Why animal-free
Same protein quality as dairy. A fraction of the cost, and of the footprint.
Every number on this page exists for one reason: a public meal in India has about ₹8 to ₹10 (~8-11 cents) to work with, and dairy-grade protein does not fit inside it. Animal-free, plant-based protein does, if it is digested as well as whey. Ours is.
Footprint
What the animal route costs the planet, per kilogram of protein
Nutrition and sustainability are the same decision here. The cheapest protein per gram of protein digested is also the lightest one.
Indexed to dairy at 100, using published life-cycle ranges for dairy versus pulse and cereal protein. Directional, not a certified LCA. A programme-specific footprint account is one of the validation workstreams.
Because our route starts with crops and food-grade enzymes instead of a herd, feedlot or slaughter pipeline, it also removes the animal-cruelty footprint from the protein.
Cow vs plants and enzymes
Two routes to the same protein. Only one fits the budget and planet.
Whey needs a herd. We use crops and food-grade enzymes to get the same protein performance, without the animal.
The animal route
Cow → milk → whey
Our route
Plants + enzymes → ProteNova™
20-30X more
emissions per kg protein; animal cruelty
96%
digestibility, PCDAAS 1, DIAAS 99; without animals / cruelty
Protein, plate for plate
Same protein and quality as dairy or eggs; more affordable.
ProteNova™
Laddoo with 25g
NovaStaple™
1 Roti (40 g flour; 70% NovaStaple, 30% wheat)
600 ml
Milk
~₹30
110 g
Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
~₹45
570 g
Dahi (Yogurt)
~₹35
3 eggs
Eggs
~₹21
How the protein is made
Our enzymes turn everyday crops into dairy-grade protein.
The transformation happens in manufacturing. The beneficiary needs no enzymes, no probiotics and no change in habit.
Plants in
Pea and rice protein, tightly folded, hard to digest.
Enzymes cut
Food-grade enzymes break chains into short peptides.
Digested
96% digestibility. Nothing needed from the eater.
Precision fermentation vs enzymatic transformation
Both are animal-free. Only one is ready for a 2026 pilot.
Precision fermentation is promising, but it needs novel-food clearance, new bioreactor capacity and years of cost reduction. Enzymatic transformation of domestic crops is already compliant, scalable and affordable.
Precision fermentation
Animal-free, not ready- Animal input
- None
- Capex to scale
- New bioreactor capacity
- Regulatory
- Novel-food pathway open in India
- Cost trend
- Far above staple economics
- Available at scale
- Not for years
- Digestibility
- Depends on strain; not yet proven at scale
- Cost per gram of protein digested
- Currently 5-10X above target
Enzymatic transformation
Animal-free, ready now- Animal input
- None
- Capex to scale
- Existing Indian food lines
- Regulatory
- FSSAI and US FDA compliant today
- Cost trend
- Domestic crops, commodity-linked
- Available at scale
- Manufactured today
- Digestibility
- 96% (PCDAAS 1, DIAAS 99)
- Cost per gram of protein digested
- 3-5X lower than dairy whey