Fermenting sustainable foodtech with TurtleTree’s Fengru Lin
Description
Fengru Lin is the Founder and CEO of TurtleTree, a pioneering biotechnology company that has successfully developed the world’s first sustainably produced lactoferrin “LF+” using precision fermentation technology.
In this episode, Fengru Lin shares her journey from a tech career at Google and Salesforce to leading biotech innovations at TurtleTree. Inspired by challenges in replicating traditional cheese-making in Asia, she envisioned revolutionizing the dairy industry. Fengru discusses TurtleTree’s shift from cell-based milk to producing high-value proteins like lactoferrin, used in infant nutrition and supplements. She emphasizes the importance of market-driven innovation, sustainable ingredients, and the role of a mission-focused team in staying competitive in the dynamic biotech space.
Host: Jessie WongEditors: Jessie Wong, John Joson Ng
The show notes and transcripts for the episode can be found on nucleatesingapore.substack.com. For feedback or recommendations on who we should talk to next, please reach out to Joson Ng via johnjoson.n@nucleate.org.
01:00 Introduction
05:51 Pivoting from Cell-Based Milk to Lactoferrin Production
16:02 Challenges and Strategies in Building TurtleTree
20:14 Consumer Perception and Adoption of Precision Fermentation Products
26:09 TurtleTree’s Role in Singapore’s 2030 Sustainable Food Initiative
30:58 Balancing Sciences and Business in Biotech Startups
United States
