Mozza Foods
Startup
Information
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Mozza Foods is a pioneering biotechnology company at the forefront of molecular farming. The company is dedicated to solving one of the most persistent challenges in the alternative protein industry: creating plant-based cheese that is truly indistinguishable from traditional dairy in taste, texture, and performance, while specifically engineering its business model to undercut traditional dairy on price. While most vegan cheeses rely on oils, starches, or nuts—which often fail to melt or stretch—Mozza Foods utilizes the power of genetic engineering to turn plants into mini-factories. Specifically, the company has developed a proprietary platform to produce casein, the primary functional protein found in cow’s milk, within genetically-engineered soybeans.
Casein is the holy grail of dairy science, responsible for the unique micellar structure that provides the essential stretch and melt consumers expect from mozzarella. By inserting the DNA instructions for bovine milk proteins into soybean seeds, Mozza allows the plant to grow these proteins naturally. Once harvested, the casein is extracted, resulting in a protein that is bio-identical to that found in a cow, but entirely animal-free.
The core of Mozza’s strategy is the inherent economic advantage of leveraging large-scale agriculture. By utilizing the open field as a production network, Mozza harnesses the sun, soil, and rain to produce high-value proteins at a massive scale. By choosing soybeans—one of the world's most efficient and established crops—Mozza leverages existing global infrastructure for harvesting. This approach allows for a feed-to-protein conversion ratio that exceeds that of a dairy cow, enabling Mozza to achieve a price point that makes animal-free dairy the most affordable choice for global food manufacturers.
Casein is the holy grail of dairy science, responsible for the unique micellar structure that provides the essential stretch and melt consumers expect from mozzarella. By inserting the DNA instructions for bovine milk proteins into soybean seeds, Mozza allows the plant to grow these proteins naturally. Once harvested, the casein is extracted, resulting in a protein that is bio-identical to that found in a cow, but entirely animal-free.
The core of Mozza’s strategy is the inherent economic advantage of leveraging large-scale agriculture. By utilizing the open field as a production network, Mozza harnesses the sun, soil, and rain to produce high-value proteins at a massive scale. By choosing soybeans—one of the world's most efficient and established crops—Mozza leverages existing global infrastructure for harvesting. This approach allows for a feed-to-protein conversion ratio that exceeds that of a dairy cow, enabling Mozza to achieve a price point that makes animal-free dairy the most affordable choice for global food manufacturers.
