The BOKU spin-off Holloid GmbH was one of the grantees of the EIC Accelerator 2025. It was one of only 71 hi-tech startups from all over Europe awarded in the most competitive call ever. Holloid was awarded 2.5 million Euro for the project: "Revolutionary OnLine Fermentation Monitoring" (ROLF), led by the founding team: Erik Reimhult, Peter van Oostrum, Marcus Lebesmühlbacker, and Pinar Frank from the Institute of Colloid and Biointerface Science (ICBS).

Founded in 2022 in Vienna as a spin-off from BOKU University, Holloid is a pioneer in developing real-time monitoring systems. The company develops an innovative bioprocess control system, including fast and automated in-line holographic microscopy powered by AI-based learning algorithms to distinguish microorganisms and their phenotypic states in real-time. The 14-person strong startup now gets a boost in its mission to revolutionize bioprocess and environmental monitoring by leveraging its unique approach to AI-assisted real-time holographic imaging developed by the Institute of Colloid and Biointerface Science.

The potential of precision fermentation and microalgae cultivation to transform food value chains is vast. These technologies decouple food production from soil and environmental limitations, allowing for precisely tailored nutritional profiles with enhanced health benefits. Furthermore, they enable the use of by-products from traditional agriculture as inputs for bioreactor-based food production. The efficiency gains are staggering: up to 50-100 times more efficient land use, 1,000 to 100,000 times higher protein production efficiency, and up to 20 times more efficient vitamin production, with 30% lower environmental and economic costs than traditional chemical processes.

Yet, the absence of real-time monitoring systems that characterize different microorganisms and cells, including their states, has long hindered breakthroughs from transitioning beyond the lab. Current bioprocesses are often a “black box,” with no direct monitoring of the microorganisms. Holloid’s revolutionary bioprocess monitoring system is the missing link for breakthroughs in scalable precision fermentation and cultivation. The project “Revolutionary OnLine Fermentation Monitoring" (ROLF) addresses this gap to build a world-leading, next-generation European sustainable food industry.

The EIC’s evaluation criteria cover the fit to the grant program, “Excellence” and “Impact”. To win the grant, Holloid scored 9/9 points from the international reviewers and a jury of entrepreneurs and scientists.

20.02.2025