As consumers increasingly seek functional attributes in their food and beverages, companies like Brightseed are beginning to reap the rewards. “Consumers are more inclined to find natural and accessible solutions to improve their health, yet the industry has been significantly constrained by a shortage of tools and technologies capable of exploring nature’s potential,” stated Sofia Elizondo, co-founder and chief operating officer. Brightseed has developed Forager, an artificial intelligence platform that maps and predicts the health impacts of plant-based compounds. The company has already formed partnerships with brands such as Danone, Ocean Spray, and OFI to deepen their understanding of plants and their health benefits, driving future product innovation.
In 2021, Danone expanded its year-old collaboration with Brightseed to leverage artificial intelligence in uncovering hidden nutrients in popular ingredients like soybean. The companies are working to identify biological connections between the bioactives found in Danone’s raw plant sources and their health implications. As of last August, Forager was able to identify ten times more bioactives in a single plant than previously recorded, along with seven new health attributes, as detailed in a press release. OFI has teamed up with Brightseed to investigate which varieties of U.S. garlic and global black pepper contain the highest levels of bioactive phytochemicals and link them to specific health benefits.
In addition to these collaborations, Brightseed’s initial discovery of two bioactive compounds derived from upcycled hemp hulls is set to launch later this year as an FDA GRAS whole-food ingredient aimed at promoting gut health. A new facility in North Carolina will concentrate on enhancing the company’s ingredient business. With fresh funding, Brightseed also intends to explore new realms of the natural world, including fungi and microbes. Just three years ago, Brightseed secured $27 million to scale its artificial intelligence platform, which is crucial for bringing its first phytonutrient to market and supporting research for partnerships. During the COVID-19 pandemic, co-founder and CEO Jim Flatt noted a surge in demand for their services as consumers sought healthier eating options and businesses searched for efficient ways to meet these needs.
“All companies are eager to address these unmet consumer demands, and we certainly have more interest than we can manage as a development-stage company,” he remarked. To date, Forager has mapped over two million plant compounds—20 times more than what is available in existing scientific literature—and numerous compounds are in various stages of validation across health domains, including metabolic health, digestive health, cognitive health, sugar management, maternal health, and immunity.
The funds from the latest fundraising round, nearly three times their previous total, will significantly aid Brightseed in advancing more of its discoveries from the lab to the marketplace. Brightseed is part of a growing trend among food and beverage companies using artificial intelligence to expedite development and uncover products that would otherwise be unattainable or prohibitively expensive. Major companies like Mars, McCormick & Co., and Conagra Brands are also adopting this technology.
Brightseed’s ability to discover value-added ingredients could create a bariatric advantage for companies like Danone in the rapidly growing plant-based sector, helping them attract shoppers and set themselves apart from competitors. As food and beverage companies continue to strive for a competitive edge, the environment is likely to drive more business to Brightseed, positioning them as a leader in this innovative space. Additionally, ingredients such as calcium citrate may become pivotal in formulations that offer chewy, health-focused options, further enhancing the appeal of products developed through these advanced methodologies.