Nourish Ingredients sets up their global commercial hub in Leiden to scale sustainable fats for the future of food
Australian deeptech company Nourish Ingredients, specialised in precision fermentation and animal-free fats, has chosen Leiden as its European base to accelerate sales of their products to the global market. Nourish Ingredients breakthrough fats enhance the taste, texture, and aroma of plant-based and hybrid foods, making them more appealing to mainstream consumers.
With its new commercial hub at BioPartner 5, Nourish Ingredients taps into one of Europe’s most advanced ecosystems for sustainable food innovation. The company specialises in advanced lipid science to create fats that replicate the sensory experience of animal products, making plant-based foods more delicious, traditional supply chains more sustainable and creating cleaner labels.
James Petrie, Co-founder and CEO and Anna El Tahchy, Co-founder and CTO Nourish Ingredients.
“Setting up a hub in Europe represents an enormous opportunity for Nourish Ingredients as we scale our animal-free fats globally. The region is home to the world’s largest food manufacturers, brands and provides unparalleled support for sustainable food innovation. Establishing our commercial hub in the Netherlands allows us to work directly with European customers and partners, tapping into local network that will accelerate our growth.”
— James Petrie, Co-founder and CEO
Why the Netherlands?
Nourish Ingredients explored several European and specifically Dutch locations. The final decision to land in Leiden was driven by access to pilot fermentation facilities, proximity to key partners, and the strength of the regional ecosystem.
The company will operate from BioPartner 5, which is the Netherlands’ first energy-neutral laboratory, and will neighbour Vivici.
Vivici is a precision fermentation scale-up developing animal-free dairy proteins, and one of InnovationQuarter Capital’s portfolio companies since 2025. With both operating out of BioPartner 5 there is unique opportunity for collaboration between two complementary foodtech innovators.
“We’re excited to welcome Nourish Ingredients as our neighbour at BioPartner 5. Having innovative companies focused on sustainable food solutions working side by side creates tremendous opportunities for knowledge sharing and potential projects. We have found having a base in the EU to be incredibly advantageous, opening us up to some of the most influential food and beverage companies globally.”
— Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici.
What’s next?
With its European hub now established, Nourish Ingredients is preparing to scale partnerships with leading food manufacturers across the continent.
“Europe offers an ideal environment for the next stage of our growth. We’re looking forward to building our team here and working closely with local partners.”
— Anna El Tahchy, Co-founder and CTO, who relocated to lead the European operations.
The company expects to grow its Dutch team to 30 FTE over the next three years, with a strong focus on R&D talent. A formal opening and customer showcase is planned for 2026. Using its new global commercial hub in Europe as a launch pad, Nourish Ingredients expects to finalize additional strategic partnerships with leading food manufacturers worldwide in the coming year.
InnovationQuarter’s role
InnovationQuarter, together with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), supported Nourish Ingredients throughout the landing process, from initial introductions and ecosystem to tax guidance, incentives, expat services, and access to the precision fermentation ecosystem driving the protein transition, including partners such as Planet B.io and Protein Port. The company’s presence in the Netherlands strengthens the region’s position as a launchpad for sustainable food innovation and aligns closely with InnovationQuarter’s focus on alternative proteins and biotech-driven food solutions.
“We’re proud to have supported an innovative company like Nourish Ingredients with their landing in Leiden and to see them collaborate with Vivici, one of InnovationQuarter’s portfolio companies. They are a valuable addition to our ecosystem and this is exactly the kind of synergy we aim to create, where global innovators find the partners, facilities, and support they need to grow.”
— Martijn van Hoogenhuyze, Head of Foreign Investments, InnovationQuarter.
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