Onego Bio lands Zen Waffles deal as Bioalbumen enters US breakfast market

Onego Bio has secured a commercial partnership with Brooklyn-based Zen Waffles, which will use the Finnish food-tech company's precision-fermented egg protein Bioalbumen in its high-protein waffle products.

The agreement gives Bioalbumen another route into the US food market, this time through the growing high-protein breakfast and convenience category. Zen Waffles currently sells direct to consumers across all 50 states, alongside a growing retail and wholesale network that includes grocery stores, fitness centers and Citarella Gourmet Market.

• Onego Bio will supply its precision-fermented egg protein Bioalbumen for use in Zen Waffles' high-protein products as the brand expands across the US.
• Zen Waffles sells nationwide through direct-to-consumer channels and is building its presence across grocery, fitness and specialty retail outlets.
• Bioalbumen provides the protein and functional properties of conventional egg white protein, with Onego Bio citing an environmental impact around 90% lower than conventional egg protein.

Bioalbumen is produced through precision fermentation and has an amino acid sequence identical to conventional ovalbumin, the main protein found in egg white. According to Onego Bio, the ingredient delivers the taste, nutrition and functionality associated with conventional egg protein without requiring animals.

For Zen Waffles, those characteristics allow the company to add protein while retaining the functionality eggs traditionally provide in a waffle formulation.

"At Zen Waffles, our goal is to make high-protein foods convenient and delicious. Bioalbumen offers a great source of high-quality protein, helping us make products consumers already love nutritious and satisfying. We're excited to partner with Onego Bio as we continue to grow Zen Waffles and reach more customers across the country," said Eugene Komissarov, Co-founder of Zen Waffles.

Zen Waffles originated from Zen Kitchen in Brooklyn and has since expanded from serving local customers to shipping its high-protein waffles nationwide. The company has built its proposition around combining higher protein content with convenience and familiar foods rather than focusing solely on traditional sports nutrition formats.

That approach comes as protein increasingly finds its way into mainstream packaged foods. According to Euromonitor International figures cited by the companies, US retail sales of high-protein packaged foods increased 25% between 2021 and 2025, reaching almost US$24 billion. High-protein baked goods grew by nearly 46% over the same period.

The Zen Waffles application also provides a commercial demonstration of Bioalbumen's functional properties beyond simply increasing the protein content of a finished product.

"In a waffle, egg protein does a lot of work: it provides structure for a light, tender interior and supports browning for a golden, crisp exterior, all while delivering high-quality protein," added Maija Itkonen, Co-founder & CEO of Onego Bio.

"Bioalbumen brings that multifunctionality together, giving food manufacturers a new way to meet growing demand for protein. Zen Waffles has built a brand with incredible customer loyalty by showing that high-protein foods can be both nutritious and delicious, and we're thrilled to partner with them as they continue to grow nationwide."

Onego Bio is developing Bioalbumen as an ingredient for applications including bakery products, snacks, nutrition products and other protein-rich foods. Precision fermentation is used to produce the egg protein independently of conventional egg farming while retaining the characteristics manufacturers rely on from ovalbumin.

The company also says Bioalbumen can provide manufacturers with greater cost and supply stability. Egg markets have faced periods of considerable supply disruption and price volatility in recent years, adding another potential commercial argument for fermentation-derived alternatives capable of performing the same functions in food production.

Onego Bio cites a 2021 study published in Nature Food indicating an environmental impact for Bioalbumen around 90% lower than conventional egg protein.

The Zen Waffles agreement adds a consumer-facing US application as Onego Bio works to expand commercialization of the ingredient. Rather than introducing Bioalbumen as a standalone consumer proposition, the partnership puts the technology inside an established food format where egg protein already has a clear nutritional and functional role.

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