ÄIO

This is ÄIO. Intense, inspiring, down to earth, and very human. 🔴 We're keeping the science running and the world curious. Here's what's up these weeks. Around the world: - Kristi and Magdalena had great meetings through the Innovation Challenge at COSMETIC 360 in Paris - Magdalena pitching at L’Oréal Sustainable Innovation Accelerator today - Kristi presenting ÄIO at the EIT Alumni CONNECT event in Brussels, after securing 2nd place at the HEIPowered Startup Pitch Competition - Nemailla is soon heading to Brazil with the Estonian delegation to COP30 Brazil - Petri-Jaan, Martin, and Kristi are flying to TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, pitching ÄIO at #StartupBattlefield 200, meeting future investors and partners. - Robert will represent us at the Benchling event in London - Kristi is preparing to pitch on the main stage at Web Summit in Lisbon, after winning the national competition - Tommaso joined the Residency of Young Scientific Talents in Paris, supported by Universcience and the the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs - Hiroaki is about to become a documentary star! "Noa Teral – Hiroaki" premieres on October 26, sharing his story, culinary vision, and how he's shaping the Estonian food scene Back in the lab and pilot plant: While some of us are taking stage time, others are running the important show behind the scenes. Pilot plant prep, new tests & samples, data analysis, novel food and cosmetics permits, and everyday decisions for next steps. We on-boarded our 26th team member, welcomed many visitors (also Mustamäe Riigigümnaasium!), created new marketing materials (look out for them at events, something packed also for you, Michael J Schick!), and yes, navigated difficult conversations and tough decisions. Glamour and reality hand in hand at ÄIO - doing science, cleaning and maintaining equipment, pitching and speaking globally. Onwards. See you out there!

Bonjour, innovation! In the city of beauty, we bring the science. 🔴 Join us at COSMETIC 360 in Paris, where ÄIO showcases the future of fats: sustainable, microbial, and made for tomorrow's cosmetics. From side-streams to smart formulations, we're rethinking what ingredients can be. Meet the team: Magdalena Koziol, Head of Cosmetics Development Kristi Lember, Global Business Developer We're also proud to be selected for the Innovation Challenge, spotlighting bold solutions shaping the future of sustainable beauty. Where: Carrousel du Louvre, Paris When: 16. - 17. October 2025 What: Discover our next-gen oils: clean, functional, and planet-friendly. Let's co-create what's next in beauty. One drop of smart oil at a time. See you in Paris!

From sawdust to stardust - we're in TechCrunch! 🔴 ÄIO is proud to be featured on TechCrunch with an interview. Our co-founders Nemailla Bonturi and Petri-Jaan Lahtvee shared to journalist Julie Bort, how we turn agricultural side-streams like sawdust into edible fats for food and cosmetics. Huge thanks for spotlighting our mission to make the fat industry more sustainable! We are one of the #StartupBattlefield companies, so see in San Francisco you at #TechCrunchDisrupt2025! ÄIO is pitching at the Sustainability Stage on Monday, October 27 at 08:30am. Don't miss us! Come visit our booth N25 and meet the ÄIO team (co-founder Petri-Jaan Lahtvee, Global Business Developer Kristi Lember, Chief Financial Officer Martin Mets), all on the spot to connect with future investors and partners. We're happy, excited, and ready to share the future of fat. Let's talk! https://lnkd.in/gFuyUQQb Michael J Schick and Isabelle Johannessen - thank you so much for all the support from TechCrunch Startup Battlefield side! 💚

Welcome to the secret language of cosmetics: INCI names! 🔴 ÄIO's three microbial oils are now recognised with official INCI names. A significant milestone that enables us to bring fermentation-based alternatives into cosmetics and personal care markets worldwide. Red Oil = Rhodotorula Oil Encapsulated oil = Rhodotorula Ferment ZymaLipid Complex = Linoleic/Oleic/Palmitic Acid They might sound like magic spells, but think of them as the "passport names" of cosmetic ingredients. For example: Coconut oil = Cocos Nucifera Oil 🥥 Olive oil = Olea Europaea Fruit Oil 🫒 Grape seed oil = Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil 🍇 So, what's the deal with INCI? - it's a standardised naming system developed by the International Nomenclature Committee and published by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) - it ensures ingredient lists are consistent and transparent across the globe - it helps formulators, consumers, regulators, and yes, innovators, all speak the same language Why it matters:  - formulators know exactly what they're sourcing  - consumers can spot allergens or confirm vegan claims - regulators can check safety and compliance - innovators can introduce novel, sustainable ingredients worldwide INCI might sound too technical and irrelevant, but in reality, it's the bridge between scientific innovation and the creams, balms, and serums you use every day. Meet our Head of Cosmetics Development, Magdalena Koziol and Global Business Developer, Kristi Lember at the global showcase for innovation in the fragrance and cosmetics industry, COSMETIC 360, on 15&16 October in Paris at Carrousel du Louvre! Let's meet and talk!

We have officially left the "milliliter phase" behind! 🔴 Tens of liters of ÄIO oil here! Scaling up is an important step in transforming ÄIO's innovation into industrial reality. It proves that our microbial oil production is not just a lab concept, it's a viable process ready for larger-scale application. Signal to partners and investors: ÄIO's fermentation tech is ready to move forward. Great work, team ÄIO! ❤️

Second place, a proof that we are on the right track! 🔴 We're excited to share that ÄIO took 2nd place at the HEIPowered Startup Pitch Competition Final! Our Global Business Developer Kristi Lember took the virtual stage to showcase how our microbial oils made from side-streams are shaping a more sustainable future for food and cosmetics as ingredients. This recognition by EIT Higher Education Initiative community highlights the growing importance of sustainable biotech solutions across sectors and the value of collaboration between science, startups, and public innovation platforms. And next? Meet Kristi giving a pitch about ÄIO on the main stage at EIT Alumni Connect 2025 in Brussels on 17. October 2025. We look forward to representing Estonia and the broader bioeconomy at one of the EIT community's flagship events. The competition was part of European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) programme supporting over 1,700 startups spun out of or supported by European universities. The goal - to empower entrepreneurship through connections, funding, visibility, and tailored support, bringing education and research organisations together with startups and business to form dynamic cross-border partnerships.

Men in Black... and Fermentation in Progress. 🔴 Microorganisms never sleep, and neither does our team. While the world sees part of our team on stages, panels, and pitch decks across the world, the real magic happens here in our R&D lab and pilot plant, where innovation works 24/7 inside a bioreactor. This Friday, a shoutout to our hard-working in-house heroes, captured mid-maintenance in their black lab coats, before switching back to white for the next production round. Like the Men in Black, we're on a mission: - replace unsustainable oils and fats - turn side-streams into high-performance ingredients We're not chasing aliens, but we are chasing scalable, traceable, circular solutions for the food and cosmetics industries. To our team: thank you for showing up with dedication, precision, and (occasionally) a little sci-fi flair. To the world: yes, we're open for collaborations, and yes, the future is growing... right now, inside our tanks.

Side-Stream Superstars - Building the Future Now! 🔴 ÄIO joins Future Food-Tech in London this week. On the ground: Mary-Liis Kütt, CIO - meeting partners, bringing regulatory insight, scientific depth, and visionary drive Martin Mets, CFO - connecting with investors to scale our fermentation-powered future At ÄIO, we transform food and agricultural side-streams into next-generation fats and oils through precision fermentation. A sustainable, traceable, scalable alternative to palm, coconut, and animal fats. We're in London, to build connections: - with industry partners & innovators exploring novel food - with brands looking for better ingredients - with investors Let's meet. Let's talk. Let's build. Let's scale. Future Food‑Tech, one of the world's leading events for food system innovation, a place where science meets sustainability, and bold ideas shape the future of what we eat, brings together global food brands, pioneering startups, ingredient innovators, and forward‑thinking investors, all focused on climate-smart, healthy, and accessible food systems. With key themes like fermentation, alternative raw materials, labeling and legislation, it's a perfect stage for what we do at ÄIO.

Meet the team, Sajesh Nithianandam! 🔴 At ÄIO, we love turning side-streams into value and Sajesh joined us because he's made that mission his own. As a Research Engineer, Sajesh brings curiosity, drive, and a sharp scientific mind to our daily work with fermentation. Why ÄIO? "My research interests and previous projects closely align with ÄIO's mission, which I have admired and followed for a while. I'm thrilled to contribute to making sustainable fats and oils a mainstream reality." Describing himself as curious, active, and adaptable, Sajesh finds energy not just in science but also in sport, his personal superpower. And if he were a lab tool? He'd go all in: "I would be a bioreactor filled with yeast, so I could metabolize the crazy amount of sugar I take in daily and turn it into something useful, like our oils and fats!" His can't-live-without food? Rice! Every day, every way. And if he could suddenly gain a new skill? "The ability to speak and understand multiple languages, to connect much better with people." Sajesh is part of the power behind our process: from samples and data to scale-up and analysis, he helps move our innovations from idea to implementation. We're so glad he chose ÄIO. Thank you for being part of this journey, Sajesh, both in the lab and as a teammate with unstoppable good energy. And all the best wishes for your birthday-week!

ÄIO Press release! First tonne produced! 🔴 From side-stream to breakthrough ingredient. 1 tonne of sustainable fat made through precision fermentation. "This is not just a production milestone, it's a validation of a dream!" says Nemailla Bonturi, CEO & Co-founder of ÄIO. We're proud to share that ÄIO has successfully produced our first tonne of encapsulated oil. A sustainable, yeast-based alternative to traditional fats and oils for food and cosmetics. This milestone is a 300x scale-up from our lab capacity and a major step toward commercial production. The world needs better fats. ÄIO is here to deliver, sustainably and at scale. Achieving this milestone proves that our precision fermentation process scales and that the future of oils is already here. Our oil offers a high-performing, traceable alternative to palm oil, coconut oil, eggs, and even cocoa, reducing the environmental burden without compromising quality. It's rich in proteins, fibers, and bioactive lipids, bringing value to both, cosmetic formulations and food applications. Interested in working with us? Let's build a more sustainable fat economy. Together. We're gearing up for next-stage growth, forming new partnerships, and preparing for our Seed A round in 2026. https://lnkd.in/demVj58M