AuX Labs Rents Brewery Tanks to Make Dairy Protein Without Animals

AuX Labs raised $4 million to produce casein—a protein that gives dairy cheese its texture—using fermentation in existing microbrewery equipment. Rather than build new factories, the startup uses spare capacity at craft breweries facing economic pressure, cutting costs for both companies. Food makers can then use this ingredient to create vegan cheese closer to the real thing. Worth flagging: running the same process across different breweries with different equipment adds operational complexity, though it could help build regional supply chains.