# Helaina

> Helaina is a New York-based biotechnology company using precision fermentation to produce human-equivalent bioactive proteins. Its first commercial product, effera, is a human-identical lactoferrin made in yeast that matches the amino acid sequence of the protein found in mother's milk. Founded in 2019 by food scientist Laura Katz, Helaina sells effera as a B2B ingredient to consumer wellness and supplement brands, targeting women's health, gut health, active nutrition and healthy aging. The company has raised roughly $84 million in equity funding, including a $45 million Series B in 2024.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** New York, New York, United States
- **Founders:** Laura Katz (Founder & CEO)
- **Team size:** ~51 employees
- **Products:** effera (Human Lactoferrin), Precision fermentation platform
- **Notable:** Launched effera, the world's first commercially available human-identical lactoferrin made by precision fermentation (2024), Raised a $45M Series B, bringing total equity funding to roughly $84M, Scaled production to metric-ton level with up to 10 million servings per production run

## Products & services

- **effera (Human Lactoferrin)** — The world's first commercially available human-identical lactoferrin, produced via yeast precision fermentation with the same amino acid sequence as the lactoferrin in human milk. Sold as a B2B ingredient for women's health, gut health, active/sports nutrition and healthy aging.
- **Precision fermentation platform** — Helaina's proprietary platform for expressing human-equivalent bioactive proteins in yeast, designed to extend beyond lactoferrin to a broader pipeline of human milk-inspired proteins.

## Achievements

- Launched effera, the world's first commercially available human-identical lactoferrin made by precision fermentation (2024)
- Raised a $45M Series B, bringing total equity funding to roughly $84M
- Scaled production to metric-ton level with up to 10 million servings per production run
- Generated clinical data showing effera avoided the anti-lactoferrin antibody response seen with bovine lactoferrin
- Founder Laura Katz named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for work redefining nutrition

## Latest updates

- **2024-09** — Raised $45M Series B led by Avidity Partners to accelerate commercialization of effera human lactoferrin.
- **2024-09** — Launched effera, the first precision-fermented human-equivalent lactoferrin, for the US market.
- **2024** — Scaled effera manufacturing to metric-ton level, ~10 million servings per production run, via co-manufacturing partners.

## Links

- Website: https://www.myhelaina.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/helaina
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/effera.nutrition

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/helaina
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-20