Shiru Recognized as WEF 2025 Technology Pioneer for AI-Driven Ingredient Innovation

Berkeley, California — Shiru, a biotechnology startup known for its AI-powered ingredient discovery, has earned global recognition as a 2025 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The company, based in Berkeley, develops functional ingredients from plants and microbes using its proprietary AI platform called Flourish™. Backed by a database of over 33 million protein sequences, Shiru uses bioinformatics and precision biology to find novel proteins that can be used in food, skincare, agriculture, and materials.

In 2024, Flourish™ was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions, after producing innovations such as sweet proteins, egg replacers, and a methylcellulose alternative—all made without metabolic impact. Among its key product breakthroughs are uPro™, a potato-derived protein for food structure, and OleoPro™, a novel fat substitute. Both have already entered scaled-up production through co-manufacturing partnerships.

Shiru’s marketplace platform, ProteinDiscovery.ai, allows food manufacturers and ingredient developers to search, test, and source protein ingredients discovered via AI. In late 2024, the company raised $16 million in Series B funding from investors including Lux Capital and S2G Ventures to expand this platform.

Shiru has also entered research and development collaborations with industry leaders like Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition and Griffith Foods. Additionally, it launched the GLP‑1 Innovation Alliance, a consortium focused on co-developing ingredients that activate GLP-1—an important hormone linked to appetite regulation and metabolic health.

As part of the 2025 WEF Technology Pioneers cohort, Shiru will join other selected startups in contributing to global initiatives and participating in WEF events, including the “New Champions” summit in Tianjin, China. The WEF’s program spotlights early-stage companies using technology to make measurable global impact.