TORONTO, April 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AuX Labs, a food technology company using precision fermentation to produce real dairy proteins, today announced the close of a $4 million funding round. The investment will fast-track the commercialization of a platform that delivers cheese that melt, stretch, and taste as consumers expect from traditional dairy, at a price point and scale that makes it viable for everyday operators and consumers from day one.
This funding round, led by NYA Ventures and Nàdarra Ventures, with participation from Verdex Capital and Builders VC, will accelerate AuX Labs’ commercialization timeline. The round includes significant continued investment from Congruent Ventures and Bluestein Ventures. The financing reflects strong investor conviction in AuX Labs’ ability to enter the over $200 billion global cheese market1 with products that perform reliably in real-world applications.
Cheese is one of the most consumed foods in the world — nearly 90% of consumers eat it daily — yet a majority say existing alternatives fall short on texture, melt, and cooking behavior. That gap represents a significant unmet need: mainstream cheese consumers are far more likely to try new products when they perform the way they expect, in everyday applications like pizza and grilled cheese. AuX Labs’ technology is built to close that gap. Consumer data shows materially higher appeal when people understand how the product melts, stretches, and cooks.2 And because the company’s platform is built to expand from the outset, that performance can be delivered in the everyday settings where consumers actually encounter and trust new products.
“Most alternatives in this space have asked consumers to accept a trade-off. We built our technology specifically so they don’t have to,” said Ted Jin, Founder and CEO of AuX Labs. “What makes this platform different is that it scales. We are not rationing products into a handful of restaurants and hoping the story holds when people try it at home. We can be where consumers actually are, like the neighborhood pizzeria and the local cafe, and deliver the same experience every time. That consistency is what builds lasting trust, and this funding gives us the runway to deliver it.”
AuX Labs’ go-to-market approach will be a direct expression of its technology. Because the company’s fermentation platform is built to expand from the outset, AuX Labs can launch with partners selected for everyday performance and accessibility, not scarcity. The company will bring its product to market through a partnership-led strategy that ensures the experience consumers encounter out-of-home is identical to what they can purchase and use at home. This consistency is the durable advantage that earlier waves of food-tech were unable to deliver.
AuX Labs’ casein obtained self-affirmed GRAS status in April 2025 and the company has been piloting with customers in advance of a broader launch. The new capital will be used to ramp manufacturing, expand the team, and support foodservice and consumer partnerships centered on high-performance applications where melt and stretch are critical.
“AuX Labs stands out because they are solving a real market problem with discipline and technical rigor,” said Alison Sunstrum, Managing Partner at NYA Ventures. “Their focus on unit economics, manufacturability, and performance, rather than positioning, is what gives this business durability. They are building the foundations of a scalable platform that can compete in one of the largest food categories in the world.”
Mary Dimou, Managing Partner at Nàdarra Ventures who has joined AuX Labs’ Board of Directors, added, “What makes AuX Labs truly exceptional is the technological breadth of its platform. The ability to expand this system across multiple high-value proteins is highly unique, and it unlocks an extraordinary range of future applications. The growth potential of this business is not linear, it’s exponential, driven by a platform that can scale across products, markets, and use cases. We’re excited to support the team as they build a category-leading, next-generation food company.”
Congruent Ventures and Bluestein Ventures, who have supported the company through both funding rounds, reiterated their confidence in the company’s vision and technological leadership.
About AuX Labs, Inc.
AuX Labs is a food technology company on a mission to create a more delicious food future. Using precision fermentation, AuX Labs produces proteins from fermentation that serve as the foundation for a new generation of products that deliver the taste, texture, and cooking performance people expect from traditional dairy. By focusing on functional excellence, scalable manufacturing, and a go-to-market strategy built on everyday performance and consistent consumer experience, AuX Labs is building a new class of products that integrate seamlessly into existing food systems.
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1 Statista, “Cheese market revenue worldwide 2018-2030,” November 28, 2025.
2 Data from a monadic comparative study of 827 U.S. cheese consumers, conducted by AuX Labs in November 2025. The study compared a standard plant-based cheese concept to an AuX Labs concept highlighting authentic melt, stretch, and texture enabled by its proprietary proteins.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c024de8-d111-4d2f-8a46-7a0cec7f980c