This Singapore-based startup is creating highly sought-after milk proteins—without any cows

TurtleTree’s animal-free lactoferrin is a winner in Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards.

Fengru Lin, cofounder and CEO of Singapore biotech company TurtleTree, wants to find a more sustainable way to make milk. But she knows that lab-grown milks can’t compete with cow’s milk when it comes to price (at least not yet). Instead, she chose to focus on milk’s high-value ingredients, beginning with lactoferrin, a functional milk protein linked to iron absorption, protection against infections, benefits for cancer patients, and more.