Startup Uses Craft Breweries to Make Lab-Grown Dairy Protein

AuX Labs raised $4 million to produce casein—a protein that makes dairy taste and melt like cheese—using fermentation tanks at struggling craft breweries. Instead of building expensive new factories, the company rents unused brewery equipment, which helps both the breweries and its own budget. The product targets food makers developing vegan cheese that performs like the real thing. Worth flagging: running production across different breweries with different equipment adds complexity, though this scattered approach may help create regional supply networks.