News

Redefining Protein: From Lab to Table, Tech Twins- The Israel in Dubai Podcast

Or Eliaz from ‘Tech Twins- The Israel in Dubai Podcast hosted our CEO, Dr. Ilan Samish. The episode will be sharing cutting-edge insights into the latest Israeli food-tech innovations. The episode is also available for listening on Spotify.

Amai Proteins Showcases sweelin® at Future Food-Tech 2025| San Francisco Highlights

Amai Proteins is excited to participate in Future Food-Tech on March 13-14 in San Francisco, a global event driving food innovation for a healthier, more sustainable future.

Amai Proteins succesfully completed world’s first human clinical trial on effects of sweet proteins, with sweelin®

Amai Proteins Showcases sweelin® at SupplySide West 2024 | Las Vegas Highlights

Amai Proteins wins multiple regulatory approvals for its calorie-free sweet protein: sweelin®

sweelin® A Sweet Protein- How Do We Make It?

‘Leaders on a Mission’ Podcast Hosts CEO of Amai Proteins to Discuss Revolutionizing the Food Industry

In the latest episode of the “Leaders on a Mission” podcast, hosted by Simon Leich, CEO of CS Partners, Dr. Ilan Samish, CEO and Founder of Amai Proteins, shares his inspiring journey and mission to transform the food industry.

Amai Proteins CEO Dr. Ilan Samish Shares Insights on Building a Successful Foodtech Startup in JMB Davis Ben-David Podcast

JMB Davis Ben-David, an Israel-based IP firm recently hosted Dr. Ilan Samish, founder and CEO of Amai Proteins, on their podcast. During the podcast, Dr. Samish discussed his journey in building Amai Proteins, from leveraging his academic knowledge to founding the startup, assembling a talented team, establishing business relationships, securing funding from major businesses and VC firms, and finding suitable production facilities.

Zora Ventures Explores Sweet Possibilities at Amai Proteins HQ

Interview with Vanessa Bartram, impact investor and founding managing partner of Zora Ventures at Amai Proteins HQ

Food Tech Matters ft. Amai Proteins live pitch

Food Matters Live is a global community where food, health, and innovation are discussed. Dr. Samish, CEO of Amai Proteins, delivered a live pitch for 5 minutes about Amai’s necessity, technology, and products.

sweelin in ‘Food For Thought’ series by BBC StoryWorks

So sweet, no spike

“In a breakthrough article in Nature Biotechnology, Amai Proteins unveils its revolutionary solution to the world’s excessive sugar consumption. The biotech company aims to commercialize a microbially produced protein, 3,000 times sweeter than sugar, offering a potential remedy to the global metabolic disease and obesity epidemic.”

Israeli Technology Founders Speaks

Amai’s Founder & CEO, Dr. Ilan Samish, speaks at the podcast of IP attorney Avraham Hermon on his journey in materializing deep science into Designer Proteins for the mass food market.

Israel Helps to Shape TheFuture of Worldwide Wellness

As part of the Global Wellness Summit, NoCamels tells the story of several wellness startups, including Amai which won the 2020 Global Wellness Summit competition (first out of 84 startups around the world).

Sugar- Out, Prote- In

Ahead of the CROP27 conference, The EU fund, EIT Food, tells the story of Amai and the “Sugar-out, Prot-In” consortium with PepsiCo, Danone and the Technion Institute of Technology

Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Amai Proteins

As the ‘Grand Winner crown of XTC 2022 (Extreme Tech Challenge), Dr. Ilan Samish, Founder and CEO shares how the idea of Amai Proteins was initiated, the unique technology behind sweelin™, and what the future holds.

Consumer studies from Aarhus University highlights Amai’s sweet designer protein

Are people ready to cut on sugar and boost their health with sweet proteins in food and drinks instead? New consumer studies from the MAPP Centre show that consumers are embracing this possibility and that the future market success of sweet proteins further lies in thoughtful product reformulations. The presented results are part of the ongoing EIT Food for a project focusing on sweet proteins.

The Galilee Culinary Institute’s business of the month

What are Designer Proteins and Why Do We Need Them?

Tailoring sweet proteins for sugar reduction

Protein-derived sweeteners promise a healthier way to cut sugar in foods and beverages, but naturally derived options still face barriers to mass-market use. Could designer proteins be the answer?

Interview with Ilan Samish, Amai Proteins

We had the pleasure of catching up with Ilan Samish, Founder, and CEO at Amai Proteins to hear his thoughts on the role of microbial technologies in revolutionizing our food system.

How redemption and covenant guide me as an impact investor

Two central themes within Judaism – one that values every being as equal, and one that calls on us to help create a kinder world – offer direction and a sense of humility for ZORA Ventures’ Vanessa Bartram, while joining forces with others across borders and across faiths provides the ‘spiritual fuel’ to continue a long, difficult journey.

Amai Proteins CEO, Dr. Ilan Samish: Israeli Agri-Food week by Startup Nation Central

Amai Proteins makes designer proteins for the mass food market starting with the first sweetener that is healthy, tasty, sustainable and cost-effective. The hyper-sweet thermostable protein allows for significant sugar reduction with hampering the full sugar sensory profile

Amai proteins-sweetener without sugar

Interview with Vanessa Bartram of Zora Ventures, which has made an Impact Investment in Amai Proteins, a natural sweetener made from protein without the harmful effects of sugar.

Amai Proteins 2022: Reaping Nature’s Sweet Rewards

Dr. Ilan Samish, founder and CEO of Amai Proteins, describes how his food tech startup is transforming the food industry with the first protein-based sugar substitute.

$100,000 up for grabs for cutting edge foodtech endeavors

Dr. Ilan Samish, the founder of Amai Proteins, which came in second place in last year’s competition, said: “It gave our name validation. To date, we have won 10 awards, which served investors as another part of their due diligence. … Last year the company raised $11.3 million, and went from 6 to 25 employees.

Israeli Food Tech Amai Proteins Replaces Sugar with Healthy, Sweet Proteins

My experience with the large food companies teaches me that taste is king,” says Dr. Samish, explaining why Amai’s approach is to reduce and complement sugar instead of aiming to replace it.

Ocean Spray and Amai Proteins Partner to Create the First Protein-Sweetened Reduced Sugar Cranberry Juice

As Ocean Spray continues to focus on health and wellness, the new beverage aims to feature roughly 40% less sugar while still delivering a delicious, classic taste.

5 sweet innovations that can save us from sugar overload

The crazy amount of sugar in Western diets leads to obesity and diabetes and increases risk of severe Covid-19. Here are brilliant alternatives.

Amai Foods: Designing a protein that’s sweeter than sugar

In the last 50 years, obesity rates have tripled worldwide, and sugar overconsumption is often identified as the main culprit.

FoodTech innovation startup contest

Amai Proteins won 2nd place in the Calcalist-Tnuva Israeli startup competition.

Investing in Amai and the Case for ‘Bits and Atoms’ Fueling Sustainable Innovation.

At ZORA, we are excited to announce Amai Proteins as our fourth investment in the ZORA Israel Impact Fund. This investment not only has immense commercial and ‘impact’ potential, but also exemplifies a broader thesis held by ZORA:

That the convergence of computing and biology (“Bits and Atoms”), coupled with increasing consumer demand and regulatory pressure, is catalyzing corporates to remake basic “stuff” more healthfully, sustainably, and resource-efficiently.

Interview with Amai Proteins CEO on the clean future of foodtech post Covid-19 using precision fermentation and microbial technologies

We had the pleasure of catching up with Ilan Samish, Founder and CEO at Amai Proteins to hear his thoughts on the role of microbial technologies in revolutionizing our food system.

Sweet Proteins From the Jungle Can Replace Sugar

the WHO recommends eating less sugar and salt in their Nutrition advice for adults during the COVID-19 outbreak….  Amai Proteins, an Israel-based food tech company, arguably is about to change the structure of food we eat and the drinks we consume.

Challenges of bringing a precision fermentation protein to the market

An online seminar on protein fermentation in Israel, with a focus on how to make fermentation the future of Alternative Protein production.

Startup success for Amai Proteins – Ilan Samish

Amai Proteins is on a mission to reinvent the Food & Beverage industry with their unique protein design technology. By combining biotechnology with AI Computational Protein Design (AI-CPD), Amai produces tasty, healthy and food-compatible proteins, fit for the mass food market.

Is sugar the new tobacco?

This week Matt is joined by Annick Verween to host a panel discussing what the food sector is doing to reduce sugar consumption, in response to growing health concerns. Recorded live at EIT Food’s Venture Summit in Lisbon, guests include Tom Simmons (Founder of Stem) and Ilan Samish (Founder of Amai Proteins) who have pioneered novel ingredients that can replace sugar, both its sweetness and structure. Karine Delafaye also explains how the world-renowned food company Danone are also championing the movement, with their own Sugar & Sweetness acceleration project.

Taking an innovative approach to sugar reduction

The trend toward lower sugar products continues to grow – but manufacturers should be aware of the limits on consumer acceptance of reduced sugar foods and drinks.

Israel’s food tech scene experiments with insects and computer-designed sweeteners

We’re determined to give the first truly healthy, cost-effective, tasty, zero-glycaemic index, zero-calorie protein which activates the sweetness mechanism in our mouth, just like sugar,” Dr Samish said. “But then [it] is digested just like any other protein which builds our body’s muscles and tissues, leaving no substances — unlike other sugar replacements which negatively affect our microbiome, our liver and our kidneys.

‘Curing food, one protein at a time’: Meet the start-up replacing 1 tsp sugar with 0.5mg protein

Amai Proteins has set out to address ‘the world’s biggest health challenge’: sugar reduction. The start-up is developing designer proteins that are not only sweeter than sugar, but tasty, scalable, sustainable, and importantly, cheaper than the real thing”

Fi Europe 2019: Sweeteners in the spotlight as sugar reduction trends intensify

Amai Proteins took home the Most Innovative Food or Beverage Ingredient award of the “Startup Innovation Challenge” at FiE (Food Ingredients Europe).

Israel seeks to feed growing global appetite for food-tech

Israel seeks to feed growing global appetite for food-tech

“I decided to heal the food we make instead of the diseases caused by it, one protein at a time.”

Israel seeks to feed growing global appetite for food-tech

The bearded scientist left behind an academic career to form a company called Amai — Japanese for sweet — which aims to solve one of the world’s biggest health problems with hyper-sweet natural protein.

Israel seeks to feed growing global appetite for food-tech

“I decided to heal the food we make instead of the diseases caused by it, one protein at a time.”

‘Over Ten Thousand Times Sweeter Than Sugar’: Meet The Man Making Some of The World’s Sweetest Proteins

When he passes over the taster, there is a look of cautious expectation.

Does it taste … supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?

Well, it is certainly sweet … But nothing to send you onto the next flight to Tel Aviv in search of another fix. It seems to taste more like just plain, unremarkable sugar; as good a thing as any to help the medicine go down.

Scarce resources, much chutzpah set stage for Israel’s lead role in food tech

“You have to be a little bit crazy to leave a safe job as an academic and start your own company,” Samish said at his lab in Rehovot, outside of Tel Aviv.

USDA, FDA announcement brings cell-based meat one step closer to U.S. supermarkets

“I hope that the regulators will take this opportunity to encompass within the new guidelines all the proteins produced by fermentation,” said Ilan Samish, Founder and CEO Amai Proteins, in a blog post, “whether these are nature-identical or designer proteins adapted to the mass food market.” Samish suggests that areas such as 3D scaffolds, growth factors, growth media, and designer proteins and enzymes may still be subject to the FDA’s case-by-case determination of what is “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS).

In the Future, Your Food Will Be Sweetened With Protein

“What Amai is doing is very exciting,” says Shmuel Marko, who heads up the syrups R&D department at SodaStream. “It is a very new product, and there needs to be some adjustments, but they are definitely on track. I would say that in a couple of years we will see sweet proteins used in drinks.”

Israel startup hopes to take aftertaste from artificial sweeteners

Israeli start-up company, Amai Proteins, is working to create a new type of artificial sweetener that it says will not have a bitter aftertaste, as many currently do.

Amai Proteins is developing artificial sweeteners that differ from traditional versions since these are derived from proteins. The proteins – which are found in fruits – contain zero calories. They may offer a popular alternative for people with diabetes, who are unable to digest too much sugar, without triggering an insulin response.

As obesity surges, Israeli startup develops sweet protein to help cut calories

Samish and his team of computational protein designers studied the DNA makeup of the natural proteins and recreated it. They also redesigned it to decrease the aftertaste and to be able to make it in greater quantities.

Healthy sweetness: Amai Proteins CEO on sweet protein potential

The food industry is undergoing massive, disruptive changes, with innovative start-ups in a range of disciplines vying to tackle global nutrition issues. One of these, Amai Proteins, is aiming to disrupt the global sweetening market by offering sweet proteins that are fit for mass food production. NutritionInsight spoke with Amai Proteins CEO and Founder Dr. Ilan Samish at Future Food-Tech in London.

‘Designer protein’ scientist plans sweet success in sports nutrition

An Israeli scientist is aiming to enter the sports nutrition industry with his healthy ‘designer protein’ sweetener that is cheaper than sugar.

This Sugar Substitute Aims to Avoid a Bitter End

SodaStream International, the seltzer-machine maker, is in the initial stages of testing Amai’s proteins, said Shmuel Marko, the company’s head of syrups R&D. “If Amai sweetener works with our products’ profile and taste, at a reasonable cost, and will comply with regulatory needs we may consider incorporating it into our products,”

How Israeli Ingenuity Is Keeping Your Sweet Tooth Healthy

“The goal of Amai is to make a global meaningful effect on sugar reduction by many different ways,” Samish tells NoCamels. “We’re producing a healthy sweetener. Amai’s proteins get digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract with zero insulin resistance.”

Highlights of SynBioBeta 2018 Day 3, Twist $86.3M IPO, Pivot Bio’s $70M, Genomatica’s $90M

SynBioBeta 2018: “I decided to dedicate my life to curing the foods that we eat rather than the diseases we get from them.” — Ilan Samish, CEO Amai.

Israeli startups want to replace your sugar with high-tech alternatives

You can develop a very healthy product,” said Tammy Meiron, the head of Amai’s food technology department, “but if the consumer experience isn’t great and the food isn’t tasty, they won’t buy it a second time.

Start-ups in the spotlight: “Breakthrough” innovation nominees for Future Food-Tech 2018

Isreali-based Amai Proteins produces healthy sweet proteins as a sugar substitute. The sweeteners are healthy (zero calories, zero glycaemic-index), widely-food-compatible, cost-effective, non-GMO and taste like sugar.

Interview on Amai at i24News

New sweet protein holds out hope for diabetics

An Israeli company has developed a sweet protein that can replace sugar in food and won’t raise your blood sugar or insulin levels.

Food 2.0: Three companies that are changing the way we eat

Amai Proteins, based in Israel, is commercializing peptides that taste like sugar but are digested like proteins. The consumer benefits are immediately obvious: …Amai’s compounds contain negligible calories and don’t activate the insulin response.

Could computationally designed sweet proteins revolutionise sugar replacement sector?

Israeli firm Amai Proteins has developed computerised ‘designer’ sweet proteins as it seeks to tap into the sugar replacement market.

Israeli co offers sweet protein as sugar substitute

Amai Proteins designs sweet proteins that do not affect the sugar levels in the blood.

 In 2018, calories are out. The cornerstone of modern healthy nutrition is the distinction between carbohydrates (bad) and sugar (very bad) and proteins (preferable). People, however, still crave something sweet. One possible solution is a sugar-flavored protein.

4 Reasons Why Israel is Now a Developed AgriFood Tech Hub

Two weeks ago, I went to Israel to attend Food and Ag Week including FoodTech IL 2018 hosted by the Strauss Group and incubator The Kitchen, and Agrivest 2018, hosted by accelerator group Trendlines and agrifood tech VC GreenSoil. It had been five years since I last visited so I was excited to see how the agrifood tech ecosystem had developed in that time.

Future Food Asia Award: Here are the 10 finalists competing for the 100,000 USD prize

Ten agri tech and food tech start-ups from Australia, India, Israel, Japan, Korea and Taiwan are vying for US$100,000 in the second Future Food Asia award.

14 disruptive food-tech startups that will change how we eat

Israel is cooking up a grand feast of food technology, tempting policymakers, investors and industrialists to take a bite.

Amai Proteins voted Global Winner at the 2022 Extreme Tech Challenge Competition

Amai Proteins, producer of 100% protein sweetener that reduces sugar in Food & Beverages by up to 70%, voted Global Winner at the 2022 Extreme Tech Challenge Competition.

Ocean Spray and Amai Proteins Partner to Create the First Protein-Sweetened Reduced Sugar Cranberry Juice

As Ocean Spray continues to focus on health and wellness, the new beverage aims to feature roughly 40% less sugar while still delivering a delicious, classic taste

ערוץ 13, העולם הבוקר: ״הפיתוח הישראלי שיחליף את הסוכר הלבן״

Dr. Ilan Samish, CEO of Amai Proteins interview for i24NEWS

מחלבון יצא מתוק- מדע גדול בקטנה בראיון עם ד״ר אילן סאמיש

ד”ר אילן סמיש, מנכ”ל חברת אמאי חלבונים, מציג פיתוח תחליף סוכר מהפכני, מסביר איך מנגנון הטעם עובד ואיך פיתוחם הולך לשבש את תעשיית המזון

אמאי חלבונים מתארחת בסדרת סטארטאפ ביום של קשת

אמאי חלבונים מייצרת חלבוני מעצבים לשוק המזון. המוצר הראשון הוא חלבון מעצבים מתוק כתחליף סוכר. הכתבה שודרה בקשת במסגרת סדרת ‘סטארטאפ ביום’

סטארטאפ במלחמה – יומנו של מנכ”ל עם ד”ר אילן סמיש

ד״ר אילן סאמיש, מנכ״ל אמאי חלבונים התארח בשיחה כנה ופתוחה בפודקאסט שיחות על פיתוח אישי בהנחייתה של שירה לי דה-בר, בו הוא מספר על מורכבות החיים כמנכ״ל בזמן משבר לאומי, לצד הירצחה של ד״ר ליליה גורביץ׳ ולקובסקי ז״ל, מנהלת בחברה.

ההישג הבינלאומי של חברת החלבונים מרחובות

 :זכינו במקום הראשון בתחרות האימפקט היוקרתית של
Extreme Tech Challenge

בה השתתפו למעלה מ-2,000 סטארט-אפים מרחבי העולם

התחרות התמקדה ביעדי הפיתוח בר-קיימא של האו”ם ובקריטריונים כמו חדשנות, התאמה לשוק ואיכות הצוות

הזכייה בתחרות מהווה עבורנו אישור לפוטנציאל העצום הגלום בטכנולוגיית החלבונים המעוצבים, ולהשפעה החיובית שהיא יכולה להביא לבריאות הציבור ולקיימות כדור הארץ

נקסט ״מה מבשל לנו העתיד?״

נקסט, עונה 4

מה מבשל לנו העתיד?

מקטע מתכנית מיוחדת של נקסט עם המזון שיכבוש לנו את הצלחת בשנים הקרובות: קציצות מהפכניות, ממתקים לא משמינים וגם עוגיות מזחלי זבובים.

ד״ר אילן סמיש וחלבונים מתוקים

מנכ”ל אמאי, ד”ר אילן סמיש שוחח בפודקאסט גיקונומי על ביולוגיה חישובית, סוכר על נזקיו ודרכים להפחיתו …ועל אמאי (שעה וחצי).

מסטיק נגד קינוח וקפסולות שיוצרות שובע

כתבה בחדשות N12

החברה שיצרה חלבון מתוק פי 10,000 מסוכר

באמצעות חיקוי חיי החלבונים במעיינות מבעבעים ובאנטרקטיקה ושיטת ייצור

דומה לזו של בירה הצליחו באמאי ליצור את החלבון הטבעי שעתיד להחליף סוכר

תחרות כלכליסט-תנובה

חדשנות בין-לאומית: טכנולוגיות להפחתת צריכת הסוכר, להגברת השימוש במרכיבים צמחיים ולמניעת הרעלות מזון

האיחוד האירופי הקצה מיליוני יורו לשלוש קבוצות בין-לאומיות שבהן שותפים חוקרים מהפקולטה להנדסת ביוטכנולוגיה ומזון ומהפקולטה להנדסת מכונות בטכניון. המטרה: קידום המצאות שישפרו את איכות המזון ואת בריאות האדם

חזון החלבונים המתוכנתים: המהפכה שעשויה לחסל את תעשיית הבשר

.העולם זקוק לעוד חלבון כדי להאכיל את כל האנשים החיים על פני כדור הארץ, אבל נראה שאין ביכולתו לספק אותו. הפתרונות שהוצעו עד כה – להביא לעולם פחות ילדים או לאכול פחות חלבון – לא בהכרח התקבלו בזרועות פתוחות על ידי האנושות

אמזון ווב סרוויס מציעה תכניות צמיחה מגוונות לסטארט-אפים

סטארט-אפים הם כידוע מנוע החדשנות של הכלכלה העולמית ואחת הסיבות המרכזיות לשגשוגו של ההיי-טק הישראלי. בשנים האחרונות הפך מודל הענן לסטנדרט דה פקטו בקרב סטארט-אפים שמאפשר להם לצרוך שירותי מחשוב מגוונים באופן גמיש, ללא כל השקעות בתשתית מחשוב, על בסיס תשלום לפי צריכה

הגוגל של הסוכר

חלבון זה הסוכר החדש: חלבונים מתוקים כתחליף לסוכר הלבן

ד”ר אילן סמיש, מייסד חברת אמאי חלבונים, מעצב חלבונים מתוקים שלא משפיעים על רמת הסוכר בדם

שכדאי לעקוב אחריהם FoodTech סטארטאפים בתחום

מזון מהעתיד – בשבוע שעבר נערך כנס FOODTECHIL 2018 – כנס הפודטק השנתי של חברת שטראוס בה הציגו כ-50 סטראטאפים ישראלים את החדשנות שלהם בתחום המזון. פרופ’ אייל שמעוני סמנכ”ל הטכנולוגיה של קבוצת שטראוס מפרט את שבעת הסטראטאפים בתחום שכדאי לעקוב אחריהם

ベジタリアン比率は世界トップレベルだが人口の半数が肥満？

イスラエルの大手メディアJERUSALEM POSTによると、2019年時点で国内の男性62％、女性55％が肥満と診断された。2021年現在はコロナによる自粛の影響でその数値はさらに伸びたと予測される。前回筆者が書いた記事「ベジタリアン大国イスラエル 食の選択と最新フードテックで未来を変える」にてイスラエルのベジタリアン人口比率は世界トップレベルであると述べたが、それでもベジタリアンは全人口の13％程度なのである。肥満の数値にも表れているようにイスラエル人の大多数は単に美味しい食事を求める人々だ。そのため「イスラエル人はヘルシー思考」という安直な一般論化はできないことがわかる。食に関してだけではなく、イスラエル関連の情報は一部分が賞賛されたことにより、「イスラエル人はエリートだ」とか「ユダヤ人はお金持ちだ」など安易に一般化されてしまうことが多いため、その点には注意したい。実際のデータと照らし合わせると今回のように実態が見えてくる。

Israël veut éveiller les papilles à l’innovation

Ilan Samish trempe une chips dans du ketchup, boit une gorgée de soda et déguste une cuillerée de yaourt –trois aliments sucrés grâce à une protéine qu’il a développée.

Israël veut éveiller les papilles à l’innovation

Ilan Samish trempe une chips dans du ketchup, boit une gorgée de soda et déguste une cuillerée de yaourt –trois aliments sucrés grâce à une protéine qu’il a développée.

Digital Biotecnología Digital

Canal Once TV’s show “Digital”- the Biotech episode, shares the story of Amai Proteins, one of Israel’s biotech startups, transforming the mass food and beverage industry through their hyper-sweet designer protein acting as a zero-calories, zero-glycemic index, and cheaper than sugar sweetener. BAM!!!!