Triple Bio unveils lipid tech to cut methane and boost milk

Netherlands-based startup Triple Bio emerged from stealth with a new lipid-based feed additive platform designed to reduce methane emissions from cattle while improving milk yields and feed efficiency. According to AgFunderNews, the company’s technology could help dairy producers lower emissions and increase productivity through specialized formulations that redirect hydrogen inside the rumen.

The company raised more than €1.5 million from investors including Nucleus Capital, Positron Ventures and Climate Club. Triple Bio was founded by climate-tech venture studio Marble and brings together specialists in biotechnology, animal science and livestock methane reduction.

According to AgFunderNews, the startup is developing two complementary formulations under its RumeNRG platform.

One product, called RumeNRG-PL, works as a delivery system for existing methane inhibitors. The technology encapsulates active ingredients in lipid structures that protect them from degradation in the rumen, allowing lower doses and more gradual release.

“With one known methane inhibitor, by encapsulating it, we're able to get a 500-fold reduction in the dose that's required,” said CEO Peter Rowe, according to AgFunderNews.

The second formulation, RumeNRG-Mx1, is designed to redirect hydrogen in the rumen toward more productive fermentation pathways instead of methane production. The goal is to improve feed efficiency and potentially increase milk output.

The startup explained that microbes in the rumen naturally generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide during digestion. Methanogens then use these compounds to produce methane, which cows release into the atmosphere. Triple Bio’s lipid structures are designed to mimic properties of methanogen cell membranes and influence how hydrogen is utilized.

According to in vitro rumen simulation tests cited by AgFunderNews, the company’s best-performing formulations increased volatile fatty acid production by 28%. Modeling suggests this could translate into 5% to 10% higher milk yields, although the company stressed that live-animal validation is still required.

“You’re basically putting the same diet in and getting much more product out, and that’s where you can deliver a big return on investment for the farmer,” Rowe said.

Unlike many methane-reduction technologies that focus on suppressing methanogens entirely, Triple Bio is pursuing a different strategy. The company argues that methanogens still play an important biological role in maintaining balance within the rumen ecosystem.

“Methanogens play an essential role in the rumen. They’ve co-evolved with ruminants and they’re there for a reason,” Rowe explained, according to AgFunderNews.

Triple Bio plans to begin live-animal trials later this year. One study will evaluate the encapsulated methane inhibitor platform, while another will test the productivity-focused formulation.

The company sees these initial trials as proof-of-concept studies ahead of a larger funding round expected next year. That financing would support broader regulatory work and commercial validation.

According to AgFunderNews, Triple Bio’s long-term objective is to combine methane reduction and productivity improvements into a single product capable of cutting methane emissions by up to 50% without relying on traditional methane inhibitors.

“Ultimately, we may not even need to load the lipids with methane inhibitors,” Rowe said. “This is our holy grail.”

Another key element of the startup’s strategy is scalability. Triple Bio says it is not relying on exotic ingredients or new manufacturing systems. Instead, it sources industrial-scale lipids already used in sectors such as vitamins and personal care products.

The company believes this could accelerate commercialization and reduce production risks if animal trials confirm the biological efficacy of the technology.

As pressure grows on the livestock industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing productivity, technologies like Triple Bio’s could become increasingly important for dairy producers seeking both sustainability and profitability.