Standing Ovation secures €30 million in a Series B funding round.

      The precision fermentation startup based in Paris has successfully confirmed the industrial-scale production of its Advanced Casein in collaboration with Bel Group. The funds from the Series B round will support its commercial launch in the US in 2026, with plans to enter Europe and Asia by the end of 2027, contingent on regulatory approvals.

      Standing Ovation, which produces casein from dairy waste, has secured €30 million ($34.2 million) through a Series B funding round. This round consists of €25 million in equity, co-led by the Ecotechnologies 2 fund operated by Bpifrance under France's France 2030 initiative and Crédit Mutuel Innovation, with contributions from current investors Astanor, Bel Group, Seventure Partners, GoodStartUp, and Big Idea Ventures. Additionally, three new investors—Danone Ventures, Angelor, and Newtree—joined the round. An extra €5 million in non-dilutive financing was provided by Bpifrance and a consortium of banks.

      This funding round follows a previous €16 million Series A round, bringing the total funding to approximately €46 million. Standing Ovation was co-founded in 2020 by Romain Chayot, who is a microbiologist and agronomist serving as Chief Scientific Officer, with Yvan Chardonnens as the CEO.

      The company's main product, Advanced Casein, is a casein protein created not from cows but through the precision fermentation of dairy by-products, mainly acid whey from cheese manufacturing. The target molecule’s importance cannot be overstated, as casein constitutes about 80% of milk's protein and contributes to the melting, stretching, and creaminess that make dairy products indispensable in formulations.

      While most of the precision fermentation industry has concentrated on whey proteins, which are easier to produce, Standing Ovation is focusing on casein, which is more complex, viewing it as a significant opportunity. The industrial validation occurred last October, when Standing Ovation and Bel Group, a cheese company known for La Vache Qui Rit and a strategic partner since 2022, announced their first industrial-scale production of precision fermentation-derived casein using Bel’s acid whey as the feedstock.

      An independent, certified life cycle assessment indicated that this process leads to a 74% reduction in CO₂ emissions, a 99% decrease in land use, and a 68% decline in water consumption compared to traditional animal casein. The resulting product is described by Standing Ovation as a “drop-in” ingredient, which is functionally, nutritionally, and organoleptically equivalent to conventional casein, allowing food manufacturers to keep their recipes unchanged.

      The Series B funding will facilitate the commercial rollout, with a target launch in the US in 2026, pending regulatory clearance under the certified GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) designation, which is more stringent than the self-affirmation pathway used by some competitors. In Europe and Asia, the launch is aimed for the end of 2027, subject to the necessary approvals.

      The company is adopting an asset-light manufacturing strategy, collaborating with established fermentation manufacturers instead of building its own facilities, which should expedite market entry. The partnership with Bel Group provides Standing Ovation with a reliable supply of feedstock and a respected industry-endorsed validator; the addition of Danone Ventures as an investor further positions Standing Ovation alongside another major player in the dairy sector, signaling strong support for a market where incumbents have reasons to regulate the introduction of fermentation-derived alternatives.