The origin of the company’s name, NapiFeryn BioTech (NFB in short), is a combination of two names of proteins that are obtained from rapeseed: napin and cruciferin. The idea to set up a company dealing with extraction of vegetable proteins, rapeseed being the first one to try, emerged in 2013. It was then that two biotechnologists, Magdalena Kozłowska and Piotr Wnukowski met each other while working for an international pharma corporation in the Netherlands. The founders decided to set up their business in Poland. NapiFeryn BioTech was thus established in 2014, with its operations now located at Bionanopark, a science and technology park in the city of Łódź.

To improve life quality using technology to produce natural and functional plant derived proteins.

NapiFeryn BioTech as a global technological leader in production of natural functional plant derived protein.

The objective assumed by the company is to see at least 5% of the global rapeseed production processed to natural functional protein products with NapiFeryn BioTech technology in the timespan of ten years after first commercial facility is operational.

The first year of operations was financed from the founder’s own resources and the company obtained EU funds in the subsequent years. It also benefits from the support of two private investors.

NapiFeryn BioTech is located in Łódź, at Bionanopark – a science and technology park. The company has a lab equipped with devices for testing the production process at a laboratory scale. The infrastructure allows us to analyse process samples and the final product, which are protein isolates, in view of their chemical composition and functional properties.

• July 2017 – financing awarded in competition run by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), which distributes resources from the operational programme Intelligent Development for supporting small and medium companies (EUR 43.2 k).
• November 2016 – competition “Mocni w biznesie” (Strong in Business), commerce award of Łódź Voivode in start-up businesses category.
• November 2016 – financing awarded in competition “Szybka ścieżka” (Fast Track) run by the National Centre for Research and development (NCBiR), which distributes resources from the operational programme Intelligent Development for supporting small and medium companies (EUR 2.7 m).
• July 2015 – grant in Horizon 2020, the largest EU programme financing the development of research and innovation (EUR50 k).
• June 2017 – Award for taking part in the contest “The Leaders of Innovation – Innovation Awards, Smart City 2017”
• May 2018 – NapiFeryn BioTech awarded the 2nd prize in the Innofirma Parkowe Orły (Park Eagles) 2018 competition, run by the Polish Business and Innovation Centers Association. The award ceremony took place during the XXIX Annual SOOIPP Conference at the Puławy Science and Technology Park.
• June 2018 – The Audiece Award “A New Era in Food” P&G Contest
• August 2018 – named as a Rising Food Star by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and obtained the international recognition along with 12 other companies from EU.
• 2019 – CTO Piotr Wnukowski Nomineted in The EIT Venture Award – a prize for start-ups powered by the EIT Community through dedicated business creation or acceleration services.

Main areas of specialisation and technological expertise are:

• Novel technologies for extraction, purification and isolation of proteins from oilseeds such as rapeseed, sunflower, soybeans etc.
• All aspects of processing of source material to final protein products, including scale-up and technology transfer.
• Analytical tools for complex characterization of protein isolates and protein concentrates.
• Innovative food products containing protein derived from rapeseed and other oilseeds.