Shiru, a leader in AI-powered ingredient discovery, has announced a global Request for Partners (RFP) to identify a mission-aligned beverage partner. Together, they aim to develop and scale a natural sugar replacement using Shiru’s cutting-edge ProteinDiscovery.ai platform, which has analyzed over 450 million natural proteins to identify uniquely valuable candidates for the food and beverage industries.
- Why This Matters
- With rising global demand for healthier, sustainable sugar alternatives, the beverage industry faces mounting pressure to adapt.
- Consumers are seeking improved ingredients that maintain familiar flavors and experiences, without requiring significant behavioral changes.
- Shiru’s AI-driven approach addresses this demand by identifying and scaling nature-identical sweeteners that balance taste, functionality, and scalability.
- Shiru’s Proprietary Technology
- ProteinDiscovery.ai has refined 450 million proteins into 33 million candidates optimized for food and beverage applications.
- This technology enables rapid discovery of sustainable, scalable sweetener solutions with potential to redefine the future of food systems.
- RFP Overview and Goals
- The RFP invites mission-aligned beverage partners to collaborate on developing a natural sugar replacement.
- The partnership aims to combine Shiru’s AI-powered discoveries with a partner’s expertise in global commercialization and product development.
- The Ideal Partner
- Global Scale Ambition: Proven ability to commercialize beverages on a global scale.
- Technical Expertise: Robust R&D capabilities in food and beverage science.
- Mission Alignment: Commitment to sustainability, health, and ingredient innovation.
- Partnership Framework
- Flexible licensing agreements tailored to geography and product lines.
- Focus on scaling validated sweetener molecules, targeting market readiness by 2026.
- Collaborative efforts to integrate AI-discovered ingredients into mainstream food systems without disrupting supply chains.
Expert Commentary
Dr. Jasmin Hume, Shiru’s CEO, emphasized the transformative role of AI in ingredient innovation:
“The future of food isn’t about reinventing what we eat—it’s about enhancing the foods we already love. AI enables us to unlock scalable, sustainable solutions at the molecular level, bringing the future of food closer than ever.”
Shiru’s global RFP underscores its ambition to bridge the gap between food innovation and everyday consumption. By embedding better ingredients into existing food systems, Shiru partners with industry leaders to accelerate a shift toward healthier, sustainable, and scalable solutions—enhancing the foods people love while meeting modern demands for health and sustainability.
