Functional Protein Systems

Proteins redesigned
for performance.

We modify abundant plant proteins at the molecular level to replace supply-constrained animal proteins in food systems. Starting with bakery.

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Solubility
Solubility
Emulsification
Emulsification
Gelation
Gelation
Foaming
Foaming
Structural Matrix
Structural Matrix
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The Challenge

What makes Animal Proteins so Functional

Excellent functional properties — high solubility, foaming, gelation, emulsification. That's what makes eggs and whey proteins so dominant across processed food systems.

For Whey Protein Concentrate, one amino acid — cysteine — and a single free sulfhydryl group buried inside β-lactoglobulin's molecular structure.

Specifically in bakery applications:

"When a cake reaches 70 °C during baking, that one –SH group triggers an autocatalytic chain reaction of disulfide bonds that locks the entire foam structure permanently."

No plant protein has this exact mechanism.

Dependence on eggs or whey creates an expensive bottleneck for food manufacturers. Price fluctuations and unavailability swing costs upward, creating disturbance ripple effects across the food industry.

Nobody has changed the ingredients at a molecular level to match what WPC actually does inside a muffin or a cookie.

So, we did.

01

Supply Risk

Animal protein supply chains remain vulnerable to disruption, limiting scalability and resilience for food manufacturers.

02

Price Instability

Persistent fluctuations in egg and dairy markets challenge profitability, planning and cost forecasting across the industry.

03

Sustainability Challenge

The environmental burden of animal proteins continues to grow, driving urgent demand for high-performance plant-based alternatives.

Our Technology

Proprietary Protein Modification Technology.

We use controlled biochemical processes to modify protein structure — changing:

Protein behaviour at interfaces

How proteins orient, stabilise and function at oil-water and air-water boundaries — the foundation of emulsification and foaming.

Response to heat

Thermal gelation and structural locking during baking — the mechanism that converts liquid batter into a stable, risen crumb.

Accessible & domestic

Creating functional ingredients that perform like animal proteins, made from accessible, abundant and domestically-sourced raw materials.

First Product

Untapped Protein (UPC1)

WPC 80 Functional Replacer for Bakery

Untapped Protein UPC1

A shelf-stable powder that replaces Eggs and WPC in bakery systems. Drop-in usage. Standard mixing and baking process. No special equipment or training required.

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Product Specifications

FormatFree-flowing powder
Dosage3.5–5% of premix weight
ReplacesWPC 80 at 2–2.5%
Performance90–95% of WPC sponge height
Crumb StrengthComparable to WPC 80
Shelf Life12 months ambient
ApplicationsSponge cakes, muffins, pound cakes, tea cakes, industrial cupcakes
Validated Results

Validated in commercial ovens.

Tested alongside cake premix formulated with functional WPC 80 in a commercial oven. Standard 1 kg premix batch. Standard baking conditions.

Functional Performance

UPC1 vs WPC80 Benchmark

WPC 80
UPC1
98%
Volume Retention
Equivalent
Crumb Structure
Equivalent
Sensory Performance
Better
Strength vs WPC 80
UPC1 vs WPC80 comparison
WPC 80 benchmark height 100%
UPC1 height 92–95%
Crumb strength Comparable
Surface finish Clean, even dome
Whiteness in vanilla sponge Comparable
Currently in commercial evaluation with bakery premix manufacturers & industrial bakeries

Our proteins foam, gel and emulsify
without adding any off taste.

Applications
Platform

A platform to modify Proteins.

Our protein modification platform is feedstock-flexible and application-adaptable.

We are starting with WPC replacement in bakery but the same principles apply wherever animal proteins deliver functionality that plant proteins cannot match.

1
Now Available

WPC Replacer for Bakery

Commercial product. Validated. Available for sampling.

2
Next In Development

Egg Protein Replacer for Bakery

Extending our modification platform to replace egg albumin functionality in cakes, cookies, and pastry.

3
Future Roadmap

Dairy Protein Functionality Across Food Systems

Applying the same molecular framework to adjacent categories — wherever animal proteins create irreplaceable function.

Built by food scientists,
for food manufacturers.

Untapped Foods Team
Rutuj Kulkarni

Rutuj Kulkarni

Founder & CEO

Food fascinated me early — not the taste, but the science behind how ingredients actually behave. I studied Food Engineering and Technology at ICT Mumbai and spent years in the bakery ingredients industry, working closely with manufacturers on formulation and functionality. I kept running into the same friction: manufacturers deeply dependent on egg and whey proteins, with no real functional alternative in sight. The deeper I dug into the science, the clearer it became that nobody had addressed this at the molecular level. That became the starting point for Untapped Foods.

Get in Touch

We'd love to hear
from you.

We're partnering with food manufacturers who want to reduce or eliminate WPC dependency without compromising product quality. Request a sample, schedule a technical discussion, or just say hello.

Get in touch

Location

Pune, India

Sample Requests

Samples typically ship within 5 business days of request.