Arzeda and MANE Join Forces to Bring a Better Stevia at Scale

Sugar reduction remains one of food and beverage’s most stubborn formulation problems. Brands have faced mounting pressure to cut sugar while preserving taste, label appeal, and cost discipline, yet many stevia-based systems have struggled with bitterness and performance. That is the backdrop for Arzeda’s new partnership with MANE, announced on March 5, 2026, which aims to commercialize ViaLeaf™ Reb M by combining Arzeda’s enzyme design platform with one of the flavor industry’s largest commercial and formulation networks.

SEATTLE, March 28th, 2026 /SynBioBeta/

The partnership centers on ViaLeaf™ Reb M, Arzeda’s high-purity steviol glycoside ingredient produced in cell-free reactions from natural stevia leaf extract. According to Arzeda, the ingredient reaches 95% purity and offers a cleaner sweetness profile with significantly less bitterness than Reb A. Arzeda today has a production capacity of >500 metric tons per year, making ViaLeaf™ one of the few commercial demonstrations of industrial-scale cell-free biomanufacturing in operation today.

"Consumer demand for lower- and no-sugar products is at the forefront of the health and wellness movement, and it's only accelerating," Alexandre Zanghellini told SynBioBeta. "ViaLeaf™ Reb M is the product the market has been waiting for. The technology is proven, demand is surging, and partnering with MANE lets us meet that demand globally."

MANE brings global production and commercial reach and important expertise in flavour creation. In its announcement, MANE framed the collaboration as a way to strengthen its sweetening and flavour modulation portfolio, particularly in reduced-sugar beverages. The partnership also integrates MANE's SENSE CAPTURE™ technologies, which improve sweet perception and reduce off-notes in finished formulations. Arzeda supplies the enabling molecule and process, while MANE helps turn that platform into finished, formulation-ready sugar reduction systems for consumer packaged goods brands.

"With MANE, we can accelerate global expansion on multiple fronts that would have taken us much longer on our own," Zanghellini said. "Their technical formulation expertise means CPG brands get turnkey support reformulating products, which dramatically shortens the path from ingredient to finished product on shelf."

The strategic logic for timing is straightforward. Consumer demand for low- and no-sugar products is accelerating, compounded by sugar taxes and clean-label regulation reshaping how CPG companies approach reformulation. Reduced-sugar and low-carb bakery products have been growing at ten percent compound annual growth since 2021, according to Innova Market Insights. What's been missing is a sweetener that actually performs.

The underlying technology is central to the story. Arzeda positions its Intelligent Protein Design Technology™ as an AI protein design platform that engineers novel enzymes across broad sequence space. The company traces its roots to protein design work connected to the University of Washington and co-founder and 2024 Nobel Laureate David Baker. In September 2025, Arzeda announced that it would lead an NSF-supported consortium, totaling about $6.3 million, focused on advancing industrial-scale cell-free biomanufacturing with AI-designed enzymes. Arzeda cited ViaLeaf™ Reb M, already operating with a manufacturing capacity of >500 metric tons per year, as proof that cell-free biomanufacturing can move beyond pilot claims into commercial reality.

The broader implication is worth noting for SynBioBeta’s audience. Cell-free biomanufacturing has long been positioned as a technology platform in search of its commercial moment. ViaLeaf™ production capacity scaling beyond 500 metric tons per year, paired with the distribution muscle of a global flavor company, suggests that moment may already be here.