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Daniel Batora, can you summarize in a few sentences what your Venture Fellowship project is about?
I am researching how molecules from nature interact with taste receptors on the human tongue. I discovered that these interactions are more complex than previously thought and we can leverage these new mechanisms in the creation of novel sensory experiences in food, thus enhance taste. My Venture Fellowship project is about validating the laboratory results in a relevant manufacturing environment with industry partners.

As you mentioned, this is a new mechanism. What are the current solutions to enhance taste?
The most recent technologies are activating a specific taste receptor that drives the so-called kokumi sensation. This activation leads to an enhanced perceived intensity and continuity of the basic tastes. Kokumi basically makes the taste experience more pleasant, like in a mature cheese or a long-cooked meal, and thus has high commercial value.
Flavor companies that sell products to activate the kokumi receptor are constrained by the costs and the authorization of the molecules as food ingredients. Because of that, current commercial products are not very effective. Our product is a completely new concept in taste enhancement called a kokumi modulator. During my PhD, I discovered natural products that can push the receptor’s peak activation and prolong the active state, resulting in a much more pronounced kokumi effect. The best part is that because of this modulatory mechanism, our product works in synergy with the available kokumi activators, meaning that the combination of the two ingredients creates a stronger kokumi with minimal impact on manufacturing processes.

Why do we even need something to enhance taste?
Because taste is the number one priority for consumers when making purchasing decisions. Food trends may come and go, but taste is here to stay. Our kokumi modulators will enable food companies to reduce ingredients in their food that are harmful in excess, such as salt, sugar or fat, while keeping the taste profile competitive.

The food industry is a very big industry. Where do you see the best application for your product?
We evaluate the applications based on three different factors: product differentiation, the size of the market and the time to market.
From the perspective of product differentiation, we are targeting the “high-kokumi-market”, which includes dairy products and Asian food. These are products that already contain the kokumi activators in a saturated concentration. This means there is no additional sensory benefit of competitor products. We found that in these applications, our product performs very well.
Secondly, we're of course looking at numbers and which applications would be the most fruitful in terms of the market size. We are already working with some big brands, and this could be a good opportunity to get into, for example, snacks, sauces or plant-based products.
Thirdly we're also looking at feasibility. How fast can we go to the market? One example is the cheese market: we see some obstacles in traditional cheese making, where it’s not allowed to add flavorings. In contrast, fondue is a promising first application with very high taste efficacy and feasibility, which also fits well with Swiss culture.

Your background is in research, when did you know that you would want to pursue an entrepreneurial career?
Already ten years ago when I started university. I always wanted to embrace the complexity of things and never wanted to settle for research only. That's why I did quite different things: from direct sales in insurance to projects in economics. I think by building a business I get this complexity because I have to look at the whole value chain and not just the scientific part. I feel that I contribute more to society by implementing the results of my research in the pursuit of economic value. This particular project is especially appealing to me because the iteration cycle is very fast. At the same time, I experience a similar scientific complexity to drug development. With our ’bench-to-bowl’ concept, I can move from receptor pharmacology to human sensory trials within a week. One year ago, we just had the lab results, now we are working with some of the biggest companies in the industry. If I didn’t pursue this project, then none of this would be happening.

How important is choosing the right university and research group for a project like this?
I think it's one of the most important things. You need to be in in an environment that supports creativity and unconventional ideas. I took a completely different direction in our research group, which does not focus on food. But exactly this is the advantage of remaining open to ideas and exploring new things. When you have the freedom to explore something, disruptive ideas can ultimately emerge.

How is the ��ɫֱ�� supporting you on your path?
I think the ��ɫֱ�� was very supportive because it provided many resources. First of all, the research infrastructure that is crucial for us to do the experiments. But also having the ability to engage with the market through the Venture Fellowship. The support to do entrepreneurial activities early on is very important. I think the problem with many translational projects is that there's no early market outreach that allows to understand the commercial reality. Being able to do that was crucial for us because it allowed us to get a realistic picture on the pricing, the regulations, the market need and then optimize our solution to meet those needs.

And what do you think is maybe missing at the ��ɫֱ�� to encourage more young researchers to go entrepreneurial?
Maybe having more positive examples. In general, the ��ɫֱ�� is on the right path. I see a stronger focus on entrepreneurship and innovation compared to when I first came here. I think more encouragement is needed for students to bring up new ideas, but also to be critical about their ideas and validate them on the market.

What is your plan after the Venture Fellowship, what are the next steps?
There are two major tasks. We managed to establish many pilot projects with industrial partners during the Fellowship and we have to finalize these and push them towards the commercialization. We aim to validate our business model and generate revenue on a small scale before we reach out to investors. This ensures credibility and that resources are allocated efficiently. Secondly, leveraging from the ’bench-to-bowl’ approach, we are developing the second generation of our formulations that has even better properties. We will do more R&D to substantiate our IP portfolio.