Office of Industry & Community Engagement

Mycaro, founded by Katie McNeill (pictured), is developing a high protein mycelium food product for the meat alternative market. As consumers move towards eating less meat, they are looking for sustainable protein sources that are easy to incorporate into their everyday meals. Mycaro’s mycelium product leverages the power of mycelium (root-like, vegetative structure of a fungus) to create sustainable protein through upcycling agrifood waste.  

 

To succeed in executing their export strategy of differentiation, Mycaro required a prototype with a high protein content to stand out in the market. The Invest Nova Scotia Product and Innovation Voucher Program provided funding for Mycaro and the team at Acadia, led by Dr. Allison Walker (Biology), to build on their previous trials to achieve an optimized protein content over 40%, higher than the anticipated goal! The team is now working on a variety of different formulations to optimize growth, texture and appearance to position Mycaro as a competitive, sustainable alternative in the growing market for meat substitutes.  

 

McNeill spoke about her experience working with the Office of Industry and Community Engagement on the Invest Nova Scotia Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program, "Acadia has been an essential part of moving our business forward and filling technical gaps for us as we scale. We really came to Acadia with an idea and the ICE office has been so helpful in connecting us with the right research team and finding creatives ways to make things work for an early stage company. We are excited to continue working together as we plan out our pilot level growth this year".