Australian biomanufacturing company Cauldron Ferm announced a $13.25 million Series A2 funding round and recognition on Fast Company’s 2026 list of most innovative companies.
Main Sequence Ventures led the round, with participation from Horizons Ventures, SOSV, and Australian pension fund NGS Super. The raise brings Cauldron’s total funding to $26 million since its 2022 founding.
The company has developed what it calls “hyper-fermentation,” a continuous production system designed to keep microbes productive for extended periods. Traditional batch fermentation runs in cycles, stopping and starting. Cauldron’s approach keeps the process running continuously, which the company says increases output and lowers costs.
Biomanufacturing uses engineered microbes to convert simple inputs like sugar into chemicals, ingredients, and other products. The challenge has been matching the cost and scale of conventional industrial processes. Cauldron claims its technology addresses that gap.
The company has demonstrated its system at 10,000-liter scale, producing bio-based food ingredients, chemicals, and nutraceuticals for clients. It’s now working with corporate partners to retrofit existing facilities with its technology.
Ben Squires, chief investment officer at NGS Super, pointed to the commercial case. “Cauldron’s continuous hyper-fermentation platform is focused on the key constraint in the sector: improving productivity and unit economics at industrial scale.”
The funding comes as supply chain disruptions continue affecting global industries. Some estimates suggest up to 60% of physical inputs to the global economy could eventually be produced biologically, though that transformation depends on cost competitiveness.
