Halifax-based supplement startup Infusd Nutrition has made more inroads in the food technology sector with new partnerships with Connecticut-based consumer-health company Blueroot Health and women's health company Fairhaven Health of Washington.

Founded in 2023 by lawyer Jack MacDonald and chemical engineer David Giffin, Infusd Nutrition is developing technology that makes fat-soluble nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and certain vitamins, water soluble – a process that could improve the absorption and usability of nutrients in foods and beverages, the company has said. The company’s technology is based on intellectual property developed over five years through research at institutions including Dalhousie University.

Fairhaven Health has chosen Infusd’s 30 percent Algal DHA Powder for its Prenatal and Postnatal Multivitamin Essentials with DHA.
“We spent years searching for an algal-derived DHA Omega-3 powder with a neutral sensory impact…” said John P. Troup, Chief Science, Education, Quality & Regulatory Officer, in a statement. “Infusd’s algal-derived DHA Omega-3 powder allowed us to successfully launch our Fairhaven Health Pre- and Post-natal Multivitamin Essentials with DHA, and we’ve since moved on to co-developing new products.”

In June last year, Infusd announced it had closed an oversubscribed funding round of more than US$2 million (C$2.8 million). The investment round was led by NextGen Nutrition Investment Partners of France, with participation from Nourish Ventures, a unit of Griffith Foods of Toronto, and Agthia Ventures of Abu Dhabi. The company said the funding would support sales growth and continued product development.

Other recent recognitions include Innovator of the Year Award from Food and Beverage Atlantic. an organization that supports the region’s food and drink producers. In October last year, the company announced it had participated in the MISTA Growth Hack in San Francisco, where it showcased products co-developed with multinational partners Givaudan and Danone. The collaboration focused on demonstrating new approaches to functional food and beverage formulation, emphasizing nutrient density, improved taste, and clean labeling, the company said.

Infusd was also named to the Canadian Food Innovation Network’s Foodtech Frontier 25, a list recognizing the country’s most innovative emerging food technology companies.