Particles for Humanity

Name

Particles for Humanity

Legal name

Particles for Humanity, PBC

Website

https://particlesfh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutritional Food Fortification Ingredients

NAICS

Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing (311423)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Fortification Ingredients (Vitamins, Minerals, Nutrient Premixes) (CRADAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Encapsulation & Emulsified Delivery Systems (Spray-dried emulsions, Lipid microencapsulation) (AFAJACAL)

Keywords

• Vitamin A fortification
• Encapsulated nutrients
• Food fortification technology
• Micronutrient delivery
• Nutrition biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing: Particles for Humanity licenses its PFH-VAP technology to established nutrition companies for manufacturing and distribution. In March 2025, they signed an exclusive 3-year license agreement with Hexagon Nutrition for rights to manufacture and distribute PFH-VAP for fortifying bouillon cubes in Africa. The company is funded 100% by philanthropy and focuses on financially sustainable product opportunities.
2. Philanthropic Funding: The company operates as a public benefit corporation (PBC) funded entirely through philanthropic grants. Funding has come from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mulago Foundation, and King Philanthropies. Total funding raised for PFH-VAP program is approximately $20 million.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Particles for Humanity develops and licenses PFH-VAP, a dry powder vitamin A palmitate formulation encapsulated with basic methacrylate copolymer (BMC) for use in large-scale food fortification. The technology is licensed to established nutrition companies and manufacturers (Hexagon Nutrition for distribution, LIS by Lesaffre for production) to fortify staple foods such as bouillon cubes, wheat flour, sugar, and rice in low- and middle-income countries, primarily targeting African markets. The BMC encapsulation protects vitamin A from degradation in hot and humid conditions, enabling more than 4x stability advantage over commercial alternatives.

Product overview

Particles for Humanity is a mission-driven biotechnology company developing nutrition technologies for low- and middle-income countries. The company's primary offering is PFH-VAP, a stable vitamin A palmitate formulation encapsulated with basic methacrylate copolymer (BMC) that protects vitamin A from degradation during storage and cooking in hot and humid conditions. PFH-VAP is designed for integration into widely consumed foods including bouillon cubes, wheat flour, sugar, and rice through large-scale food fortification programs. The company operates through manufacturing partnerships (LIS by Lesaffre) and distribution partnerships (Hexagon Nutrition) to bring its technology to African markets, with 100% of funding from philanthropy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PFH-VAP: A stable, encapsulated formulation of vitamin A palmitate (VAP) designed for use in large-scale food fortification to address vitamin A deficiency in hot and humid climates. The technology protects vitamin A from degradation during storage and cooking.

Products and services

• PFH-VAP PFH-VAP is a dry powder vitamin A palmitate formulation encapsulated with basic methacrylate copolymer (BMC), designed for use in large-scale food fortification of staple foods and condiments such as bouillon cubes, wheat flour, sugar, and rice. It provides greater than 4x better stability than commercial vitamin A products in hot and humid conditions (retaining 70% of vitamin A after one year at 40°C and 75% relative humidity), enabling food manufacturers, premixers, and government fortification programs to deliver 3x more vitamin A to consumers at the same cost in low- and middle-income countries, particularly across Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• PFH-VAP retains 70% of vitamin A after one year of storage in bouillon under harsh conditions (40°C, 75% humidity)
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Eurofins DenmarkmajorTechnology or Integration · 24 February 2026Eurofins Denmark led analytical testing and stability studies for PFH-VAP. Their expertise was essential in validating PFH-VAP's performance under real-world conditions as part of the five-year collaborative development effort.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025University of Wisconsin-Madison is the lead research institution for PFH-VAP human absorption studies. The study is led by Dr. Sherry Tanumihardjo, Professor of Nutritional Sciences. The study received IRB approval and is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under ID NCT06438562. Enrollment targets at the first site have been successfully met.
• National Health Research and Training Institute (NHRTI) ZambiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025NHRTI in Zambia is the second and final enrollment site for the human absorption study of PFH-VAP. The study is co-led by Dr. Justin Chileshe, Research Scientist at NHRTI and co-Principal Investigator. The study received approval from NHRTI IRB and the National Health Research Authority, and Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority.
• Hexagon Nutrition LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 March 2025In March 2025, Particles for Humanity signed an exclusive 3-year license agreement with Hexagon Nutrition Limited for rights to manufacture and distribute PFH-VAP for fortifying bouillon cubes across Africa. Hexagon Nutrition is a differentiated, research-oriented nutrition company offering clinical nutrition solutions, micronutrient premixes, and therapeutic products with presence across retail pharmacies, hospitals, and exports to more than 70 countries.
• LIS by LesaffrecoreTechnology or Integration · 22 October 2024LIS by Lesaffre is the manufacturing partner for PFH-VAP commercial-scale production. They successfully manufactured commercial-scale batches at their facilities in Cérences, France. LIS has 2 production sites (France and Poland) with over 50 years of experience in spray drying and annual manufacturing capacity of 40,000 metric tons per year. They support work from R&D through commercial production.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• DSM-Firmenich: Global nutrition and health ingredient major with the world's largest vitamin and premix portfolio (including vitamin A palmitate). Competes with PFH at the bulk vitamin/food fortification ingredient layer and serves the same food manufacturers and national fortification programs, but across a far broader product portfolio.
• BASF: One of the world's largest producers of vitamin A and other micronutrients used in food and feed fortification. Comparable to PFH as a vitamin A supplier into food manufacturers, but operates at massive global scale across many chemistries rather than focusing on stability encapsulation for hot/humid LMIC markets.
• Tate & Lyle: Global food and beverage ingredients company with a specialty food ingredients portfolio serving food manufacturers. Comparable to PFH as a specialty ingredient supplier into industrial food customers, with overlapping capabilities in texture, stability, and fortification applications, but at much greater scale.
• Adisseo: Global leader in feed additives and vitamins (including vitamin A) primarily for animal nutrition, with growing exposure to human nutrition. Comparable to PFH at the vitamin A supply layer, though its core customer base and applications are in animal feed rather than human food fortification.
• Kerry Group: Global taste and nutrition company supplying ingredients and functional systems to food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable to PFH at the fortified food ingredient layer, with overlapping capabilities in taste masking and nutrient delivery, though across a much broader portfolio.
• Cargill: Global food, agriculture, and nutrition conglomerate with extensive micronutrient fortification programs (especially via its food ingredients business and partnerships with GAIN, World Food Programme). Comparable to PFH in supplying fortified staple foods and working with national fortification programs in LMICs.

Direct peers

• Hexagon Nutrition: Indian-headquartered micronutrient premix company and PFH's exclusive licensee for PFH-VAP in Africa. Also an indirect peer: Hexagon develops its own micronutrient premixes and clinical/specialty nutrition products, so it sits both as a partner and a potential premix competitor for food fortification customers.
• Glanbia Nutritionals: Custom nutrient premix and ingredient solutions provider serving food, beverage, and supplement manufacturers. Comparable to PFH as a developer of micronutrient premixes for food fortification programs, though with a broader protein- and performance-nutrition portfolio and established global premix infrastructure.
• Watson Inc. US-based custom nutrient premix manufacturer serving food, beverage, and supplement brands. Direct peer to PFH in custom micronutrient premixing for food fortification customers, with deep expertise in vitamin/mineral stability and blending for various food matrices.
• Wright Enrichment: Custom vitamin and mineral premix manufacturer serving the food, beverage, and nutrition industries. Comparable to PFH as a supplier of tailored micronutrient premixes for fortified food products, including grain and cereal applications analogous to PFH's flour fortification target.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/particles-for-humanity-pbc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 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 Particles for Humanity