# Helaina

founded in New York by Laura Katz in 2019, Helaina brews human-identical lactoferrin (effera) in Komagataella phaffii and has published 11 papers on it; production has reached metric-ton scale (about 10 million servings per run) through co-manufacturing partners,…

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/helaina/
Updated: 2026-08-15

- Country: United States

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Funding | $83 million total equity funding (including $45 million Series B) (2024-09-25) | https://www.edibleplanetventures.com/post/helaina-bags-45-million-to-transform-nutrition-with-human-equivalent-bioactive-proteins |
| Capacity | metric tons per production run (10 million servings per run) | https://agfundernews.com/10-million-servings-per-run-helaina-scales-human-lactoferrin-production, https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2026/06/05/nestle-and-helaina-enter-partnership-in-infant-nutrition-space/ |
| Certification | self-affirmed GRAS status in the US | https://agfundernews.com/10-million-servings-per-run-helaina-scales-human-lactoferrin-production, https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2026/06/05/nestle-and-helaina-enter-partnership-in-infant-nutrition-space/ |
| Regulatory approval | US GRAS status secured; European and other major market approvals in progress [medium confidence] | https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2026/06/05/nestle-and-helaina-enter-partnership-in-infant-nutrition-space/ |
| Production site | 15,000 square foot R&D facility in Midtown Manhattan, New York City | https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/helaina-laura-katz-pamela-lombana-197 |
| Headcount | 43 employees (2024-12-31) [medium confidence] | https://fsome.com/organization/helaina-33700, https://www.datanyze.com/companies/helaina/558073239, https://www.thecompanycheck.com/company/b/helaina/3y4l8bh652e47t63g |

Independent sources: agfundernews.com, blog.priceplow.com, datanyze.com, edibleplanetventures.com, foodnavigator.com, fsome.com, thecompanycheck.com

## Technologies

- [Precision-fermented infant formula](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/precision-fermented-infant-formula/)