KosmodeHealth is a unique start-up from the NUS Food Science Technology programme - one company impacting two businesses (in nutraceutical and 3D cell culture) with three technologies.
Their core technology is a better, faster, efficient plant extraction technology that enables access to authentic plant extracts at affordable prices. KosmodeHealth supports the ‘zero waste’ economy by recovering plant protein/fibre from food processing ‘waste’ (e.g. as spent barley grains after beer brewery) for use as an economical source of human and cell nutrition. As a business to business enabler, KosmodeHealth supports food/nutraceutical/agricultural companies that need novel, authentic plant extracts for the development of functional food or supplements, and enables companies with high plant food processing waste to up-value such waste.
Second from left: A/P Huang Dejian, co-founder of KosmodeHealth; Second from right: Florence Leong, co-founder and Director of KosmodeHealth
Plant protein recovered from food processing waste can also be formulated into Plant Protein Composite (PPCTM) bio ink and 3D printed into the world’s only PPCTM scaffold for cell culture, thereby eliminating the high cost and risk of animal disease transmission associated with use of animal proteins for cell culture. The bioscaffold has now been launched and is available for purchase at A*STAR’s Research Support Centre website.
Considering herself a ‘reformed drug pusher,’ co-founder Florence Leong met her co-founder A/P Huang Dejian, while serving as an NUS Enterprise advisor. Bonded by a shared mission of expanding mass access to health from nature, they joined hands to translate A/P Huang’s technological prowess into market impact.
“If I’d have to name an inspiration, it would be a strong belief that Singapore needs its own organic growth machinery and needs to harness the billions invested in R&D. Enough has been spent on R&D; it is now time for 'M' - monetising R&D for market impact,” said Florence Leong.
KosmodeHealth is a beneficiary of strong support from NUS Enterprise, National Addictive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG). KosmodeHealth was incubated by NUS Enterprise first at The HANGAR, and now at NUS Enterprise @ Singapore Science Park, where their PPCTM 3D Bioprinting facility will be set up. KosmodeHealth’s achievement of being the developer of the world’s only PPCTM Bio-ink & Bioscaffold, and setting up the world’s only PPCTM 3D Bioprinting facility, was made possible with the respective grant support of NAMIC and ESG.
“More important than the physical and financial support is the strong moral support and confidence in KosmodeHealth provided by the various stakeholders - support which is intangible and priceless. This support is invaluable in helping KosmodeHealth to demonstrate technology validation with pilot scale extraction capability and market validation with paying customers.”
MILESTONES
Participation in and completion of the Lean LaunchPad Programme (NUS Run 3)
2015
Incorporation of KosmodeHealth Singapore as holding company
2016
Completion of M&A of SZ Kosmode Biotechnology as a wholly owned subsidiary
2017
Pilot scale extraction facility
Filing of PPCTM bioink and 3D scaffold printing
Successful completion of NAMIC grant, demonstrating uniqueness of KosmodeHealth’s bioink and 3D printed scaffold
First sale of PPCTM scaffold
2018
First revenue from PPCTM scaffold customisation service
ESG grant for set up of PPCTM 3D scaffold bioprinting facility
2019