Daisy Lab is building the infrastructure for animal-identical dairy proteins without the animal. Using precision fermentation — programming microorganisms to produce whey and casein — the company is creating ingredients that behave exactly like their dairy counterparts in food manufacturing.

Founded in 2020 by Irina Miller, Nikki Freed, and Emily McIsaac, Daisy Lab emerged from a University of Auckland research programme. The company has raised seed funding and is scaling its fermentation process toward commercial production.

Why Noteworthy

Daisy Lab represents the leading edge of New Zealand's food-tech ecosystem — a country built on dairy now pioneering its successor. Three women scientists founding a deep-tech company in a sector dominated by international players makes this a story worth telling.