Sugar substitute technology wins scale-up funding

A Cambridge-based biotech company focused on disrupting the sugar industry to improve human health has been awarded a £60,000 grant by The Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative to invest in the development of its natural sugar substitute technology.

Cambridge Glycoscience specialises in the manufacture of novel functional food ingredients to improve the aesthetic and nutritional quality of manufactured foods. 

It aims to tackle growing public health concerns around diet-related illnesses including diabetes, heart disease and obesity. 

The grant funding will enable Cambridge Glycoscience to accelerate the development of its patent-pending technology; the aim is to provide credible alternatives to sugar that can be used across the manufactured food industry. 

The company is currently manufacturing its product at lab scale for scientific validation and analysis. The funding boost will underpin an upscale push towards commercial scale. 

Dr Tom Simmons, Cambridge Glycoscience CEO, said: “This timely grant support will help us take our technology to the next level so we can address market demand and make an impact on global public health.
 
“The support of Eastern Agritech is a great endorsement of the potential of our technology and also provides a great platform from which to launch our product.” 

New ingredients to substitute for sugar are in high demand by the manufactured food industry, because of changing consumer preferences and government regulations. 

Cambridge Glycoscience’s novel sugar substitute ingredients will initially target applications in the manufactured food industry that haven’t yet been able to adapt using current ingredients. 

Cambridge Glycoscience has strong connections with the University of Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry, having been founded by Dr Simmons, a former fellow in the department, and Professor Paul Dupree. 

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Dr Tom Simmons