Press release 27.01.2026
Ora Biotics secures investment from Delphinus Venture Capital and Rockstart
After many years of experience developing and launching new functional food ingredients at Novonesis, an idea gradually took shape for the two founders, Jens Eklöf and Ida Krogh Sjöholm. An idea to create the world’s most precise prebiotic fiber – one that helps address major health challenges such as weight management and insulin resistance. By making the fiber easy to integrate into the foods and beverages, we already consume, healthier choices can become more accessible.
The company has now raised investment from Delphinus Venture Capital and Rockstart to develop the product for the global market.
An idea that needed a life of its own
You may already be familiar with probiotics – these are live bacteria. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are for example fibers that nourish the beneficial bacteria already present in your gut microbiome. On average, we should consume around 50% more fiber than we currently do in order to prevent lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
Jens Eklöf has worked with fibers throughout his entire career. Over time, a concrete idea emerged: a more targeted prebiotic fiber that nourishes only specific gut bacteria and therefore achieves a more potent health effect. As the market for functional foods and dietary supplements accelerated, so did the idea of taking the leap into entrepreneurship and bringing the concept to market.
“For me, it’s also about the pride of being a positive part of the food value chain. The dream is that one day soon I can show my children a product with our ingredient on the label and say: ‘This is something your dad helped create,’” says Jens Eklöf.
Through discussions with Ida Krogh Sjöholm, the idea evolved from professional sparring into a shared project. With Jens’ technical and scientific background and Ida’s experience in business development and commercialization, it became clear that there was strong market potential.
“Our goal is to get this broadly into food products and not only dietary supplements. That’s why we also focus on solving the challenges associated with other prebiotic ingredients today. Our fiber, for example, has no taste, it doesn’t cause bloating, it is 100% stable” says Ida Krogh Sjöholm.
Preclinical results confirm the potential
The company has recently achieved preclinical results that document the product performs as expected.
“We now have data that confirms what we have been working towards. This is an important milestone because it shows that our approach holds up, not only in theory, but also in practice,” says Jens Eklöf.
The investment brings the vision closer to market
With the new investment from Delphinus Venture Capital and Rockstart, Ora Biotics is preparing to scale up to pilot production and initiate the first product tests in close collaboration with selected partners.
“We haven’t really had time to celebrate. Of course, we’re incredibly happy, but we went straight into execution mode, and we love it,” says Ida Krogh Sjöholm.
“Ora Biotics combines deep scientific insight with strong commercial experience and a clear vision for improving health through food. That’s exactly the type of company and founders we want to support,” says Magnus Theil Olsen, Investment Associate at Delphinus Venture Capital.
”Rockstart invests in early-stage startups with exceptional founder-product fit, and Jens and Ida of Ora Biotics certainly fit the criteria. Ora Biotics will deliver next-gen pre-biotics, which plays perfectly into our AgriFood thesis around quantifiable consumption and (gut) health. We are delighted to co-invest alongside Delphinus Venture Capital, and we are already enjoying working with Jens and Ida in the Rockstart Growth Tracks program” says Mark Durno, Managing Partner at Rockstart.
About Ora Biotics
Ora Biotics is a Danish startup within foodtech and life science, developing a new generation of prebiotic fibers for use in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. The company focuses on highly specific prebiotic ingredients designed to support selected beneficial bacteria in the microbiome, enabling lower dosages and more targeted health effects.
About Delphinus Venture Capital
Delphinus Venture Capital is a Danish venture fund managing DKK 600 million. The fund invests in research-intensive innovation and deep-tech companies with the potential to create global impact.
About Rockstart
Rockstart is an international early-stage investor backing startups within energy, agrifood, and emerging technologies. Rockstart has invested in more than 350 startups and has offices in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Bogotá.
For further information:
Magnus Theil Olsen
Investment Associate, Delphinus Venture Capital
mto@delphinus.vc
+45 20 68 92 95
Ida Krogh Sjöholm, CCO, Ora Biotics
ida-krogh@ora-biotics.com
+45 53 62 11 76
Jens Eklöf, CEO, Ora Biotics
jens.eklof@orabiotics.com
+45 30 77 18 39