Most naturally occurring plant compounds are hydrophobic, meaning they do not dissolve efficiently in water. These compounds also possess a robust crystalline structure, further limiting water’s ability to disperse them. The result is slow dissolution in the intestinal tract and low absorption.
Built around a dual‑coating system, Optisolv combines an inner cyclodextrin-based core — a ring-shaped starch molecules, masking the hydrophobicity of the compounds—with an outer shell of sunflower, lecithin and starch.
While it is common for a cyclodextrin core on its own to crystalize during processing, creating low bioavailability and permeability, this dual-coating structure improves permeability, improving solubility, absorption, and taste profile, with all-natural ingredients.
Felix Rolka, co‑founder and CEO of Evanium explained brands no longer need to compromise on either applicability, naturalness, or bioavailability
“The future of nutraceuticals lies not in higher dosages, but in smarter formulations,” he said. “Optisolv turns promising bioactives into high‑performance ingredients, enabling truly effective products.”
The capital raise, backed by FoodLabs and Feast Ventures, will be used to scale the company’s proprietary technology, advance clinical studies, and accelerate partnerships.
Benedikt Stöckert, Partner at Feast Ventures, said: “With a proven technology, early commercial traction, and a dedicated platform strategy, Evanium is well-positioned to become a key technology partner for next‑generation ingredients in applications across food, supplements, nutricosmetics, and pharmaceuticals”.
Side project evolved
David Ofner, co-founder and CTO, told NutraIngredients he and Rolka launched the company seven years ago with the plan to deliver a flavonoid-rich supplement but they soon realized the opportunity was in solving the botanical bioavailability conundrum.
“During development we figured out the ingredient was so expensive it was difficult to dose in the right amount. That was our introduction to the bioavailability problem in the botanicals space.”
“So Optisolv began as a side project in which we were testing a lot of different technologies to improve the bioavailability of our supplement. We really wanted to accomplish high performance which you would usually only achieve with synthetic emulsifiers. But we wanted a clean label and that’s where we saw a big gap in offerings.
“When we came to speak to investors to raise a pre-seed round, we saw the interest was way more in the tech than our actual ingredient so we decided to focus on that.”
After launching its first Optisolv-powered ingredient, Optisolv curcumin, with German manufacturer Hevert-Arzneimittel, in 2025, the company has built its portfolio to include four ingredients: Curcumin, berberine, boswellia, and passiflora.
Pilot studies prove efficacy
The firm has undertaken pilot in-vitro studies using human intestinal cell models to compare the bioavailability of the Optisolv ingredients compared with the botanicals in standard hydrochloride salt form. They’ve also tested the digestion of the ingredients in biorelevant gastric fluid.
Looking at curcumin as an example, their studies indicate more than 1,000x improvement for ingredient solubility and more than 170x improvement for digestion.
What’s more, they have created gummies using their Optisolv passion flower ingredient in comparison to a standard extract and the heat protective effects of the Optisolv technology was visually evident.
“When we manufactured a gummy with standard passionflower, the ingredient turned black as it caramalized and burnt during the typical heating process used to create gummies. With our system, the ingredient is stabilized to withstand that same temperature.”
Thanks to the recent funding, preparations for clinical studies are underway to further strengthen the scientific backing.
After filing its fourth patent, the Evanium team will attend Vitafoods as exhibitors for the first time this year.
Ofner added: “We’ve been working in stealth in the lab since 2019 and now for the first time we have the possibility to talk more openly about the technology and our ingredients.”
