Amplifying nutrition to deliver targeted nutrition and wellness

Protease. Protein. Peptides.

Through our proprietary enzyme technology research and our Digestiva discovery platform, we are:

  1. Improving protein digestion enabling targeted health benefits

  2. Elevating protein quality of foods and dietary supplements for superior nutrition and wellness

  3. Amplifying essential nutrient pathways in the body through bioactive peptides

Precision Protein Digestion for Optimal Health

At Digestiva, we are discovering and developing proprietary ingredients to amplify the power of protein nutrition in foods and dietary supplements.

Our foundational technology is a class of enzyme ingredients capable of unlocking the full nutritional value of protein-based foods and dietary supplements.

We are a pioneering, best-in-class food biotech company dedicated to transforming protein nutrition and global health. We combine a passion for enabling better human health and performance with a game-changing technology discovered at the University of California, Davis.

Metabolic
Health

Muscle Health
and Strength

Healthy
Development

Gut Comfort
and Health

Healthy
Aging

Our Science

 

Proprietary Enzymes

Advances in genomic sequencing technologies have enabled the discovery of thousands of natural proteases with diverse functions and specificity. Digestiva’s technology is founded on a large, proprietary class of protease enzymes that are highly efficient in improving protein digestibility.

 

Bioinformatics & Structure-Based Enzyme Design

Using state-of-the-art computational modeling techniques, we can rapidly reprogram our proteases to be highly specific and efficient in digesting targeted protein sources. By optimizing protease-food pairings, we create protein utilization efficiencies unmatched by any current market solutions.

 

AI-Enabled Enzyme & Bioactive Peptide Discovery

Our team of experts is experienced in digitizing protein structural information and protease characterization data, allowing machine learning to tease out the best protease-food pairings to maximize the health benefits locked in our foods. The amino acids and peptides uniquely released from these protease-food pairings can significantly alter a food’s nutritional value and its physiological effects.

 
 
 

Meet the Digestiva Team

  • John Melo

    CEO

  • Julie Hirsch, PhD

    President & COO

  • Wilson Mak, PhD

    Co-Founder & CTO

  • Emily Frtiz, PhD, MBA

    Head of Nutrition

  • Kevin McBride, M.S.

    Senior Scientist

  • Chloe Jones

    Research Associate

  • Kelley Priano

    Administrative & Operations Manager

Meet the Founders & Board Members

  • Justin Siegel, PhD

    Co-Founder
    Scientific Advisor

  • Bruce German, PhD

    Co-Founder
    Scientific Advisor

  • Glenn Nedwin, PhD

    Co-Founder
    Advisor

  • Harold Schmitz, PhD

    The March Group ; Former CSO of Mars Scientific Advisor

  • Christopher Lai

    Founding Managing Partner, The March Group
    Board Member

  • David Barber

    Co-Founder Blue Hill, Stone Barns Center
    Board Member

  • Carl Schramm, PhD

    University Professor at Syracuse University and former president of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
    Board Member

  • Victor Friedberg

    Founder and Managing Partner, New Epoch Capital; Founder/Chairman FoodShot Global
    Board Member

Meet the Advisors

  • Keith Baar, PhD

    Professor at UC Davis
    Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology

  • Roberta Holt, PhD

    Nutrition & Human Clinical Studies Expert
    UC Davis Department of Nutrition.

  • Ralph Jerome

    Former CIO of Mars, Inc.

  • Howard Shapiro, PhD

    Scientific Advisor

  • Carl Keen, PhD

    Professor Emeritus
    Department of Internal Medicine
    The Mars Chair, Developmental Nutrition

  • Heather Young, PhD

    Dean Emerita
    Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis

  • Carol Dollard, PhD

    Former COO at Glaceau
    Former Senior Director at Pepsi, Co