Bee-free honey maker generates buzz with $7.5 million fundraise

In San Francisco, bee-free honey startup MeliBio has raised $7.5 million to scale and commercialize its technology. 

The company uses precision fermentation and plant science to manufacture honey. “We know that science can produce delicious and nutritious honey, which is molecularly identical to traditional honey, at no cost to our precious bees,” says honey industry executive and MeliBio cofounder, Darko Mandich. “At MeliBio, we are here to introduce certainty in the supply chain and help companies simplify their honey sourcing, while making their honey-based formulations sustainable and delicious. Together with our clients, we can make the future of honey better, for both humans and for bees.”

A recent blind taste test found that MeliBio’s honey was indistinguishable from traditional honey, a $10-billion business that has negative environmental impacts such as biodiversity loss and is vulnerable to climate change.

The funding was led by Astanor Ventures and includes both existing and new investors.