Hawke’s Bay-based Kabocha Innovations produces Kabocha Milk, a high-quality vegetable milk made by upcycling waste kabocha, or winter squash (also known as Japanese pumpkins). High in Vitamin A, the milk can help to lower cancer risk and also supports eye health. The award-winning product is sold in multiple stores throughout Japan and Hong Kong.
Kabocha is a very fast-growing crop, and the company was keen to explore maximising all parts of the waste and second-grade fruit stream with pumpkin production generating 15,000 tonnes of waste (which goes to stock food) and 3,000 tonnes of seeds each year.
Since late 2022, it has been working with research scientists and innovation specialists at Callaghan Innovation on developing further products from the kernels, including a protein-rich kabocha powder.
Founder & CEO Shane Newman says they were keen to understand how research expertise would help secure funding for process and product development, and the input from Callaghan was invaluable.
The company received $100,000 in funding from the BPA in 2022 to further progress the development of the high protein power in a laboratory scalable form, looking at its use in alternative protein meat patties and oils.
With success in the lab scale trials, Kabocha Innovation secured a second round of funding in 2023 to conduct small scale commercial trials with the view to expanding to a larger commercial setting.
A third round in 2024 has been earmarked for the production of specific products for customers.
Powder extraction at scale requires custom-built machinery, and the company is looking towards a future capital raise to develop a pilot plant outside Wellington.
“It’s a fully upcycled piece of fruit,” says Shane.
“Before this process, we didn’t know that a funding mechanism for science existed, so to have this opportunity and support from the BPA has been really amazing.”
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