What Geltor does

Geltor is a biotechnology company that designs and manufactures animal-free proteins and polypeptides for the beauty, food, beverage, and wellness industries. Founded in 2015 by Princeton Ph.D. molecular biologists Alex Lorestani and Nick Ouzounov, the company is headquartered in Emeryville, California, and operates an integrated precision fermentation platform powered by its proprietary Biodesigner AI™, which screens trillions of amino acid sequences to design novel proteins that are then produced at commercial scale through fermentation of engineered microorganisms using simple inputs (sugar, salt, water).

Geltor's product portfolio includes seven trademarked biodesigned ingredients spanning biomimetic human collagen (HumaColl21), human elastin (Elastapure), marine-inspired vegan collagen (Collume, NuColl), caviar-inspired type II collagen (Caviance), and the FDA GRAS-cleared PrimaColl — the first biotech-derived collagen approved for ingestible use and the first new collagen added to the FDA inventory since 1999. Products carry comprehensive certifications including Vegan Society, Halal, Kosher, Non-GMO Project, USDA BioPreferred, and Ecovadis Silver.

The business model is B2B ingredient supply to brand formulators and procurement teams at global beauty, nutrition, and specialty food companies, supplemented by strategic co-development partnerships (such as the TOSLA Signaling Collagen Shot) and platform-based distribution through UL Prospector to mid-market formulators. Geltor has raised approximately $137 million in equity financing across multiple rounds since founding, including an $91.3 million Series B in July 2020, and reports approximately 75% revenue growth with commercial-scale production capacity of hundreds of millions of servings per year.

Name

Geltor

Legal name

Geltor, Inc.

Website

https://geltor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Geltor is a biotechnology company that designs and produces animal-free proteins and polypeptides through precision fermentation powered by its proprietary Biodesigner AI platform. It supplies these biodesigned ingredients to beauty, food, beverage, and wellness brands globally, with FDA GRAS clearance for ingestible use of PrimaColl.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodesigned Protein Ingredients

NAICS

Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Fermentation-Derived Proteins (Precision Fermentation, Biomass Fermentation) (AFAJAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Novel Proteins (Single-Cell Protein, Cell-Cultured/Animal-Free Proteins) (AFAJAHAL)

Keywords

• Biodesigned proteins
• Animal-free collagen
• Precision fermentation ingredients
• Vegan beauty ingredients
• Biotech polypeptides

Headquarters

HQ city

San Leandro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2B Ingredient Sales: Geltor supplies proprietary biodesigned proteins and polypeptides as ingredients to beauty, food, beverage, and wellness brands. Revenue derived from ingredient supply agreements, volume-based pricing, and long-term supply contracts with manufacturers. Products include HumaColl21, Elastapure, Collume, Caviance, PrimaColl for various topical and ingestible applications.
2. Partnership & Co-development Revenue: Revenue from strategic partnerships where Geltor supplies proprietary ingredients while partners handle formulation and commercialization. Examples include TOSLA partnership for Signaling Collagen Shot, where Geltor provides PrimaColl for co-branded finished products.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Geltor designs and manufactures animal-free proteins and polypeptides (including collagen, elastin, and matrikine complexes) through precision fermentation and its proprietary Biodesigner AI platform, supplying these bio-ingredients to beauty, food, beverage, nutrition, and wellness brands for use in topical skincare, hair care, color cosmetics, and ingestible applications.

Product overview

Geltor is a biotechnology company that creates a portfolio of biodesigned proteins and polypeptides for beauty, wellness, and nutrition. The company's products are produced through precision fermentation and the proprietary Biodesigner AI™ platform. The product portfolio includes: HumaColl™21 (biomimetic human type XXI collagen for skin anti-aging), HumaColl™21 Select (matrikine complex evolution of HumaColl), Elastapure® (biomimetic human elastin for elasticity), Collume® (marine-inspired vegan collagen for skin and hair), Caviance® (caviar-inspired type II collagen for skin rejuvenation), PrimaColl® (vegan collagen for ingestible beauty and topical applications - FDA GRAS cleared), and NuColl™ (vegan collagen for hair manageability). Applications span skin care, color cosmetics, hair care, body care, scalp care, and ingestible nutrition/supplements. The products serve beauty and personal care, specialty nutrition, and medical and life sciences industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PrimaColl: The world's first vegan collagen for dietary supplements and beauty from within applications. FDA-cleared biodesigned collagen polypeptide for hair, skin, and beauty from within.
• HumaColl21
• HumaColl21 Select
• Elastapure
• Collume
• Caviance
• Biodesigner AI

Products and services

• HumaColl21 The world's first and only biomimetic human type XXI collagen polypeptide. A potent signaling polypeptide for healthy and younger-looking skin that reduces wrinkles, improves firmness and elasticity, stimulates multiple ECM components including collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, reduces skin redness, and boosts brightness. Recommended active use rate: 0.1%-1%. Sold as a B2B ingredient for skincare, body care, scalp care, and color cosmetics formulations.
• HumaColl21 Select The first Type XXI collagen-based matrikine complex for topical beauty applications. Advances the HumaColl21 platform through precision proteolysis to concentrate signaling activity into a 'signal-ready form' for enhanced potency and speed of action. In-vitro studies showed 27% greater collagen type I production and 24% greater hyaluronic acid production versus full-length HumaColl21. Water-soluble, colorless, odorless, with recommended use levels of 0.1%-1%.
• Elastapure The world's first and only biomimetic human elastin polypeptide. A vegan elastin biodesigned to support skin elasticity and elastin health, strengthening the elastin fiber network with antioxidant and skin-soothing benefits. Sold as a B2B ingredient for topical skincare and body care applications.
• Collume An award-winning marine-inspired vegan collagen polypeptide for daily skin benefits and hair manageability. Made through biodesign and precision fermentation. Controls frizz, improves smoothness, enhances curl definition, improves skin elasticity, provides moisturization, and offers blue light protection. Recommended active use rate: 0.1%-1% for skin, 0.25%-1% for hair.
• Caviance A caviar-inspired vegan collagen polypeptide (type II) for skin rejuvenation and recovery. Biodesigned with unique amino acid sequence rich in integrin bindings to aid in skin renewal and wound healing. Stimulates six different types of collagens, aids in skin repair, stimulates cellular regeneration, and protects epidermal stem cells. Sold as a B2B ingredient for skincare applications.
• PrimaColl The world's first vegan collagen and the only biotech-derived collagen to receive FDA GRAS clearance for ingestible use in the USA. Biodesigned type 21 signaling collagen polypeptide for hair, skin, and beauty-from-within applications. Available worldwide for topical applications; FDA GRAS cleared for US ingestible use. Supports skin vitality and improves signs of aging when ingested. 100% animal-free, certified Vegan, Halal, Kosher, and Non-GMO.
• NuColl A vegan marine-inspired collagen biodesigned for hair manageability and styling. Created through precision fermentation for hair care applications including frizz control, smoothness, and styling benefits.
• Signaling Collagen Shot (TOSLA x Geltor partnership product) Ready-to-drink 30mL daily liquid supplement in Cherry-Raspberry flavor containing 1g PrimaColl per bottle, developed in partnership with TOSLA utilizing TOSLA's VELIOUS Flavor Technology. The first vegan signaling collagen liquid supplement, targeting topical beauty brands expanding into ingestibles and wellness brands seeking hero products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80-92% of participants showed improvements in skin firmness, elasticity, moisturization, and wrinkle depth in 12-week clinical study of 170 women consuming 1-2.5g daily PrimaColl
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• TOSLAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Strategic partnership to launch Signaling Collagen Shot - the first vegan signaling collagen liquid supplement. Geltor supplies PrimaColl collagen ingredient while TOSLA provides proprietary VELIOUS Flavor Technology, formulation expertise, and manufacturing capabilities. Product is a 30mL daily liquid supplement with 1g PrimaColl in Cherry-Raspberry flavor, targeting topical beauty brands expanding into ingestibles and wellness brands seeking hero products. PrimaColl has FDA GRAS status for US market.
• MISTAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood innovation platform where Geltor participated in the 2025 Growth Hack Demo Day, showcasing healthy nutrition concepts developed through startup-corporate collaborations. Geltor featured as one of ten startups redefining next-generation healthy foods.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Perfect Day: Perfect Day uses precision fermentation to produce animal-free dairy proteins (whey, casein) and has expanded into B2B ingredients for food and nutrition brands. It is the most directly comparable precision fermentation protein ingredient company to Geltor, with similar GTM motions targeting CPG brands, FDA/regulatory milestones, and a focus on sustainability/ESG positioning.
• The EVERY Company (formerly Clara Foods): The EVERY Company uses precision fermentation to produce animal-free egg proteins and other functional proteins for food and beverage applications. It shares Geltor's biodesign + precision fermentation platform approach, B2B ingredient GTM model, and focus on sustainable, animal-free functional proteins for CPG customers.
• Formo: Formo uses precision fermentation to produce animal-free dairy proteins (casein, whey) for cheese and dairy alternatives. It mirrors Geltor's technology stack (precision fermentation with engineered microorganisms), B2B ingredient supply model, and sustainability-driven value proposition targeting CPG brands.

Emerging players

• Air Protein: Air Protein uses fermentation to produce single-cell protein from elements in the air, targeting food and nutrition applications. It uses similar fermentation-based bioproduction but for commodity protein rather than the specialty bioactive proteins that define Geltor's portfolio.
• Solar Foods: Solar Foods produces single-cell protein via gas fermentation for food applications. It shares the precision fermentation platform model and sustainability positioning but targets commodity food protein rather than specialty bioactive cosmetic/ingestible ingredients.
• Onego Bio: Onego Bio produces animal-free egg proteins via precision fermentation for food applications. It overlaps with Geltor on fermentation-based protein technology and B2B CPG ingredient supply but focuses on food proteins rather than cosmetic/beauty bioactives.
• Modern Meadow: Modern Meadow applies biotechnology and fermentation to produce sustainable protein-based materials, originally for leather alternatives but expanding into beauty ingredients. It shares Geltor's biotechnology platform approach and focus on sustainable, animal-free functional materials targeting beauty and consumer brands.

Broad incumbents

• Gelita: Gelita is the world's largest producer of animal-derived collagen peptides and gelatin for food, nutrition, and pharmaceutical applications. It is also a Series B investor in Geltor. As the dominant incumbent in the collagen market Geltor is disrupting, Gelita represents both a competitor and a potential strategic acquirer.
• Rousselot ( Darling Ingredients): Rousselot, owned by Darling Ingredients, is one of the world's largest producers of animal-derived gelatin and collagen peptides for food, nutrition, and pharma. It is a direct incumbent competitor to Geltor in the collagen peptide market across beauty, food, and supplement applications.
• PB Leiner ( Tessenderlo Group): PB Leiner, part of Tessenderlo Group, is a major global producer of gelatin and collagen peptides from animal sources for food, nutrition, and pharma applications. It is an incumbent competitor to Geltor in collagen-based beauty-from-within and skincare ingredient markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/geltorinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/geltorinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/geltor-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/geltorinc

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors25 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Geltor