Key Takeaways
- Brevel has partnered with Coffeesai, a coffee cell-culture company, to validate its proprietary illuminated fermentation platform for plant cell culture production at commercial scale.
- The Israel Innovation Authority awarded Brevel USD $1 million specifically to extend its illuminated fermentation platform into the plant cell-culture sector and adjacent industries.
- Brevel's technology combines controlled light exposure with fermentation inside a closed system, stimulating the production of valuable natural compounds and improving yield and cost efficiency.
- Trial results demonstrated stable high-density coffee cell cultivation, with light-dependent improvements in the flavour and aroma profile of the resulting biomass.
- Brevel has also partnered with Ayana Bio, a US-based plant cell technology company, and a cocoa cell-culture startup, broadening its platform's reach across multiple crops.
Brevel Extends Illuminated Fermentation into Plant Cell Culture
Israeli climate biotech company Brevel has partnered with Coffeesai, a coffee cell-culture startup, to test and validate its proprietary illuminated fermentation platform as a production tool for plant cell cultures. The collaboration, supported by a USD $1 million grant from the Israel Innovation Authority, marks Brevel's formal entry into the plant cell culture market and builds on its earlier work scaling the same technology for microalgae-based nutraceutical ingredients.
Plant cell culture (PCC) grows single plant cells in suspension, offering consistent output, minimal land and water use, and year-round production that is independent of climate, seasons, or soil conditions. Brevel's illuminated fermentation platform adds a further layer by introducing precisely controlled light inside a closed fermenter — a capability that standard dark fermentation cannot replicate.
What the Coffeesai Trial Demonstrated
Coffee, particularly high-quality Arabica, is among the most climate-vulnerable crops in global agriculture. Some projections suggest that up to 50% of current coffee-growing land could become unsuitable for cultivation by 2050 as temperatures rise. Cell-culture approaches offer a pathway to consistent coffee production that is decoupled from those environmental pressures.
In R&D-stage trials with Coffeesai, Brevel's platform achieved stable, high-density coffee cell cultivations through a semi-continuous cultivation process. The use of specific light profiles was shown to influence the flavour and aroma characteristics of the resulting biomass by modulating the expression of desirable value-added compounds.
“Our recent work has demonstrated the platform's ability to achieve high cell densities while sustaining continuous growth through an advanced semi-continuous cultivation process, paving the way for scalable and efficient production,” said Yonatan Golan, CEO and co-founder of Brevel.
“We are encouraged by the initial results from Brevel's platform and its potential to influence certain aspects of the sensory profile. We continue to evaluate its capabilities as we advance our development efforts and determine future production pathways,” said Ami Herman, CEO of Coffeesai.
Brevel Three-Phase Commercial Model
Brevel operates a staged business model that begins with feasibility and proof-of-concept projects, moves into pilot production at its manufacturing facility — which runs illuminated fermenters at 50L, 500L, and 5,000L scales under FSSC 22000 and HACCP certifications — and culminates in full commercial production either at Brevel or through joint venture and manufacturing partnerships. The company has secured USD $30 million in funding to date to expand the platform across industries.
Alongside the Coffeesai collaboration, Brevel has established partnerships with Ayana Bio, a US-based plant cell technology company, and with a cocoa cell-culture startup, positioning illuminated fermentation as a platform technology across multiple food technology and agtech sectors.
