Combining their expertise in production technology and non-animal protein innovation, the firms are working to develop Col-01, a collagen with superior purity, precision, and sustainability.
Driven by the diversification of the ingredient across diverse health applications, the global collagen supplements market was valued at $5.84 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $13.92 billion by 2034 (Straits Research).
Yet, despite rising consumer demand for sustainable and animal-free products, most collagen today comes from animal-derived hydrolysates, produced by extracting collagen from animal tissues and then hydrolyzing it enzymatically or chemically.
A new standard in precision
This process inherently leads to risks of variability in composition as a result of natural biological variation as well as variables in extraction and hydrolysis processes, according to Michalyn Andrews, CEO of Provenance Bio.
It can additionally bring the risk of supply chain contaminants, he said.
“Animal-sourced materials can introduce risks like heavy metals, antibiotics, hormones, pathogens—such as BSE risk in bovine—or environmental pollutants from feed and water.
“Supply chains involve multiple steps—slaughter, rendering, transport— increasing chances of cross-contamination or degradation,” said Andrews.
“Premium brands are now seeking a new standard: purity, precision, and sustainability without compromising function.”
The US-based startup utilizes an hydroxylation technology which allows the replication of the critical structural features of animal derived collagen to offer the traceability and purity “that modern consumers demand”, Andrews said.
“Precision fermentation like with our Col-1 allows for production in a controlled microbial system, yielding a defined, consistent peptide profile with targeted hydroxylation—eliminating these sources of batch-to-batch variability."
He added: “This partnership with Artes accelerates our path to market, ensuring we deliver a game-changing ingredient at scale.”
Hydroxylation is crucial for collagen’s stability and bioactivity. Published research shows hydroxyproline-rich peptides like Pro-Hyp are bioavailable and support skin health after ingestion.
“Col-01 is engineered around this science, providing a precise Hyp rich collagen signal with consistent identity and controlled dosing rather than relying on variable hydrolysate mixtures,” said Andrews.
Artes Biotechnology GmbH is a German company specialized in the development of processes for the production of recombinant proteins from microbial expression systems.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Provenance on industrializing hydroxylated collagen bioactives,” said Dr. Michael Piontek, managing director of Artes Biotechnology. “Our strain engineering and bioprocess know-how will transform this innovative science into reliable, cost-effective manufacturing for global nutrition markets. Customers will benefit from our animal-component- and antibiotic-free protein production platform.”
The future is biomimetic
Elizabeth Thundow, VP of management consulting at Kline & Co., told NI in 2025 that biomimetic collagen is quickly gaining traction, although much of the growth thus far has been driven by biotech firms in China.
“For ingredient suppliers, the opportunity lies in maintaining a premium position through specialization,” she told NI. “Offering differentiated, high-quality, science-backed ingredients with very specific health claims, and making a move away from generic collagen positioning.”
The ingredient will launch as a branded ingredient, with trademark guidelines for on-pack display. Early access is now available to select B2B partners as technical and regulatory milestones are met, including: Achieving target yields and purity at pilot scale, completing analytical validation, stability and shelf-life data, regulatory confirmations, and supply chain qualification.
“We’ll be opening up limited early access for co-development and formulation testing with select B2B partners in the process allowing brands to integrate Col-01 into products ahead of full launch,” said Andrews.
