![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/09\/bill-gates-foundation-novo-nordisk-ozempic-acetate-consortium-co2-1-1024x768.png\")
Now, Gates Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation have renewed the initiative, called the Acetate Consortium, for another two years, pumping in up to 162.2 million kroner ($25.6M) to scale the technologies developed in the first phase and produce food prototypes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen the consortium began its work two years ago, making food derived from CO2 seemed like something taken from a science fiction movie. Within the next two years, we can expect to see actual prototypes of food products that will be tested by consumers,\u201d said Claus Felby, VP of agrifood at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which owns the eponymous pharmaceutical giant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acetate Consortium developed acetate-eating microbes in phase one<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"co2](\"https:\/\/www.greenqueen.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bill-gates-foundation-novo-nordisk-ozempic-acetate-consortium-co2-protein-2-1024x819.jpg\")
\u00a9 Novo Nordisk Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe idea behind the project is to produce alternatives to planet-harming animal proteins via fermentation. But instead of using sugar as a feedstock for the microbes, the consortium has sought ways to replace it with CO2-derived acetate, or vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By eschewing sugar, the process can free up<\/a> vast swathes of agricultural land, aligning with the Acetate Consortium\u2019s aim to mitigate climate change as well as food insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe acetate is procured from captured carbon through electrochemical processes, turning emissions into valuable proteins that can potentially feed over a billion people annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In phase one, the consortium developed an integrated platform to convert CO2 into acetate for single-cell and precision proteins. Its members developed microbial strains that grow on 100% acetate and contain more than 40% protein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, this stage saw the completion of pilot facilities at Aarhus University in Denmark for individual acetate production modules. Moreover, the consortium identified electricity and infrastructure as the two key cost drivers of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the second phase, the group will comprise 10 partners, such as Novo Nordisk Foundation\u2019s CO2 Research Center, Novonesis, Orkla Foods, Topsoe, and several universities. It also includes Spora, the food innovation centre founded by Rasmus Munk, head chef at Alchemist, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spora\u2019s role would be to make the results \u201ctaste more like dinner than science\u201d. \u201cThe technology developed in phase one can reshape how we produce food, and I look forward to turning it into nutritious and above all delicious ingredients for the future,\u201d said Munk, who was voted the world\u2019s best chef in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second phase will scale up tech and develop food prototypes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"gates](\"https:\/\/www.greenqueen.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bill-gates-foundation-novo-nordisk-ozempic-acetate-consortium-co2-protein-3-1024x683.jpg\")
\u00a9 Novo Nordisk Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nGates Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation\u2019s renewal of the project will allow its members to focus on optimising and scaling the technologies and methods, as well as developing and testing food prototypes in the second phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of this next stage, the consortium will model the technical, economic, and environmental impact of the technological solution it has developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Novo Nordisk Foundation, Denmark has a \u201cstrong tradition of collaboration\u201d between industry and researchers within food and biosolutions, and the country\u2019s gastronomic space is a leader in experimenting with food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Munk and Spora\u2019s involvement is a sign of that. \u201cThe goal is to develop delicious, protein-rich everyday foods with a low impact on the planet \u2013 and broad appeal, especially for families in the communities that need it the most,\u201d said Spora CEO Mette Johnsen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of Denmark\u2019s strengths is the ability to bridge research, industry, and gastronomy. This makes us an ideal test country for new technologies such as this, where CO2 can be used as a raw material for future food,\u201d said Felby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHere, we can develop and test prototypes in close collaboration with researchers, companies, and chefs, and share our findings to benefit communities and industries worldwide,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Denmark is already a leader in the protein transition. Its government was the world\u2019s first to introduce a carbon tax on meat and dairy production<\/a> and a national action plan for plant-based food<\/a>. And it\u2019s pushing for an EU-wide version of the latter during its ongoing presidency of the European Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNovo Nordisk Foundation, meanwhile, has already been at the forefront of food industry disruption<\/a> through the success of its GLP-1 drugs Ozempic<\/a> and Wegovy, and has also invested in a $7.6M AI-led project<\/a> to develop less processed plant proteins.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Acetate Consortium isn\u2019t the only initiative turning carbon dioxide into proteins. Solar Foods<\/a>, Air Protein<\/a>, LanzaTech<\/a>, Jooules<\/a>, Aerbio<\/a>, and Unibio<\/a> are among several startups leveraging gas fermentation for food production.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was in June 2023 that Bill Gates\u2019s philanthropic foundation teamed up with the organisation behind Ozempic and NovoRapid on a 200 million kroner ($29M) project to produce nutritious food from carbon dioxide. Now, Gates Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation have renewed the initiative, called the Acetate Consortium, for another two years, pumping in up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":168596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Gates Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation have extended the Acetate Consortium initiative by another two years with a $25.6M investment to turn CO2 into proteins","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571],"tags":[10744,12330,12575,10743],"supplier":[4477,4856,14241,24625,26964,2010],"class_list":["post-168581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co2-based","tag-carboncapture","tag-ccu","tag-nutrition","tag-useco2","supplier-aarhus-university","supplier-bill-melinda-gates-foundation","supplier-novo-nordisk-foundation-center","supplier-novonesis","supplier-spora","supplier-haldor-topsoe-as"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168581"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=168581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The idea behind the project is to produce alternatives to planet-harming animal proteins via fermentation. But instead of using sugar as a feedstock for the microbes, the consortium has sought ways to replace it with CO2-derived acetate, or vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By eschewing sugar, the process can free up<\/a> vast swathes of agricultural land, aligning with the Acetate Consortium\u2019s aim to mitigate climate change as well as food insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The acetate is procured from captured carbon through electrochemical processes, turning emissions into valuable proteins that can potentially feed over a billion people annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In phase one, the consortium developed an integrated platform to convert CO2 into acetate for single-cell and precision proteins. Its members developed microbial strains that grow on 100% acetate and contain more than 40% protein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, this stage saw the completion of pilot facilities at Aarhus University in Denmark for individual acetate production modules. Moreover, the consortium identified electricity and infrastructure as the two key cost drivers of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second phase, the group will comprise 10 partners, such as Novo Nordisk Foundation\u2019s CO2 Research Center, Novonesis, Orkla Foods, Topsoe, and several universities. It also includes Spora, the food innovation centre founded by Rasmus Munk, head chef at Alchemist, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spora\u2019s role would be to make the results \u201ctaste more like dinner than science\u201d. \u201cThe technology developed in phase one can reshape how we produce food, and I look forward to turning it into nutritious and above all delicious ingredients for the future,\u201d said Munk, who was voted the world\u2019s best chef in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gates Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation\u2019s renewal of the project will allow its members to focus on optimising and scaling the technologies and methods, as well as developing and testing food prototypes in the second phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of this next stage, the consortium will model the technical, economic, and environmental impact of the technological solution it has developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Novo Nordisk Foundation, Denmark has a \u201cstrong tradition of collaboration\u201d between industry and researchers within food and biosolutions, and the country\u2019s gastronomic space is a leader in experimenting with food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Munk and Spora\u2019s involvement is a sign of that. \u201cThe goal is to develop delicious, protein-rich everyday foods with a low impact on the planet \u2013 and broad appeal, especially for families in the communities that need it the most,\u201d said Spora CEO Mette Johnsen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of Denmark\u2019s strengths is the ability to bridge research, industry, and gastronomy. This makes us an ideal test country for new technologies such as this, where CO2 can be used as a raw material for future food,\u201d said Felby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere, we can develop and test prototypes in close collaboration with researchers, companies, and chefs, and share our findings to benefit communities and industries worldwide,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Denmark is already a leader in the protein transition. Its government was the world\u2019s first to introduce a carbon tax on meat and dairy production<\/a> and a national action plan for plant-based food<\/a>. And it\u2019s pushing for an EU-wide version of the latter during its ongoing presidency of the European Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Novo Nordisk Foundation, meanwhile, has already been at the forefront of food industry disruption<\/a> through the success of its GLP-1 drugs Ozempic<\/a> and Wegovy, and has also invested in a $7.6M AI-led project<\/a> to develop less processed plant proteins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Acetate Consortium isn\u2019t the only initiative turning carbon dioxide into proteins. Solar Foods<\/a>, Air Protein<\/a>, LanzaTech<\/a>, Jooules<\/a>, Aerbio<\/a>, and Unibio<\/a> are among several startups leveraging gas fermentation for food production.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It was in June 2023 that Bill Gates\u2019s philanthropic foundation teamed up with the organisation behind Ozempic and NovoRapid on a 200 million kroner ($29M) project to produce nutritious food from carbon dioxide. Now, Gates Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation have renewed the initiative, called the Acetate Consortium, for another two years, pumping in up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":168596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Gates Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation have extended the Acetate Consortium initiative by another two years with a $25.6M investment to turn CO2 into proteins","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571],"tags":[10744,12330,12575,10743],"supplier":[4477,4856,14241,24625,26964,2010],"class_list":["post-168581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co2-based","tag-carboncapture","tag-ccu","tag-nutrition","tag-useco2","supplier-aarhus-university","supplier-bill-melinda-gates-foundation","supplier-novo-nordisk-foundation-center","supplier-novonesis","supplier-spora","supplier-haldor-topsoe-as"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168581"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=168581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Second phase will scale up tech and develop food prototypes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n