PINC, the venture arm of international food and beverage company Paulig, has joined a £4 million investment round in Scindo, a UK-based startup developing a data-rich AI platform to discover and design next-generation enzymes. The round was co-led by Kadmos Capital (London) and Clay Capital (Singapore). PINC’s investment supports Scindo’s mission to enable bio-based ingredients and sustainable chemistry, a strategic fit with Paulig’s ambition to drive innovation in food and flavour while reducing environmental impact.
Scindo’s full-stack platform engineers enzymes, which are naturally occurring proteins found in plants and microbes, to transform renewable feedstocks into high-value, bio-based ingredients. By combining advanced AI models with proprietary, experimentally validated reaction data, the platform accelerates enzyme discovery 
and optimisation, enabling complex reactions to be done more efficiently and sustainably. This innovation supports consistent, scalable production of natural flavours and fragrances.
The investment aligns with Paulig’s “for a life full of flavour” mission and its commitment to building a tastier, healthier and more sustainable planet. PINC actively seeks out startups developing innovative solutions that can lower emissions and improve food systems.
“Traditional manufacturing of ingredients like flavours and fragrances still relies heavily on petroleum derivatives. However, alongside consumer expectations and policy changes, companies like Paulig also recognise its responsibility to drive the shift towards clean and sustainable alternatives,” said Rosemari Herrero, Senior Investment Manager at PINC. “Scindo’s ambitious enzyme platform offers a cost-effective way to produce bio-based ingredients, thereby driving the transition towards both more sustainable and affordable products.”
Scindo’s technology is already attracting strong industry interest. The company has established partnerships with leading chemical manufacturers and has initiated pilot scaling to bring the first products to market. This momentum underscores the rising demand for bio-based solutions that can deliver both performance and 
sustainability at scale.
Founded in 2020, Scindo is entering its next phase of growth. With the new funding, the company will expand its enzyme discovery engine, scale wet-lab capabilities and strengthen its team. Recent hires include research scientists from top pharma companies and the University of Oxford, bolstering expertise in machine learning, enzyme engineering, process scaling and commercialisation. These additions position Scindo to scale rapidly and deliver sustainable, high-value solutions to industry partners worldwide.
“We’re thrilled to have the backing of such a strong consortium of investors,” said Gustaf Hemberg, Co-founder & CEO of Scindo. “This support enables us to accelerate the scale-up of our enzyme platform and start producing sustainable, high-value products. With PINC and Paulig as strategic partners, we gain not only capital but also expertise in food, flavour, and sustainability, helping us bring cleaner solutions to market faster.”
