BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ginkgo Bioworks, an organism design company, today announced that it has
partnered with Ajinomoto Co., a world leader in the manufacture of food
and amino acid-based products. Ginkgo will leverage its automated
foundry, Bioworks1, to deliver an improved strain to Ajinomoto that will
provide a competitive edge in the market.
“The partnership is one of the first in our expansion
plans into new categories including pharmaceuticals, nutrition,
cosmetics and health.”
“We look forward to partnering with the world-class team at Ajinomoto
Co., using Ginkgo’s foundry,” said Jason Kelly, Co-founder and CEO at
Ginkgo Bioworks. “The partnership is one of the first in our expansion
plans into new categories including pharmaceuticals, nutrition,
cosmetics and health.”
Ginkgo Bioworks is at the intersection of industrial design and biology,
delivering designer organisms built to specification for customers. The
company specializes in engineering microbes to produce cultured
ingredients such as flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and
sweeteners. Ginkgo’s foundry, Bioworks1, employs proprietary software
and robotics to streamline the engineering of organisms. The company
recently announced a $45 million Series B financing round led by Viking
Global.
“We looked for a partner like Ginkgo Bioworks who is doing cutting-edge
work with organism design,” said Kazuya Onomichi, Corporate Vice
President, General Manager, R&D Planning Dept. at Ajinomoto Co. “We are
excited to work together and leverage their state-of-the-art foundry to
continue our leadership in the business front.”
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is an organism design company that is building organisms
to specification for customers across markets including food, health and
consumer goods. The company’s organism engineers work directly with
customers including Fortune 500 companies to design microbes for their
specific needs. Ginkgo Bioworks is based in Boston and is financially
backed by Viking Global, Felicis Ventures, OS Fund and Y Combinator, as
well as a number of angel investors and funds.
About Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Ajinomoto Co. is a global manufacturer of high-quality seasonings,
processed foods, beverages, amino acids, pharmaceuticals and specialty
chemicals. For many decades Ajinomoto Co. has contributed to food
culture and human health through wide-ranging application of amino acid
technologies. Today, the company is becoming increasingly involved with
solutions for improved food resources, human health and global
sustainability. Founded in 1909 and now operating in 26 countries and
regions, Ajinomoto Co. had net sales of JYP 1,006.6 billion (USD 9.17
billion) in fiscal 2014. For more about Ajinomoto Co. (TYO: 2802), visit www.ajinomoto.com.