3F BIO
3F BIO is a Glasgow-based biotech producing ABUNDA® mycoprotein via a patented zero-waste fermentation process that converts cereal crops into food protein alongside bioethanol and animal feed, supplying B2B customers across meat alternatives, conventional food manufacturing, and pet food.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What 3F BIO does
3F BIO is a Glasgow-based industrial biotechnology company, founded in 2015 and spun out from the University of Strathclyde in April 2016, that produces ABUNDA® mycoprotein — a high-quality, complete-amino-acid protein ingredient with a PDCAAS score of 0.99 — via a patented zero-waste integrated fermentation process. The proprietary process converts starch from cereal crops (wheat or maize) into food protein while simultaneously producing bioethanol (fuel) and animal feed, achieving 3-15x better feed-conversion efficiency than traditional protein sources, conversion costs ~75% below meat and up to 50% below competing meat alternatives, and a carbon, water and land footprint 90-95% lower than beef production.
The company operates a B2B ingredient-supply model, selling ABUNDA® to food manufacturers, meat-alternative producers (e.g., Vivera), cultivated-meat players (Mosa Meat), conventional meat processors exploring sustainable integration (ABP), flavor and ingredient specialists (IFF), and pet food manufacturers. Distribution is a mix of direct enterprise sales and consortium-mediated offtake, with the flagship PLENITUDE project in Ghent, Belgium — co-funded by a €17M European Commission BBI JU grant alongside lead industrial partner Alcogroup SA and a 10-partner, 5-country consortium — designed to deliver an initial 16,000 tonnes per annum of mycoprotein, with a stated long-term vision of 1 million cumulative tonnes by 2030.
3F BIO is venture-backed, having raised a £461K seed round in July 2017, a £6.16M Series A in April 2018, and a $7.24M SEC-exempt offering in March 2024, with strategic and institutional investors including the University of Strathclyde, Scottish Investment Bank, EOS Technology Investment Syndicate, Data Collective (DCVC), former BP Petrochemicals CEO Nick Elmslie, and Gyrus Capital founding partner Guy Semmens. The company is a member of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), employs 11-50 staff, and targets a global protein market estimated at over 350 million tonnes and more than $1 trillion per year.
3F BIO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 3F BIO
- Legal name
- 3F BIO Ltd
- Website
- https://www.3fbio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 3F BIO is a Glasgow-based biotech producing ABUNDA® mycoprotein via a patented zero-waste fermentation process that converts cereal crops into food protein alongside bioethanol and animal feed, supplying B2B customers across meat alternatives, conventional food manufacturing, and pet food.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
3F BIO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Protein Ingredients
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Grain Mill Products (2040), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mycoprotein-Based Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fibers, Starches & Texturizers (Resistant Starch, Maltodextrin, Inulin) (CRADAOAK)
Keywords
Where 3F BIO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
3F BIO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- B2B Protein Ingredient Sales: 3F BIO supplies ABUNDA® mycoprotein as a B2B ingredient to a wide range of partners including food manufacturers, meat alternative producers, meat extenders, protein ingredient buyers, and pet food companies. The company works collaboratively with market-leading partners to access the full extent of the growing global protein market.
- SEC Exempt Securities Offering: 3F BIO LTD declared an exempt securities offering with total proceeds of approximately $7.24 million USD.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
3F BIO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
3F BIO manufactures and supplies ABUNDA® mycoprotein, a high-quality protein ingredient produced through a patented zero-waste integrated fermentation process that converts cereal crop starch (wheat or maize) into protein alongside bioethanol and animal feed. The company operates as a B2B ingredient supplier, selling to food manufacturers, meat alternative producers, meat extender manufacturers, and pet food companies.
Product overview
3F BIO is a biotechnology company operating as a B2B ingredient supplier, producing sustainable protein through its proprietary zero-waste fermentation technology. The company's core product is ABUNDA® Mycoprotein, manufactured via an integrated biorefinery process that converts cereal crops (wheat, maize) into high-quality protein alongside bioethanol and animal feed. The technology offers 3-15 times better conversion efficiency than traditional protein farming. The product portfolio includes the flagship ABUNDA® Mycoprotein ingredient for food applications, supported by the PLENITUDE biorefinery project (in development) which represents the first commercial-scale deployment of the technology in Ghent, Belgium.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ABUNDA® Mycoprotein: High-quality source of protein and fibre made using 3F BIO's proprietary zero waste process. Trademarked brand name for mycoprotein produced through fermentation technology. Applications include meat alternatives, meat extenders, protein ingredients, and pet food.
Products and services
- ABUNDA® Mycoprotein
Quantifiable outcome
- 90-95% reduction in carbon footprint versus beef production
- +12 more outcomes
Companies that use 3F BIO
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
3F BIO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
3F BIO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- Alcogroup SAflagshipLead industrial partner for the PLENITUDE flagship project. Alcogroup SA operates the biorefinery facility in Ghent, Belgium, which integrates with 3F BIO's mycoprotein production technology. The project represents a first-of-its-kind large-scale integrated biorefinery producing bioethanol and sustainable food protein.
- International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. B.VcoreProduct development and applications partner in the PLENITUDE consortium. Brings expertise in developing food applications for the ABUNDA® mycoprotein ingredient.
- Wageningen UniversitycorePrimary research and protein expertise partner in the PLENITUDE consortium. Provides academic research support for protein development and applications.
- Bridge 2 FoodsupportingSpecialist consultant covering marketing aspects for the PLENITUDE consortium.
- Life Cycle Engineering SrlsupportingSpecialist consultant covering sustainability assessment using LCA/LCC/S-LCA methodologies for the PLENITUDE project.
- Mosa MeatcoreFood category end-user partner in the PLENITUDE consortium. Mosa Meat is a leading cultivated meat company that will utilize the sustainable mycoprotein ingredient.
- ViveracoreFood category end-user partner in the PLENITUDE consortium. Vivera is a plant-based food company that will utilize the sustainable protein ingredient.
- ABPcoreFood category end-user partner in the PLENITUDE consortium. ABP is a meat processing company exploring sustainable protein integration.
- LactipssupportingEnd-user partner covering bio-plastics category in the PLENITUDE consortium, expanding applications for sustainable bio-based products.
- Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC)core3F BIO is a member of IBioIC, which has provided major investment in fermentation and bioprocessing capability at the University of Strathclyde's Rapid Bioprocess and Prototyping Centre. 3F BIO was the first industrial user of this facility.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
3F BIO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Beyond Meat: Beyond Meat is one of the largest plant-based meat brands globally. It serves as a major demand sink for 3F BIO's mycoprotein ingredient through meat-extender and hybrid-product applications in mainstream CPG.
- Impossible Foods: Impossible Foods is a major incumbent in the alternative protein market with broad consumer brand recognition. It addresses the same end demand (meat displacement) as 3F BIO's downstream customers, although via a different (plant-heme) technology.
- Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): ADM is a global food ingredient and fermentation powerhouse. Its yeast/renewables division directly overlaps with 3F BIO's biorefinery expertise, and one of 3F BIO's scientific advisors is a former ADM Director of Yeast and Renewables Research.
Direct peers
- Air Protein: Air Protein uses fermentation-based processes to produce protein ingredients from renewable feedstocks. It shares 3F BIO's fermentation-led approach to alternative protein, although its feedstock pathway (CO2-based hydrogenotrophs) differs from 3F BIO's cereal-based mycoprotein.
- Perfect Day: Perfect Day produces animal-identical whey and casein proteins via precision fermentation. It is a directly comparable fermentation-based protein ingredient company targeting B2B CPG applications in the same alternative protein market as 3F BIO.
- The EVERY Company (formerly Clara Foods): The EVERY Company uses precision fermentation to produce animal-identical proteins (egg white, etc.) for B2B food and beverage customers. It is directly comparable as a fermentation protein ingredient supplier serving CPG brands.
- Quorn (Marlow Foods): Quorn is the established market leader in mycoprotein, producing Fusarium venenatum-based protein since the 1980s. It is 3F BIO's most direct competitor in the mycoprotein category, with which 3F BIO explicitly benchmarks its cost and efficiency claims.
Emerging players
- MyForest Foods: MyForest Foods produces mycelium-based bacon and meat alternatives via solid-state fermentation. It overlaps with 3F BIO's fungal/mycelium protein production technology but is a finished-product CPG brand.
- Meati Foods: Meati produces whole-cut meat alternatives from mycelium (fungal biomass) via fermentation. It shares 3F BIO's mycoprotein/fungal biomass technology foundation, although Meati focuses on finished consumer products while 3F BIO is a B2B ingredient supplier.
- Cauldron Fermentation: Cauldron is building Asia-Pacific precision fermentation capacity for alternative proteins, including mycelium-based ingredients. It overlaps with 3F BIO in fermentation protein technology but operates at a different stage and geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
3F BIO social profiles
Digital presence3F BIO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
3F BIO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
3F BIO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
3F BIO 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 3F BIO
What does 3F BIO do?
3F BIO manufactures and supplies ABUNDA® mycoprotein, a high-quality protein ingredient produced through a patented zero-waste integrated fermentation process that converts cereal crop starch (wheat or maize) into protein alongside bioethanol and animal feed. The company operates as a B2B ingredient supplier, selling to food manufacturers, meat alternative producers, meat extender manufacturers, and pet food companies.
Is 3F BIO a public or private company?
3F BIO is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was 3F BIO founded?
3F BIO was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 3F BIO based?
3F BIO is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 3F BIO make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. B2B Protein Ingredient Sales are the primary driver. The others are SEC Exempt Securities Offering.
Who are 3F BIO's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Direct peers are Air Protein, Perfect Day, The EVERY Company (formerly Clara Foods) and Quorn (Marlow Foods). Emerging players are MyForest Foods, Meati Foods and Cauldron Fermentation.
Does 3F BIO have an API?
No public API is recorded for 3F BIO.
What industry is 3F BIO in?
3F BIO's product category is Sustainable Protein Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAGAG, Mycoprotein-Based Foods Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRADAOAK, Fibers, Starches & Texturizers (Resistant Starch, Maltodextrin, Inulin). Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2000.