TurtleTree

What TurtleTree does

TurtleTree Labs Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-incorporated biotechnology company (dual-headquartered in Singapore and San Francisco) founded in 2019 that produces lactoferrin via precision fermentation. Its flagship product, LF+, is a recombinant lactoferrin molecularly identical to bovine lactoferrin but manufactured using a proprietary four-step microbial fermentation process — isolating the lactoferrin genetic sequence, inserting it into selected microbial hosts, cultivating those microbes in fermentation vessels, and purifying the output through safety-validated separation. The company positions LF+ as an animal-free, vegan-certified, thermally and pH-stable alternative to conventional lactoferrin, which it notes is constrained to roughly 100 mg per liter of milk. LF+ is targeted at functional beverages, sports nutrition, vitamins and dietary supplements, skincare/cosmetics, and plant-based food and beverage manufacturers, with primary end-use benefits centered on immunity, iron regulation, gut health, and inflammation modulation.

TurtleTree operates a B2B ingredient-supply model, engaging enterprise food and nutrition brand partners through its website inquiry form, sample distribution, and white-paper lead generation. Named commercial partners include MAD Foods (Singapore/Australia, RTD oat milk coffee), Strive Nutrition (US, immunity beverage and protein powder), and Cadence Performance Coffee (US, performance coffee). Pricing is negotiated on a per-partnership basis under multi-year contracts, with no public price list disclosed. The company also operates a direct-to-consumer sub-brand, Intentional (intentionaleveryday.com), selling finished wellness products that feature LF+ — providing end-market validation and consumer visibility for the underlying ingredient. The go-to-market relies on content marketing (blog, white papers), organic social, PR/earned media, and industry events, with no paid acquisition engine described.

TurtleTree has raised approximately $40 million since inception, anchored by a $30 million Series A led by VERSO Capital in November 2021, and is reported to be seeking an additional $15 million in a pre-Series B round. The company achieved Self-GRAS in November 2023, vegan certification in February 2024, and a U.S. FDA "No Questions" GRAS letter in May 2025 — the first regulatory approval worldwide for any precision-fermented lactoferrin. As of 2023 the company was pre-revenue with widening losses; in 2025 the workforce was reduced from approximately 24 to 9 full-time employees amid fundraising difficulties. Key certifications include Vegan Action, Halal, Kosher, ISO 22000, gluten-free, lactose-free, and soy-free.

Name

TurtleTree

Legal name

TurtleTree Labs Pte. Ltd.

Website

https://turtletree.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TurtleTree is a Singapore-based biotech company (founded 2019) that uses precision fermentation to produce animal-free lactoferrin (LF+) for B2B food, beverage, and supplement brands, and sells finished products through its consumer sub-brand Intentional.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lactoferrin (LF+) Ingredient Sales: TurtleTree sells its precision-fermented lactoferrin ingredient (LF+) directly to food and nutrition brands for incorporation into consumer products including functional beverages, sports nutrition, dietary supplements, skincare/cosmetics, and plant-based foods. Revenue is generated through B2B ingredient supply contracts with partner companies such as MAD Foods, Strive Nutrition, and Cadence Performance Coffee. The company was pre-revenue as of 2023 with no disclosed revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TurtleTree fundamentally manufactures and sells LF+ lactoferrin — the world's first precision-fermented, animal-free lactoferrin — to enterprise food, beverage, sports nutrition, dietary supplement, skincare, and plant-based food brands as a B2B ingredient. The company uses a proprietary four-step precision fermentation platform employing microorganisms to produce a molecule identical to bovine lactoferrin at commercial scale. TurtleTree also operates Intentional, a direct-to-consumer wellness sub-brand that sells finished daily nutrition products featuring LF+.

Product overview

TurtleTree offers LF+ as its flagship precision fermentation-produced lactoferrin ingredient (B2B), while also maintaining a consumer-facing sub-brand called Intentional for direct-to-consumer wellness products. LF+ is positioned as a sustainable, animal-free lactoferrin for use in vitamins & supplements, functional beverages, sports nutrition, skincare/cosmetics, and plant-based foods & beverages. The company operates primarily as an ingredient supplier to food and nutrition brands, with commercialization partnerships including MAD Foods, Strive Nutrition, and Cadence Performance Coffee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Intentional: TurtleTree's own consumer wellness brand featuring daily nutrition products designed to support immunity and overall well-being, featuring LF+ lactoferrin.

Products and services

• LF+ Lactoferrin LF+ is the world's first sustainably produced lactoferrin made via precision fermentation. It is molecularly identical to bovine lactoferrin but produced without dairy farming, making it vegan-certified, halal-certified, kosher-certified, and animal-free. The ingredient supports four functional benefits — immunity, iron regulation, gut health, and inflammation modulation — and demonstrates enhanced thermal/pH stability and improved digestion kinetics compared to bovine lactoferrin. It is sold as a B2B ingredient to functional beverage, sports nutrition, dietary supplement, skincare/cosmetics, and plant-based food manufacturers.
• Intentional (Consumer Wellness Brand) Intentional is TurtleTree's direct-to-consumer wellness sub-brand offering finished daily nutrition products featuring LF+ lactoferrin for immunity and overall well-being. The brand serves as market validation and consumer visibility for the LF+ ingredient and is sold through the brand's e-commerce storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lactoferrin maintains serum ferritin levels more effectively than bovine lactoferrin (bLf), supporting better long-term iron storage and bioavailability.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MAD FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2024TurtleTree partnered with Singapore-based MAD Foods (a future-focused CPG company) to launch a ready-to-drink oat milk coffee line enhanced with LF+ lactoferrin, targeting mid-2025. MAD Foods supplies 3,000 retail locations in Singapore and Malaysia, with expansion planned to Australia and the US. The partnership leverages LF+ to provide immune support, gut health, and iron regulation benefits in a functional coffee beverage, targeting the USD 45 billion functional food market.
• Strive NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2024TurtleTree partnered with sustainable nutrition company Strive Nutrition to launch an immunity beverage and protein powder made with LF+ lactoferrin, targeting adult and sports nutrition markets. This was TurtleTree's first US-based consumer product partnership, expanding into the functional drink and sports nutrition category.
• Cadence Performance CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurtleTree supplies its animal-free lactoferrin (LF+) to Cadence Performance Coffee for incorporation into performance coffee products, representing one of TurtleTree's early commercialization partnerships.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bon Vivant: Precision fermentation company developing animal-free dairy proteins using microbial fermentation. Comparable technology platform and B2B ingredient commercialization model.
• Imagindairy: Israeli precision fermentation company producing animal-free dairy proteins. Comparable technology approach (microbial fermentation) and target end-markets in dairy alternative ingredients.
• Remilk: Precision fermentation dairy startup producing animal-free milk proteins. Comparable as a developer of fermentation-derived dairy ingredients targeting food manufacturers and B2B ingredient supply.
• Vivici: Netherlands-based precision fermentation dairy ingredients company. Comparable technology platform producing fermentation-derived dairy proteins for B2B customers in food and nutrition.
• Perfect Day: Leading precision fermentation dairy company producing animal-free whey protein using similar microbe-based fermentation. Most well-capitalized player in the space and a direct competitor for B2B ingredient partnerships with food and beverage brands.
• Better Dairy: UK-based precision fermentation company producing animal-free dairy ingredients including proteins and fats using microbial fermentation. Directly comparable B2B ingredient model.
• Helaina: Precision fermentation company producing bioactive proteins using fermentation technology — most directly comparable as a fellow developer of fermentation-derived lactoferrin. Direct head-to-head competitor in the same product category with similar B2B ingredient strategy.

Emerging players

• Geltor: Precision fermentation company producing animal-free proteins (initially for beauty/cosmetics, now expanding to food). Comparable technology platform with adjacent protein ingredient focus.
• Nourish Ingredients: Singapore-based precision fermentation company producing alternative fats and oils. Comparable APAC precision fermentation startup with similar technology platform targeting food ingredients.
• C16 Biosciences: Precision fermentation company producing sustainable fats and oils via microbial fermentation. Comparable precision fermentation technology platform targeting food and personal care ingredients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TurtleTree_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turtletree
• Instagraminstagram.com/turtletreeofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/TurtleTreeOfficial

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors14 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 TurtleTree