2nd Nature is Tapped by Kanematsu Corporation to Discover Functional Ingredients in Agricultural Side Streams
CINCINNATI, April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 2nd Nature, the proprietor of the AgWaste Portal™ and The Intelligent Upcycling Platform™, today announced the launch of a collaboration with Kanematsu Corporation. Under the agreement, Kanematsu will leverage 2nd Nature's proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform to assess the potential of agricultural and food processing side streams as sources of high-value functional ingredients.
Kanematsu Corporation, a Japanese general trading company, seeks to deepen its understanding of how underutilized byproducts from existing operations could potentially contribute to more sustainable resource utilization through this exploration.
The engagement begins with the critical first step of 2nd Nature's vertically integrated process: Discovery. By mapping the molecular potential of Kanematsu's side streams, 2nd Nature's AI will identify valuable compounds—such as proteins, functional fibers, and bioactives—based on their predicted functional properties.
“Food processing side streams are treasure troves full of nutrients and high-value ingredients. For too long, they are viewed as waste,” said Dr. Effendi Leonard, co-founder and CEO of 2nd Nature. Partnering with Kanematsu, insights generated through this exploration may help inform future discussions around innovation and sustainability opportunities.
“At Kanematsu, our corporate principle is to contribute to a sustainable society through innovation,” said Kazuhiro Matsuura, General Manager of the Growth Strategy Office at Kanematsu Corporation.
“Through this collaboration, we look forward to learning from 2nd Nature’s AI-driven approach and gaining new perspectives on how agricultural side streams may contribute to more sustainable resource utilization.”
AI Discovery: The First Step Toward Exponential Innovation
The modern food system suffers from an economic failure where millions of tons of nutrient-rich side streams are treated as costly liabilities. 2nd Nature's AgWaste Portal™ addresses this by analyzing complex chemical data using AI to identify compounds invisible to traditional human-led screening methods.
A Platform Built for End-to-End Commercialization
While the Kanematsu partnership starts from side stream analysis, 2nd Nature's Intelligent Upcycling Platform™ is designed to take discoveries from digital insight to commercial reality. The company's full suite of services encompasses a seamless fusion of AI-powered discovery and hardware for ingredient production:
- Discover: Uncovering high-value ingredient opportunities in side streams with AgWaste Portal™
- Develop: Creating scalable, cost-effective processes to produce target ingredients
- Deploy: Providing manufacturers with a de-risked, resilient supply of upcycled ingredients sourced from their own side streams
This end-to-end capability means that the insights generated during the discovery phase can ultimately lead to the creation of the shortest, most resilient supply chains possible, sourcing premium ingredients from a manufacturer's own side streams.
"Our AI looks for valuable ingredients within waste streams," added Dr. Leonard. "While our work with Kanematsu begins with mapping molecular potential, our platform is built to eventually help partners turn their biggest cost centers into resilient supplies of safer and healthier ingredients, as well as new revenue streams."
About 2nd Nature
2nd Nature is The Intelligent Upcycling Platform™, using Artificial Intelligence to discover high-performance functional ingredients in food processing side streams. The company’s proprietary AgWaste Portal™ maps the molecular universe of byproducts to identify hidden small molecules, fibers, peptides, proteins, and enzymes based on functionality. Named among FoodNavigator’s World’s Food-Tech Innovators of 2025 and 2026, 2nd Nature is building the foundation for a circular food economy where waste becomes the shortest, most resilient supply chain possible. For more information, visit www.2ndnature.bio
About Kanematsu Corporation
Kanematsu Corporation is a general trading company founded in 1889, with global operations across a wide range of business fields including Foods, Meat & Grain, ICT Solutions, Electronics & Devices, and Steel, Materials & Plant.
By organically integrating its domestic and international networks with the expertise developed across its business sectors, Kanematsu provides a diverse range of products and services through comprehensive trading company functions such as commercial transactions, information gathering, market development, business creation and structuring, risk management, and logistics. For more information, please visit https://www.kanematsu.co.jp/en
Media contact Christina Ra | christina@2ndnature.bio
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