One.bio bets on “invisible” oat fiber as fibermaxxing trend reshapes the functional food market

A US-based foodtech startup is seeking to change how fiber is added—and perceived—in everyday foods. One.bio, a California company specializing in advanced fiber technology, is preparing to launch its first commercial products next week, introducing an “invisible” oat fiber designed to significantly increase fiber content in foods and beverages without compromising taste, texture, or appearance. The development comes amid growing consumer interest in gut health and the so-called “fibermaxxing” trend, according to information published by AgFunderNews.

Founded by researchers from the University of California, Davis, one.bio has developed a proprietary process that allows food manufacturers to incorporate 20 grams or more of fiber per serving, levels that have historically been difficult to achieve due to palatability issues. The company describes its flagship ingredient—one.bio 01 oat fiber—as flavorless, odorless, colorless, and fully water-soluble, enabling its use across a wide range of products.

While the ingredient is primarily aimed at food and beverage formulators, one.bio will debut the technology through its own consumer-facing brand, GoodVice, developed in-house. Although the company has not yet disclosed the final product lineup, early prototypes include a chocolate milkshake with 20 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber, as well as a sparkling fruit seltzer delivering 20 grams of fiber per serving.

“We could put 50 grams in there and you still wouldn’t notice it,” said Matt Amicucci, cofounder of one.bio, in statements reported by AgFunderNews, highlighting the ingredient’s neutral sensory profile.

Fiber steps into the spotlight

For decades, fiber has played a secondary role in nutrition marketing, overshadowed by protein despite its well-documented health benefits. US dietary guidelines recommend 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories, translating to roughly 25 to 38 grams per day for most adults. However, average intake in the United States remains at 15 to 16 grams per day, well below recommended levels.

That dynamic may be shifting. Growing interest in the gut microbiome, combined with heightened attention to satiety and metabolic health—particularly in the context of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs—has brought fiber back into focus. Social media trends such as “fibermaxxing” have further fueled awareness, with brands increasingly highlighting fiber content on product labels.

Still, one.bio argues that consumer understanding remains limited. “The message that we need many different fibers for optimal health often gets lost,” Amicucci told AgFunderNews, noting that fiber is still widely viewed as basic “roughage” rather than a complex group of compounds with diverse biological effects.

According to the company, different fibers can play distinct roles, from strengthening the gut barrier and modulating inflammation to influencing glucose regulation, satiety, and even aspects of mental health. One.bio’s stated goal is to move the conversation from fiber as a single nutrient to “fibers” as targeted functional ingredients.

From laboratory analysis to industrial scale

One.bio was founded in 2019 by Matt Amicucci, Carlito Lebrilla, Bruce German, and David Mills, all affiliated with UC Davis, where their early work focused on understanding the structure and function of dietary fibers. In 2023, Matt Barnard, cofounder of vertical farming company Plenty, joined the startup as cofounder and CEO, bringing experience in scaling food-related technologies.

At the core of one.bio’s platform is a chemical process that breaks down complex polysaccharides—long-chain carbohydrates found in plants and microbes—into smaller oligosaccharides. The method relies on a controlled reaction between a metal catalyst and an oxidizing agent, generating reactive radicals that fragment polysaccharides without altering their underlying structure.

This transformation makes the fibers soluble, digestible, and palatable, while preserving their functional properties. The resulting compounds can then be precisely characterized using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, allowing the company to link specific fiber structures to biological outcomes.

According to Barnard, the process is both patented and scalable, and can be executed using standard industrial equipment. This scalability has attracted interest from what he described to AgFunderNews as “some of the largest food and beverage brands,” although specific partners have not been publicly named.

Mapping fibers and the microbiome

Beyond production, one.bio has built an extensive internal database known as the “Glycopedia,” which catalogs more than 4,000 fiber structures sourced from plants across the food system. Each fiber is mapped against microbial fermentation pathways and downstream health effects.

Using an in-house ex vivo fermentation platform, the company tests dozens of fibers against microbiome samples from multiple individuals, measuring which microbial populations are stimulated or suppressed and which metabolites—such as butyrate—are produced.

“This reverses the traditional approach,” Amicucci explained to AgFunderNews. “Rather than starting with a fiber and asking what it can do, we define the health outcome first and then select the fibers most likely to deliver that benefit.”

For its first commercial ingredient, one.bio targeted butyrate production, a short-chain fatty acid linked to gut health, metabolic function, and inflammation control. The company identified an oat-derived fiber that consistently stimulated butyrate production across a broad range of individuals.

Clinical testing and regulatory pathway

To support its claims, one.bio recently completed a two-week human clinical study involving 63 adults, designed to evaluate both tolerability and efficacy. Participants reported on gastrointestinal symptoms, diet, energy levels, and sleep quality, while also providing blood and stool samples and using continuous glucose monitoring devices.

According to results shared by the company and reported by AgFunderNews, participants consuming the oat fiber experienced improved digestive comfort—even at high intake levels—along with reduced post-meal blood sugar spikes, improved glucose stability, and reported gains in mood and mental focus within two weeks.

Amicucci emphasized that the study was open-label and not placebo-controlled, comparing each participant’s outcomes to their own baseline rather than to a control group. He noted that individuals consuming the highest dose—20 grams per day—spent significantly less time in unhealthy glucose ranges.

From a regulatory standpoint, one.bio reports that its oat and barley fibers are currently self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) and are undergoing the FDA-notified GRAS process.

Whole foods, fortified foods, and the road ahead

While the company stresses the importance of consuming whole fruits, vegetables, and grains, one.bio sees fiber fortification as a practical solution to modern dietary gaps. Amicucci has pointed to applications ranging from oat milk and fruit juices to baked goods and pastries, arguing that reintroducing fiber into processed foods could deliver measurable health benefits at scale.

In the longer term, the startup believes its technology could help reshape the functional food landscape by enabling products that support satiety, blood sugar control, and gut health without sacrificing consumer appeal.

As the functional nutrition market continues to evolve, one.bio is betting that the next frontier lies not in adding more protein, but in making fiber both effective and invisible.