BERKELEY, CALIF.  — Shiru, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ingredient platform, has raised $16 million in a Series B round, bringing its total funding to $36 million, led by investor S2G Ventures with participation from CPT Capital, Lux Capital, Nourish Ventures and Meach Cove Capital.

ProteinDiscovery.ai, the company’s flagship platform, holds a database of natural proteins from plants and microbes, which enables partners in food, personal care, agriculture and advanced materials to identify and test functional and natural ingredients, according to the company.

Shiru said the funding will fuel growth, expand its ingredient portfolio and enhance its ProteinDiscovery.ai platforms by forming commercial partnerships and expanded offerings.

"AI-powered discovery isn't only the future of ingredient innovation - it's here today, and we’re eager to expand our capabilities across flavor, skin care and agriculture," said Jasmin Hume, PhD, founder and chief executive officer of Shiru. "Our technology dramatically reduces development timelines and costs, empowering R&D teams to revolutionize products, categories and industries through our platform, enabling valuable innovation and competitive advantage."

In October 2021, Shiru raised $17 million in a Series A round also led by S2G Ventures.

Recent partnerships include such companies as CP Kelco partnering with the company to develop plant-based proteins using precision fermentation technology; Puratos Group partnering with Shiru to develop a next-generation egg replacement along with other new ingredient alternatives for plant-based baked foods; and Ajinomoto Health to develop and commercialize sweet proteins for beverages and specialty products.

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