Shiru Partners With Ingredion to Accelerate AI-Driven Protein Ingredient Pipeline

New updates have been reported about Shiru.

Shiru has entered a global R&D alliance with Ingredion Inc. to co-develop and commercialize AI-discovered functional proteins, positioning the Berkeley-based company’s Flourish platform at the core of a new prebiotics and nutrition innovation pipeline. Under the collaboration, Shiru’s AI system—built on a database of more than 77 million natural protein sequences—will be used to rapidly identify high-performance, natural protein candidates that Ingredion can scale, manufacture, and route to its 18,000-plus customers in over 120 countries.

The initial focus is on next-generation prebiotics from natural sources that support healthier gut microbiomes, directly targeting CPG demand for clinically credible, scalable ingredients linked to immunity, metabolic health, and cognitive performance. For Shiru, the deal effectively converts its discovery capabilities into a commercial channel by leveraging Ingredion’s global reach and existing customer relationships, and it follows the company’s recent market introduction of uPro and OleoPro, two AI-discovered ingredients now used in food and personal care. Shiru CEO Dr. Jasmin Hume emphasized that AI now compresses discovery timelines from years to months, and Ingredion’s chief innovation officer highlighted Shiru’s role in helping food companies accelerate product development, reinforcing Shiru’s position as a strategic technology partner in the health-focused ingredient market.