Pentasweet is proud to announce the signing of a major investment agreement with the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania. This agreement marks a significant step forward in our plan to develop a next-generation biosynthesis-based production facility in Vilnius. The total planned investment amounts to €44 million.
The following article is an English-language adaptation of the Ministry’s official news release, originally published in Lithuanian.
“This investment confirms that Lithuania is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for high value-added sectors such as biotechnology,” said Minister of the Economy and Innovation Lukas Savickas. “We aim to see more projects of this kind in Lithuania, which is why we are building an ‘Investment Highway’ — a system designed to help businesses launch faster, more efficiently, and with greater legal clarity. Our goal is to create conditions where a company can begin operations within a few months and complete its project within one to two years.”
Pentasweet is a biotechnology company developing natural sweeteners that are more compatible with the human body. Our flagship product is brazzein, one of the sweetest proteins known to science — approximately 1,500 times sweeter than sugar — produced through precision fermentation and offering excellent sensory properties.
“Brazzein production is a technically complex process, accessible only to organizations with advanced expertise,” said Danas Tvarijonavičius, Chairman of the Pentasweet Board. “The fact that we have established a complete production cycle here in Lithuania is a testament to the world-class competence of our biotech specialists. This is the result of decades of sustained development in the life sciences and a major achievement for Lithuania’s scientific community. We are grateful for the Republic of Lithuania’s support and believe that the ‘Major Investment Project’ status will accelerate key procedures.”
Mr. Tvarijonavičius also expressed hope that both consumers and the food industry will embrace the product, enabling Pentasweet — and Lithuania — to contribute meaningfully to healthier nutrition globally.
Currently, significant international investments are being made in brazzein development, with at least four competing projects in progress worldwide. Pentasweet has already developed a proprietary and efficient brazzein production technology and is in the planning phase for the first brazzein manufacturing facility in Europe — a major achievement for Lithuania’s life sciences sector.
The factory will be located in Vilnius Innovation Industrial Park, creating 26 new high-value jobs. Operations are expected to begin in 2027.
Read the article in Lithuanian on the ministry website: