Harmony Baby Nutrition, a biotech startup developing infant formulas through precision fermentation, has been awarded R$31.8 million ($5.8 million) in funding from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) and Finep (Brazilian Innovation Agency).
The funding, part of Brazil’s Nova Indústria Brasil policy, will support the establishment of an R&D centre in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The facility will serve as the company’s global research hub for developing human milk-inspired infant formulas, including hypoallergenic products.
Founder and CEO Wendel Afonso started Harmony while pursuing an MBA at MIT Sloan School of Management after his own daughter suffered from formula allergies. Roughly 2-3% of babies are allergic to cow’s milk, and up to one-sixth experience some form of discomfort from formula, according to parental reporting. An estimated 5-10% of women are physiologically unable to breastfeed, and in the United States, less than half of women continue to exclusively breastfeed after three months.
“The funds will be used to scale production for our first commercial launch and to build the commercial infrastructure needed to reach families who depend on products like ours,” Afonso told Green Queen. “Until now, our team has been primarily composed of scientists focused on R&D. As we transition from development to market entry, we need to expand our capabilities across manufacturing, quality, marketing, and customer support.”
Harmony’s approach uses precision fermentation to produce recombinant human breast milk proteins including lactoferrin, alpha-lactalbumin, human caseins, and human albumin. The company partners with contract manufacturers rather than producing proteins in-house.
The company’s first product, Melodi, is a toddler formula for children 12 months and older that uses lactose instead of corn syrup solids. In independent studies, the formula showed 61% higher sensory preference compared with standard hypoallergenic products.
The new R&D centre, expected to open in the first half of 2026, will span approximately 250 square metres and include laboratories for research and quality control. Harmony plans to hire 25 professionals, including at least five nutrition scientists.
Harmony is targeting the United States for its initial commercial launch, with Brazil as its second market. The company is also raising funds through a community round on Wefunder.
