Unibio International signed an agreement with the Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) to invest approximately USD 70 million (GBP 59 million) in Unibio. The proceeds will be deployed to enable Unibio’s vision of feeding the world’s growing population in a sustainable way. Unibio will use the funds to roll out new global production capacity, grow operating capabilities, and accelerate innovation and commercialization.
Through industrial protein production based on Unibio’s unique fermentation technology – the U-Loop® technology – the company produces Uniprotein® that has been approved for feed in the European Union and global registrations are in progress. The protein provides nutrition on par with or better than other high-quality proteins, such as fishmeal, and has been tested successfully in various aqua and animal species.
“We are delighted to welcome SIIG as a significant investor in Unibio. Their investment will enable us to play a pivotal role in meeting our customers’ need for sustainable protein. Unibio’s technology will improve food security and speed up the process of feeding the world in a sustainable way. We are pleased that SIIG shares our ambition of providing food security for the world’s growing population and helping stop hunger (#SDG2) and we look forward to working together to make it happen,” said David Henstrom, CEO of Unibio.
“We are extremely pleased to invest in Unibio and see it as strongly aligned with SIIG’s new strategy to diversify its investments, enter new sectors focused on sustainability and new technologies, and develop partnerships with international companies. Unibio’s focus aligns with Saudi Arabia’s commitment to increasing domestic protein production and supporting food security through innovation and technology. We are investing in Unibio for the long-term and believe that by doing so we will contribute to a more diverse and sustainable economy,” said Abdulrahman S. Alismail, CEO of the Saudi Industrial Investment Group.
The investment in Unibio will be paid in two tranches: the first tranche of approximately USD 25 million (GBP 21 million) is paid now with the second subject to applicable Foreign Direct Investment approvals.
