New Dawn Bio banked €2.1M in an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by CapitalT. The round saw further participation from Norrsken Evolve, Ontdekkers Group, and angel investors including Cradle co-founder Jelle Prins.
The Wageningen-based startup develops cultured wood by growing tree stem cells in bioreactors. The process involves multiplying harvested cells and directing them to harden into specific shapes, creating premium wood products without the need for traditional logging, sawing, or drilling. The company claims this method can produce materials up to 10,000 times faster than conventional forestry by bypassing the natural growth cycle of a tree.
Founded in 2024, the firm operates at the intersection of plant biotechnology and materials engineering. The fresh capital is earmarked for product development and the expansion of its R&D team. New Dawn Bio is also a participant in the Eurostars-funded BRANCH project alongside the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology.
The move suggests a growing appetite for European deep-tech solutions that apply cellular agriculture principles beyond the food industry to heavy, carbon-intensive material supply chains.
Originally reported by EU-Startups Daily.