Wide Open Agriculture Validates Scalable Lupin Protein Manufacturing Process.
- Noel Ong
- Jul 22
- 6 min read
Announcement
Wide Open Agriculture Ltd (ASX: WOA) has announced a major technical milestone with the successful completion of a commercial-scale manufacturing trial of its proprietary lupin protein isolate process (BP80F), conducted in the United States. Samso has previously covered WOA's journey in lupin-based innovation, and this latest update continues that narrative of disciplined progress and technical refinement.
The results mark a critical advancement in WOA’s goal of becoming a global leader in clean-label, plant-based proteins, offering both operational efficiency and scalability for its lupin protein technology.
Key Highlights – Lupin Modification Trial Results
✅ Energy Efficiency Breakthrough: The trial demonstrated up to 80% reduction in energy consumption during WOA’s licensed processing step, achieved while maintaining product quality (Figure 1).
✅ Significant Time Savings: Processing time was reduced by approximately 50%, accelerating the pathway toward more cost-effective large-scale production.
✅ Use of Commercial-Scale Equipment: This was the first time automated, commercial-scale systems—not previously applied to lupin protein—were successfully used, proving the scalability of the technology.
✅ IP Protection via Black Box Configuration: The core processing step was executed in an automated “black box” setup, shielding the proprietary methodology and enhancing IP defensibility.
✅ Enhanced Production Metrics: A comparison with WOA’s German facility showed that the U.S. trial units processed 40L of lupin mixture twice as fast as the four existing units in Germany, while still achieving the required viscosity levels with drastically lower energy input.
The trial achieved the target viscosity using 80% less energy and in half the time compared to WOA’s German equipment (Figure 1). The new process is faster, more efficient, and maintains product quality, highlighting strong potential for scalable, commercial production.
Figure 1: Comparing Viscosity at various energy input; German Facility vs Trials (source: WOA)
Technical Outcomes: Energy & Viscosity
A critical marker of success was achieving target viscosity across a broad range of energy inputs. In simple terms, this confirms the robustness and flexibility of WOA’s proprietary technology.
These efficiency gains also signal a clear path to lowering both Operating Expenditure (OPEX) and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), which is vital for future expansion and investor confidence.
From Proof-of-Concept to Scale-Up
Following this validation:
Next Steps include a second trial phase at the WOA’s Grimmen facility in Germany to:
Fine-tune process parameters
Validate across varying lupin inputs
Confirm consistency under real-world production conditions
Commercial Integration Underway: Discussions are already taking place regarding financing and leasing of the U.S. trial system to embed into WOA’s infrastructure.
This paves the way for efficient, IP-protected production in Europe as demand for lupin protein scales across sectors such as dairy alternatives, functional food, and nutraceuticals.
Why This Matters In Delivering Lupin Protein Benefits to the Market?
Wide Open Agriculture’s ability to deliver plant-based protein ingredients that are high-performing, clean-label, and sustainable positions the company at the intersection of three fast-growing market trends: sustainability, health-conscious consumption, and alternative protein innovation.
The successful outcome of this U.S. trial sends a strong message to the market: WOA is not only innovating, but it is also executing on its scale-up vision, backed by engineering capability and a clear commercial strategy.
Wide Open Agriculture Chair, Yaxi Zhan, commented:
“Our team has worked tirelessly to optimise and scale our lupin protein technology, and this improvement in efficiency is a critical step forward.”
“It demonstrates the strength of our R&D and engineering capabilities, and the information will inform our scale-up plans as our sales pipeline grows.”
Wide Open Agriculture CEO, Matthew Skinner, commented:
“This milestone sends a strong signal to our customers, investors, and partners that as lupin protein adoption grows, WOA will be able to scale production to meet demand,”
Samso Concluding Comments
Wide Open Agriculture (ASX: WOA) has taken a meaningful step forward with this manufacturing trial. The results speak clearly—an 80% reduction in energy use and 50% faster processing time, all while maintaining product quality. It is important to note that these are not hypothetical improvements—they are measurable, validated gains in a commercial-scale environment using advanced, automated systems. That is the sort of data that strengthens investor confidence.
What’s particularly notable is that these improvements apply specifically to the IP step that underpins WOA’s lupin protein isolate process. By isolating and improving this critical stage, WOA has demonstrated a deep understanding of where efficiency matters most. It’s a smart, focused advancement that aligns with a broader strategy to build a defendable, cost-effective, and scalable production model for plant-based proteins.
The inclusion of a “black box” configuration to protect proprietary processes adds another layer of commercial sophistication. It shows that WOA is not only engineering for performance but also thinking about long-term defensibility and licensing potential. As lupin protein continues to gain attention for its clean-label, versatile applications, being able to meet demand at scale—without compromising IP—is a powerful position to be in.
For those following food-tech and alternative protein themes, this is one to watch. WOA isn’t just talking about sustainability and innovation—it’s demonstrating it with verifiable progress. The next round of trials in Germany will be important, but if similar results are achieved, WOA may be well on its way to becoming a cornerstone player in the lupin-based protein segment. Seek the data, follow the engineering, and watch how this story unfolds.
The Samso Way – Seek the Research
Wide Open Agriculture (ASX: WOA) continues to demonstrate how targeted R&D and proprietary IP can drive real commercial outcomes. This trial result reinforces WOA’s position in the plant-protein sector, not just as an innovator, but as a company executing on scalable, energy-efficient production. For investors seeking substance behind sustainability and food-tech narratives, WOA is offering a clear data-driven case to research further.
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