What Unibio does

Unibio A/S is a Danish biotechnology company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Roskilde, Denmark, with a UK parent (Unibio International PLC) and an Innovation Centre in Kalundborg. The company has developed a proprietary gas-fermentation platform called U-Loop®, a vertical-loop bioreactor that uses continuous-flow microbial fermentation to convert methane (from natural gas or biogas) into single-cell protein. This is protected by 130+ patents across 17 patent families and is backed by registered trademarks for U-Loop® and Uniprotein®.

The company's core product is Uniprotein®, a microbial protein containing 70%+ protein and 9% fat with 85% digestibility and an amino acid profile comparable to fishmeal. Uniprotein® is approved for animal feed in the EU, Saudi Arabia, Japan, India, Thailand, Russia, and Chile, and is positioned primarily for aquaculture (salmon, trout, shrimp, sea bream) and livestock feed, with pet food and human nutrition as staged expansion verticals. Unibio generates revenue through four streams: (1) direct product sales of Uniprotein® to large feed compounders and farmers via key accounts and a global distributor network; (2) licensing of U-Loop® technology to regional partners such as Gulf Biotech (Qatar, ~9,000 t/y planned) and Protelux (Russia, licensed since 2016); (3) joint-venture equity participation (20% stake in the SIIG-Unibio JV for a planned 50,000 t/y Saudi plant expandable to 300,000 t/y); and (4) engineering and technical services bundled with technology packages. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

The company has raised at least $85M across disclosed rounds (a $15M West Hill Capital bridge in 2021 at a >$300M valuation, and a $70M SIIG investment in 2023) and has secured strategic backing from Mitsubishi Corporation and Innovation Fund Denmark. Leadership combines deep industrial-biotech lineage, including alumni of Novozymes (CTO Jess Dragheim and CSO Ib Christensen), Cargill/Dow Chemical (CEO David Henstrom), Ajinomoto (CCO Olivier Hartz), Haldor Topsoe (CBO Søren Olsen), and Merrill Lynch (CFO Spencer White), supporting an asset-light licensing-plus-JV commercialization model rather than direct manufacturing at scale.

Name

Unibio

Legal name

Unibio A/S

Website

https://unibio.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Unibio is a Danish biotechnology company that produces Uniprotein®, a 70%+ single-cell protein via proprietary U-Loop® gas fermentation of methane, serving aquaculture, livestock feed, pet food, and future human nutrition markets through direct sales, licensing, and joint ventures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Single-Cell Protein / Sustainable Animal Feed Ingredients

NAICS

Animal Food Manufacturing (3111)

akta.pro primary industry

Biogas/RNG Plant Development, EPC & Project Delivery (EUAAAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biofuels & Renewable Fuels Switching (Biomethane/RNG, Bio-oils, Sustainable Biomass) (EUABAJAD)

Keywords

• Single-cell protein
• Gas fermentation technology
• Animal feed ingredients
• Aquaculture protein
• Biotechnology manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Roskilde

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Uniprotein® Product Sales: Sale of Uniprotein®, a high-quality single-cell protein product (70%+ protein content) for use in animal feed, aquaculture feed, and pet food. The product is sold through distributors and directly to large key accounts globally. Approved for feed in the EU, Saudi Arabia, Japan, India, Thailand, Russia, and Chile.
2. Technology Licensing: Licensing of U-Loop® technology platform to partners for constructing and operating protein production facilities. Includes technology packages, engineering services, and commercial know-how. Partners include Gulf Biotech (Qatar), Protelux (Russia), and Mitsubishi Corporation.
3. Joint Venture Partnerships: Unibio holds 20% equity in joint ventures with strategic partners, such as the 80:20 (SIIG:Unibio) joint venture to build the world's largest single-cell protein plant in Saudi Arabia. Provides technology and ongoing support in exchange for equity stake and royalties.
4. Engineering and Technical Services: Provision of pilot, demo, and full-scale plant validation services, process and engineering expertise, and application/commercial support as part of the technology partnership package.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Unibio produces Uniprotein®, a high-quality single-cell microbial protein (70%+ protein content) using its proprietary U-Loop® Vertical Loop Bioreactor technology, which converts methane from natural gas or biogas into protein through continuous-flow gas fermentation. The company sells Uniprotein® directly to feed compounders and aquaculture operators, and licenses the U-Loop® technology platform to regional partners and joint ventures for industrial-scale production facilities.

Product overview

Unibio offers a platform-based product portfolio centered on its proprietary U-Loop® Vertical Loop Bioreactor technology, a gas fermentation platform that converts methane into sustainable single-cell protein. The core product is Uniprotein®, a high-quality microbial protein (70%+ protein content) marketed under the Uniprotein® brand for animal feed, aquaculture, and pet food applications. The technology platform is licensed to joint venture partners and licensees globally for industrial-scale protein production facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Uniprotein®: High-quality single-cell protein product (70% protein content) produced through gas fermentation using the U-Loop technology. Approved for animal and fish feed in EU and multiple territories. Applications include aquaculture, livestock, pet food, and human nutrition.

Products and services

• Uniprotein® High-quality single-cell microbial protein (70%+ protein content) produced via gas fermentation of methane, with an amino acid profile similar to fishmeal and 85% digestibility. Used in aquaculture (salmon, trout, shrimp, sea bream, sturgeon), livestock feed (piglet starter feeds), and pet food formulations. Approved in EU, Saudi Arabia, Japan, India, Thailand, Russia, and Chile.
• U-Loop® Vertical Loop Bioreactor Technology Platform Proprietary continuous-flow gas fermentation technology platform licensed to industrial partners and joint ventures worldwide. Converts methane and other carbon-rich gases into single-cell protein at industrial scale, protected by 130+ patents across 17 patent families. Licensed to Gulf Biotech (Qatar), Protelux (Russia), and deployed in SIIG-Unibio joint venture (Saudi Arabia).

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000x more productive than soy protein per unit land area
• +4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BioVerde Tech LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Strategic collaboration to develop biomanufacturing processes that convert methane into sustainable chemical intermediates, including bio-based butadiene for the synthetic rubber value chain. Combines Unibio's U-Loop® reactor technology with BioVerde's genetically engineered Methylococcus capsulatus strains. Initial focus on laboratory, demonstration, and pilot scales before commercial deployment.
• Innovation Fund DenmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Innovation Fund Denmark investing DKK 24.6 million ($3.75 million) in the Gas2X research project with Unibio and Again. Project will establish a national platform for continuous gas-based biomanufacturing at Unibio's Innovation Centre in Kalundborg, converting industrial waste gases (CO₂, CO, H₂, methane) into low-carbon products.
• Gulf BiotechcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDoha-based Gulf Biotech licensed Unibio's cutting-edge technology to convert carbon-rich gases into sustainable, high-quality protein for animal feed in Qatar. Gulf Biotech's plant will produce approximately 9,000 tonnes of protein annually, leveraging Qatar's abundant natural gas resources. Plant entered FEED stage in 2022.
• AgainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCopenhagen-based clean tech startup collaborating with Unibio on the Gas2X research project to convert industrial waste gases into scalable low-carbon products using gas fermentation technology.
• StafiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational investment company that established Protelux, the first company to license Unibio's technology in 2016. Stafilies invested in designing and building industrial-scale protein manufacturing in Ivangorod, Russia. Following partnership, Stafilies became a significant shareholder in Unibio.
• ProteluxcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerRussian company producing protein for feed based on Unibio's U-Loop® technology. First company to license Unibio's technology in 2016. Located in Ivangorod, Russia. Shared intellectual property and operational experience with Unibio for designing and building similar facilities globally.
• BioMarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld leader in high-performance diets for 45+ aquacultured species. Partnered with Unibio and DTU Aqua on GUDP project testing Uniprotein® in trout diets. Trial showed up to 15% Uniprotein® inclusion with high feed intake and digestibility matching fishmeal.
• DTU AquaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Institute of Aquatic Resources at Technical University of Denmark. Partnered with Unibio and BioMar on GUDP project developing sustainable protein ingredients for animal feed, specifically testing Uniprotein® in trout.
• Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentarias (IRTA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute in Catalonia, Spain. Conducted shrimp trials as part of Valuewaste EU project showing 75% improved survival rate with Uniprotein® compared to fishmeal-based diets.
• Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI)minorOthersUnibio became a member of GFLI, an independent institute developing publicly available Animal Nutrition Life Cycle Analysis database to support environmental assessment of animal nutrition products.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Solar Foods: Solar Foods produces Solein®, a single-cell protein made from CO2, water, and renewable electricity via gas fermentation. It is a direct alternative-protein competitor targeting food and feed applications with a different (renewable) feedstock narrative.
• Deep Branch Biotechnology: Deep Branch develops single-cell protein (Proton®) from industrial CO2 emissions using gas fermentation. It shares Unibio's gas-to-protein technology approach and serves the aquafeed market with similar sustainability positioning.
• Calysta: Calysta produces FeedKind® single-cell protein via gas fermentation using methane, directly competing with Unibio's Uniprotein® in the aquafeed and animal feed markets. Both target fishmeal replacement with microbial protein from natural gas.
• LanzaTech: LanzaTech uses proprietary gas fermentation to convert carbon-rich waste gases into fuels and chemicals (ethanol, acetone, butadiene). It shares Unibio's core U-Loop-style gas fermentation DNA and pursues carbon-to-product biomanufacturing at industrial scale.

Emerging players

• Perfect Day: Perfect Day produces animal-free whey and casein proteins via precision fermentation for food applications. It is an alternative-protein fermentation competitor targeting adjacent food/feed protein markets to Unibio.
• String Bio: String Bio (India) uses gas fermentation to convert methane into single-cell protein and specialty chemicals. It is a smaller, geographically focused competitor applying similar technology principles to Unibio's U-Loop platform.
• Air Protein: Air Protein uses hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria and carbon capture to produce single-cell protein for food and feed. It targets the same sustainable meat-substitute market as Unibio, but with a CO2-based rather than methane-based feedstock.
• Nature's Fynd: Nature's Fynd produces Fy® protein via fermentation of a microbe originally found in Yellowstone. While it uses a different feedstock, it competes with Unibio in the alternative-protein food and ingredient space with fermentation-based production.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Cargill is a global agribusiness giant and major player in animal nutrition/protein sourcing. It overlaps with Unibio as both a customer (where Unibio's CEO David Henstrom had a 30-year career) and a potential competitor/integrator of next-generation feed proteins.
• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Novonesis is a global enzyme and microbial fermentation leader, with extensive bioprocess expertise that overlaps with Unibio's fermentation know-how. It is a broad incumbent whose technology platform could extend into gas fermentation protein, posing a potential competitive threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unibio-a-s

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors2 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 Unibio