MIT and Tufts spinout Mori, which produces food preservatives using silk proteins, welcomed back The Engine for its series A round.
Mori, the US-based food preservative technology spinout of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tufts University previously called Cambridge Crops, has obtained $12m in a series A round featuring MIT-sponsored accelerator and venture fund The Engine.
Venture fund Acre Venture Partners led the series A round with further backing from Prelude Ventures, Accelr8, Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, Refactor Capital, Closed Loop Partners, Blindspot Ventures and Fink Family Foundation.
Founded in 2014, Mori produces silk proteins as a food preservative that helps stop products spoiling by retaining moisture, slowing oxygen absorption and stalling bacterial growth.
Extracted using a water and salt-based solution, the silk offers a natural alternative to chemical preservatives such as sodium benzoate, preserving a wide range of whole, cut and processed foods.
The series A cash is earmarked for building Mori’s manufacturing capacity as it looks to enrich its commercial activities across various food sectors.
Mori’s silk proteins are recognised as safe for human consumption by US market regulator Food and Drug Administration.
Mori attracted $4m in a seed round in June 2019 led by The Engine, with participation from Refactor Capital, Closed Loop Ventures, Bluestein and Associates, SOSV and Supply Chain Ventures.
The company’s other early-stage backers include food tech accelerator Food-X and Nameless Ventures.
