What LycoRed does

Lycored is an Israel-based B2B ingredient supplier founded in 1995 that develops and produces tomato-derived carotenoids, natural colorants, taste enhancers, and proprietary nutrient complexes for the global food, beverage, dietary supplement, and nutricosmetic industries. The company operates a vertically integrated production model spanning company-owned tomato farms in the Galilee Panhandle through proprietary extraction, microencapsulation, and formulation, achieving zero waste across the supply chain. Its core technology centers on tomato-derived lycopene extraction and a suite of branded proprietary ingredients including Lycomato (a 15mg lycopene/phytoene/phytofluene complex with clinical skin-health data), Lumenato (EFSA-approved nutricosmetic extract), SANTE (umami/kokumi taste enhancer enabling up to 30% sodium reduction), CTC (Clear Tomato Concentrate), LycoFibers, and the Versatile Application Solutions (VAS) microencapsulation platform for tablets, gummies, beverages, and capsules.

Lycored sells directly to food and beverage manufacturers, supplement producers, and nutricosmetic brands across more than 75 countries, organized into five product categories: naturally derived colorants (ResoluteRuby, ConstantCrimson, ResilientRed, OrangeOvation, GoldHold, StellarYellow), real food ingredients (SANTE, CTC, LycoFibers), proprietary nutrients (Lycomato, Lumenato, Lycoderm, Cardiomato), carotenoids (lycopene, lutein, astaxanthin, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene), and vitamins/specialties. Pricing is quote-based through an enterprise field sales motion, with go-to-market supported by trade shows (SupplySide Global, IFT FIRST, VitaFoods Europe), the HueFinder color-matching platform, content marketing, and PR.

The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADAMA (SZSE: 000553), a publicly traded crop protection company, and is led by CEO Dafna Cohen-Asher, who was appointed in October 2025. Lycored holds multiple certifications (kosher, halal, Non-GMO Project Verified, GRAS, vegan-friendly, allergen-free, clean label) across its portfolio and is positioned to benefit from regulatory tailwinds including the FDA phase-out of synthetic food dyes and EFSA novel food approvals.

Name

LycoRed

Legal name

Lycored

Website

https://lycored.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Lycored is an Israel-based B2B ingredient supplier founded in 1995 that produces tomato-derived carotenoids, natural colorants, taste enhancers, and clinically validated nutrient complexes for food, beverage, supplement, and nutricosmetic manufacturers in 75+ countries. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADAMA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutraceutical and natural food ingredients

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients for Food Manufacturing (Diced, Slices, Fillings, Toppings) (AFAKAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Foods for Special Dietary Needs Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Allergen-Free, Low-FODMAP, Low-Sodium) (AFAKAJAD)

Keywords

• Natural carotenoid ingredients
• Food colorants manufacturing
• Dietary supplement nutrients
• Lycopene beta-carotene
• Tomato-derived ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Beersheba

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Proprietary Nutrients: Sale of proprietary carotenoid-based nutrient complexes including Lycomato, Lumenato, Lycoderm, and Cardiomato for dietary supplements and wellness products.
2. Naturally Derived Colorants: Sale of tomato-based natural food colors including ResoluteRuby, ConstantCrimson, ResilientRed, OrangeOvation, GoldHold, and StellarYellow for food and beverage applications.
3. Real Food Ingredients: Sale of SANTE, CTC, and LycoFibers as functional food ingredients for taste enhancement and texture applications in processed foods.
4. VAS Technology Solutions: Sale of microencapsulated ingredient solutions for enhanced formulation performance across tablets, gummies, powdered beverages, and capsules.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lycored manufactures and sells tomato-derived natural carotenoid ingredients, food colorants, functional real-food ingredients (taste enhancers and fibers), and proprietary nutrient complexes for use by food, beverage, dietary supplement, and nutricosmetic manufacturers. The company operates a vertically integrated supply chain from company-owned tomato farms in Israel through extraction, microencapsulation, and clinical validation, distributing its portfolio of 100+ products to manufacturers in 75+ countries.

Product overview

LycoRed is a global leader in naturally derived carotenoids for the food, beverage, and dietary supplement markets. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into five main product categories: (1) Naturally Derived Colorants including ResoluteRuby, ConstantCrimson, ResilientRed, OrangeOvation, GoldHold, and StellarYellow for replacing synthetic dyes with plant-based alternatives; (2) Real Food Ingredients including SANTE (taste enhancer), CTC (Clear Tomato Concentrate), and LycoFibers (tomato fibers) for clean-label formulations; (3) Proprietary Nutrients including Lycomato¶ (tomato-derived wellness complex), Lumenato (skincare extract), Lycoderm (photoaging defense), and Cardiomato (heart health support); (4) Carotenoids including Lycopene, Lutein, Astaxanthin, Beta-Carotene, and Alpha-Carotene; and (5) Versatile Application Solutions (VAS) featuring microencapsulated formats for enhanced stability in tablets, gummies, powdered beverages, and capsules. Founded in 1995 in Israel, LycoRed operates under a holistic production model utilizing the entire tomato to minimize waste, serving customers in over 75 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ResoluteRuby Natural lycopene-based red colorant for foods and beverages that delivers vibrant ruby hues as a plant-based alternative to synthetic dyes.
• ConstantCrimson Natural red colorant providing reliable, consistent color performance for food and beverage applications.
• ResilientRed Natural red colorant that maintains hue stability under extreme processing conditions including high heat, pH variations, and light exposure.
• ResilientRed BF Variant of ResilientRed offering enhanced performance characteristics for specific food and beverage applications.
• OrangeOvation Natural orange colorant providing vibrant orange hues for food and beverage applications.
• GoldHold Natural yellow-gold colorant meeting gold standard color requirements for various food applications.
• StellarYellow Natural yellow colorant providing bright, shining yellow hues for food and beverage products.
• SANTE Natural taste enhancer utilizing naturally occurring umami and kokumi characteristics from tomatoes; enables up to 30% sodium reduction and significant sugar reduction in sweet and savory formulations.
• CTC (Clear Tomato Concentrate) Natural liquid filtered from tomato pulp with high BRIX and acidity that improves taste in tomato-based applications including soups, sauces, and juices.
• LycoFibers Natural tomato fibers that enhance authentic vegetable texture and mouthfeel in processed foods; can extend tomato paste supply by up to 25%.
• Lycomato Tomato-derived nutrient complex containing standardized lycopene (15mg), phytoene, and phytofluene, clinically proven to support skin firmness, elasticity, and radiance within 4 weeks.
• Lumenato Skincare extract containing phytonutrients from golden tomatoes that protects skin from oxidative stress, supporting natural beautiful aging and beauty-from-within applications.
• Lycoderm Photoaging defender blend containing optimal concentrations of lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, natural vitamins A and E, and carnosic acid to support skin health and appearance.
• Cardiomato Tomato extract supporting heart health, containing carotenoid-rich extract shown to inhibit LDL oxidation and improve metabolic response to high-fat meals within 2 weeks.
• Lycopene Tomato-derived natural antioxidant used in dietary supplements, food, and beverages to support cardiovascular health, skin protection, and prostate function.
• Lutein Marigold-derived carotenoid supporting eye health and visual function, available in standard and VAS microencapsulated formats.
• Astaxanthin Ocean-derived Haematococcus pluvialis algae carotenoid recognized as a powerful antioxidant supporting athletic performance and recovery.
• Beta-Carotene Carotenoid providing natural orange coloring and provitamin A activity, available in standard and VAS microencapsulated formats.
• Alpha-Carotene Carotenoid related to beta-carotene, providing natural coloring and nutritional benefits for supplement and food applications.
• Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K Full range of essential vitamins offered as standalone ingredients and in VAS formats for enhanced stability and delivery in supplements and functional foods.
• Caffeine Caffeine ingredient utilizing Capsudar technology for enhanced delivery and performance in supplements and functional beverages.
• L-Carnitine Amino acid derivative supporting energy metabolism and cellular energy production in nutritional formulations.
• Methionine Essential amino acid serving as a partner ingredient in various nutritional formulations.
• KI (Potassium Iodide) Potassium iodide ingredient for thyroid support and iodine supplementation in nutritional products.
• Versatile Application Solutions (VAS) Technology Platform Microencapsulated starch beadlet technology platform delivering active ingredients such as lycopene and beta-carotene with enhanced stability, homogeneity, flowability, and solubility across tablets, gummies, powdered beverages, and capsules.
• HueFinder Online color matching platform for exploring natural food and beverage color possibilities across product categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• LycoFibers enables up to 25% tomato paste extension while maintaining authentic texture
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Givaudan: World's largest flavors and fragrances company, with a sizable natural ingredients business acquired through Naturex. Comparable to Lycored in taste enhancers (SANTE competes with Givaudan taste solutions) and natural colors, with significantly broader portfolio and global customer reach.
• Döhler: Global supplier of natural ingredients, flavors, colors, and fruit preparations to food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable to Lycored across natural colors, taste modulation (overlaps with SANTE), and the clean-label reformulation value proposition.
• Novonesis: Formed via the merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen, with a food and beverage health portfolio spanning enzymes, cultures, and natural colors. Comparable to Lycored in natural colorant offerings and supplement ingredient supply, though anchored on fermentation rather than plant extraction.
• ADM: Global agribusiness and nutrition major with a sizable human nutrition ingredients business including natural colors, flavors, and plant-based proteins. Comparable to Lycored in B2B ingredient supply, vertical integration from agriculture, and category breadth across food, beverage, and supplements.

Emerging players

• Innova Flavors: Specialty supplier of natural colors, flavors, and ingredients with focus on clean-label and label-friendly formulations. Comparable to Lycored in target customer (food and beverage manufacturers) and natural colorant positioning, though smaller in scale and narrower in geography.

Direct peers

• Kalsec: Family-owned producer of natural colors, flavors, and hop extracts for the food and beverage industry. Comparable to Lycored as a focused natural colors specialist competing for the same shelf-stable, processing-tolerant color applications.
• Sensient Technologies: Specializes in natural colors, flavors, and ingredients for food, beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical customers. Comparable to Lycored in natural colorant portfolio breadth and B2B sales motion targeting the same CPG reformulation opportunity.
• dsm-firmenich: Global leader in nutrition, health, and biosciences with a major carotenoid portfolio (beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein) sold to food, beverage, and supplement manufacturers. Directly comparable to Lycored across carotenoid ingredients, natural colors, and premix formulations serving overlapping CPG customers.
• Oterra: Pure-play natural food colors specialist (formerly Chr. Hansen Natural Colors), offering carotenoid- and anthocyanin-based colorants to food and beverage manufacturers. Highly comparable to Lycored's Naturally Derived Colorants portfolio and clean-label positioning.
• BASF: Major producer of carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, lutein) for food, feed, and supplement applications. Comparable to Lycored in the active carotenoid category and global B2B ingredient distribution, though serving broader industrial chemistry customers as well.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/lycored

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 LycoRed