TurtleTree
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
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.
TurtleTree firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Where TurtleTree is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
TurtleTree business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B Ingredient Partnership — LF+ lactoferrin sold to brand partners for product incorporation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
TurtleTree product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use TurtleTree
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
TurtleTree technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
TurtleTree partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MAD FoodscoreTurtleTree 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 NutritioncoreTurtleTree 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 CoffeeminorTurtleTree 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
TurtleTree competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
TurtleTree social profiles
Digital presenceTurtleTree compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
TurtleTree financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TurtleTree leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
TurtleTree funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TurtleTree 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 TurtleTree
What does TurtleTree do?
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+.
Is TurtleTree a public or private company?
TurtleTree is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was TurtleTree founded?
TurtleTree was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is TurtleTree based?
TurtleTree is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does TurtleTree make money?
One revenue line is on record: lactoferrin (LF+) Ingredient Sales.
Who are TurtleTree's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bon Vivant, Imagindairy, Remilk, Vivici, Perfect Day, Better Dairy and Helaina. Emerging players are Geltor, Nourish Ingredients and C16 Biosciences.
Does TurtleTree have an API?
No public API is recorded for TurtleTree.