeast and similar capital-intensive scale-up profile.
- TurtleTree: Biotech developing precision-fermented lactoferrin and other human milk proteins for infant nutrition and functional foods; one of the closest direct competitors to Helaina's effera® in the bio-identical lactoferrin category.
- Imagindairy: Israel-based precision fermentation company producing animal-free dairy proteins using engineered microbes; comparable B2B ingredient model, fermentation stack, and food/beverage brand partner strategy as Helaina.
Emerging players
- 108Labs: Cellular agriculture / precision fermentation company targeting human breast milk components; comparable focus on bio-identical human milk proteins for early-life nutrition but at earlier commercial stage than Helaina.
- Biomilq: Cellular agriculture company cultivating milk components from mammary cells; comparable mission of producing human-milk-equivalent proteins for infant formula but uses a different (cell-culture) production modality than Helaina's precision fermentation.
Broad incumbents
- Bioseutica: One of the world's largest suppliers of bovine lactoferrin and egg-derived proteins to nutrition, supplement, and infant formula markets; direct incumbent competitor that Helaina's bio-identical human lactoferrin explicitly displaces.
- Arla Foods Ingredients: Major dairy-ingredient supplier offering whey proteins, caseins, and lactoferrin for infant nutrition, sports nutrition, and health; broad incumbent whose bovine lactoferrin and dairy protein portfolio competes directly with effera® in B2B ingredient procurement.
- Glanbia Nutritionals: Global ingredient supplier with a sizable lactoferrin and bioactive protein portfolio serving supplement and functional food brands; comparable B2B ingredient distribution muscle that Helaina's brand partners could alternatively purchase from.
Others
- Nestlé Health Science: Strategic partner and global nutrition/health sciences arm of Nestlé; relevant as both a customer (multi-year collaboration) and a broad incumbent defining the regulatory, formulation, and commercialization standards Helaina must meet in early-life nutrition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Helaina social profiles
Digital presenceHelaina financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Helaina leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Helaina funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors12 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Helaina M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Helaina
What does Helaina do?
Helaina produces and sells effera®, the world's first bio-identical human lactoferrin, manufactured via proprietary precision fermentation. The company operates a B2B ingredient model, supplying brand formulators and consumer packaged goods companies in women's health, sports and active nutrition, infant and child nutrition, gut health, and longevity. A flagship multi-year strategic collaboration with Nestlé extends the platform's reach into early-life nutrition.
Is Helaina a public or private company?
Helaina is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Helaina founded?
Helaina was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Helaina based?
Helaina is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Helaina make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. B2B ingredient sales (effera® human lactoferrin) is the primary driver. The others are strategic co-development partnerships / licensing.
Who are Helaina's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Perfect Day, Remilk, TurtleTree and Imagindairy. Emerging players are 108Labs and Biomilq. Broad incumbents are Bioseutica, Arla Foods Ingredients and Glanbia Nutritionals. Nestlé Health Science is listed as an others.
Does Helaina have an API?
No public API is recorded for Helaina.
What industry is Helaina in?
Helaina's product category is Bioactive Protein Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAKAJ, Infant Formula & Specialized Dairy Nutrition Manufacturing, with a secondary code of AFAHAHAJ, Specialized Dairy Nutrition Base Powder & Premix Manufacturing (Vitamin/Mineral/Functional Premixes). Its NAICS code is 3115 and its SIC code is 2020.