MeliBio

MeliBio
TypeSubsidiary
Founded2020
Founders
  • Darko Mandich
  • Aaron Schaller
Headquarters
Oakland, California
,
U.S.
ParentFoodYoung Labs
Websitewww.melibio.com

MeliBio is an American food tech company that replaces the use of honeybees with microorganisms as a medium for honey production. The company was founded in 2020 by Darko Mandich and Aaron Schaller.

MeliBio is based in Oakland, California.

History

MeliBio was founded in 2020 by Darko Mandich and Aaron Schaller in Berkeley, California. The company uses plant science and precision fermentation to create a product molecularly identical to honey without the need for bees.

In March 2022, MeliBio raised $5.7 million in seed funding. The round was led by Astanor Ventures.

In March 2023, MeliBio launched Mellody, its plant-based honey product.

MeliBio was affected by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023, with up to 90% of the company's assets reportedly held at the bank.

In May 2025, MeliBio was acquired by FoodYoung Labs, a Swiss innovation lab and venture studio based in Balerna, Switzerland. The deal covered the Mellody brand along with MeliBio's plant-based honey technology and related intellectual property, but did not include the company's precision fermentation technology.

References

  1. ↑ Hall, Christine. "MeliBio's honey production, minus bees, will get you buzzing". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  2. ↑ Starostinetskaya, Anna. "New Startup MeliBio Uses Technology, Not Bees, to Make Real Honey". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  3. ↑ "What's the buzz on beeless honey?". KCCI. 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  4. ↑ Ho, Sally (2021-10-01). "We Tasted the World's First Real Honey Made Without Bees From MeliBio and We Couldn't Taste the Difference". Green Queen. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  5. ↑ "Darko u SAD radi na proizvodnji meda bez pčela: Za B92.net o tome šta ćemo jesti za 20 godina". B92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  6. ↑ "Vegan "Honey" Tastes Like the Real Thing. But Will It Save the Bees?". Bon Appétit. 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  7. ↑ Peters, Adele (2020-10-20). "This honey is real—but it wasn't made by bees". Fast Company. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  8. ↑ Axworthy, Nicole. "Butterfinger Copycat, Bee-Free Honey, and More Vegan Food News of the Week". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  9. ↑ Fuchs, Liliana (2021-10-26). "La miel vegana llega al mercado: sabe igual, pero no intervienen las abejas". Directo al Paladar (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  10. ↑ "Making honey without bees and milk without cows". BBC News. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  11. ↑ admin (2021-04-22). "Honey without bees?". The Western Producer. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  12. ↑ "Así es la primera miel vegana en la que no intervienen las abejas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  13. ↑ Lakhani-Kanji, Riya (2022-04-07). "World's First Bee-Free Honey Company MeliBio Secures $5.7M In Funding". Plant Based News. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  14. ↑ "MeliBio Launches Mellody, the 'World's First' Realistic Plant-Based Honey". vegconomist. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  15. ↑ "How the Silicon Valley Bank Crash Impacts Food Businesses". Xtalks. 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  16. ↑ ""That's how capitalism works," SVB collapse and nutrition and food start-ups take a hit". .nutritioninsight.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  17. ↑ Watson, Elaine (2025-05-27). "Honey-without-bees startup MeliBio acquired by FoodYoung Labs: 'Founders need to adapt, but investors should not back away'". AgFunderNews. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  18. ↑ Mridul, Anay (2025-05-28). "Bee-Free Honey Startup MeliBio Acquired by Switzerland's FoodYoung Labs". Green Queen. Retrieved 2026-08-01.