Amyris to Acquire Oobli, Maker of Fermented Sweet Proteins Used to Cut Sugar
Biomanufacturer Amyris agreed to buy Oobli, which makes the sweet proteins brazzein, monellin and thaumatin by fermentation. Terms were not disclosed, and the deal is expected to close in the coming weeks.
Amyris, a California biomanufacturing company, said on Nov. 12 that it will acquire Oobli, a maker of sweet proteins that food and drink brands use to reduce sugar. Financial terms were not disclosed. The companies said the deal is expected to close in the coming weeks and that Oobli’s customer commitments will continue uninterrupted.
TLDR
- Oobli makes three sweet proteins by fermentation: brazzein, monellin and thaumatin. Amyris said they occur naturally in rare fruits and berries that grow near the equator.
- Sweet proteins are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than sugar, according to Amyris.
- Brazzein and monellin have Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) “no questions” letters from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Green Queen and AgFunderNews reported. A letter for thaumatin is pending.
- Amyris emerged from bankruptcy in May 2024 and now works business to business, AgFunderNews reported.
The Deal
Amyris said the deal pairs Oobli’s protein production platform with its own strain engineering and manufacturing. Oobli’s sweet proteins will be the first products to use the combined platform, the company said.
Oobli was founded in 2014 as Miraculex and later renamed Joywell Foods before rebranding as Oobli in 2022, AgFunderNews reported. It has raised nearly $50 million, according to Green Queen. Ali Wing is Oobli’s chief executive. Neither company has said what her role will be after the deal closes.
Oobli uses a contract manufacturer today. Production is likely to stay with that manufacturer for now, Amyris chief executive Kathy Fortmann told AgFunderNews, with no immediate plans to move it to Amyris’s plant in Brazil.
How Sweet Proteins Work
Brazzein comes from the oubli fruit, monellin from the serendipity berry and thaumatin from the katemfe fruit. The proteins are hard to extract from fruit at commercial scale, so Oobli produces them in fermentation tanks with a yeast, Komagataella phaffii, Green Queen reported.
AgFunderNews reported that the yeast is genetically engineered, but that no modified genetic material is detectable in the finished protein, so it does not require a U.S. bioengineered label. Amyris described the proteins as non-GMO. All three are Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) GRAS affirmed for use as natural flavors, according to Amyris. Amyris described the full portfolio as having FDA GRAS status as an ingredient. Green Queen reported that Oobli self-determined thaumatin as GRAS and is awaiting FDA’s letter.
Green Queen reported that Oobli has worked with Ingredion, Grupo Bimbo and Cosun Ingredients.
Why It Matters
Sweet proteins give brands working to cut sugar a newer option. Their FDA status is being built one protein at a time: two have FDA letters, and the third is pending.
The deal moves a venture-backed ingredient startup into a company that already runs large-scale fermentation, which could matter for supply and price as more brands test sweet proteins.
Sources: Amyris (Nov. 12, 2026); AgFunderNews (Elaine Watson, Nov. 12, 2026); Green Queen (Nov. 13, 2026).