11.08.22
Nirmal Nair, a trained engineer, home chef, and wellness enthusiast, has always been fascinated by fungi, especially the value they have in promoting human health. Motivated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, Nair set out to become the founder of a health and wellness company centered around mushroom extract ingredients.
He formed a team which included mycologist Dennis Desjardin, a former 30-year faculty member at San Francisco State University, chef Srijith Gopinathan, who has earned two Michelin stars at his San Francisco restaurant, and advisor Dan Gordon, founder of Gordon Biersch Brewery and an expert beer brewer with credentials from the Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan. The three became core members of the company now known as Sempera Organics.
In 2020, Sempera Organics built a cGMP-compliant 8,700 square-foot laboratory and facility in 2020 which also serves as the company’s headquarters. The company uses vertical farming techniques to make the most of the space they have, and can produce an estimated 70 tons of finished ingredients annually..
The company’s portfolio includes over two dozen mushroom species representing 50 strains, all of which are USDA-certified organic, Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher.
Within its portfolio of blends, the company has the Core line, which includes: Clarity Core, which features Lion’s Mane, suitable for functional foods and supplements; Biome Core, which is formulated to support a balanced microbiome and support a healthy GI system; Performance Core, which is focused on physical and mental performance; AgeWell Core, designed to support cellular health and protect against oxidative stress; and Immune Core, a proprietary blend of seven mushrooms standardized to 20% beta glucans.
“Brands need standardized, easy-to-incorporate ingredients with clinically-substantiated claims and reliable, simplified supply,” Nair said. “That’s why we created these ingredients to address both current consumer wellness challenges and the needs of manufacturers, so brands don’t have to do the research.”
“We are launching with Lions Mane, Reishi and Cordyceps extracts. Our extracts provide great versatility for formulators to create ready-to-mix and ready-to-drink beverage applications.” Nair said. “A concentrated ingredient with excellent solubility and dispersion means our ingredients can be readily used for a wide variety of wet dosage applications.”
Similarly to its Core line of mushroom powders, Sempera’s mushroom extracts are all standardized to a minimum 20% beta glucans, and the company has developed technology to capture the full spectrum of water-soluble polysaccharides and the water insoluble triterpenes and sterols, dependent on the mushroom species.
Beyond dietary supplements, the company is now beginning to evaluate other uses for their mushrooms, such as ready-to-mix or ready-to-drink beverages, pasta, and meat-free alternatives.
“Mushrooms should be a vital part of everyone’s day, but before we entered the market, quality supply was rather limited,” Nair said. “One of our goals is to produce standardized mushroom ingredients for the widest applications possible to allow for a wider diversity of consumers to enjoy their benefits. Today all of our ingredients are standardized to 20% beta glucans, and this will be expanded in the future.”
All of Sempera Organics’ ingredients are made in California from mushrooms grown on sorghum, with a zero-waste manufacturing process which consumes low amounts of energy. “We believe in being stewards of our environment and ensuring that the resources we use stay modest and renewable so our mushroom ingredients can be a gift of good health for the foreseeable future,” Nair said.
Additionally, the climate-controlled facility allows for the full control of growth and production, and the company reports that it can reduce production times by up to 40% compared to conventional methods.
He formed a team which included mycologist Dennis Desjardin, a former 30-year faculty member at San Francisco State University, chef Srijith Gopinathan, who has earned two Michelin stars at his San Francisco restaurant, and advisor Dan Gordon, founder of Gordon Biersch Brewery and an expert beer brewer with credentials from the Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan. The three became core members of the company now known as Sempera Organics.
In 2020, Sempera Organics built a cGMP-compliant 8,700 square-foot laboratory and facility in 2020 which also serves as the company’s headquarters. The company uses vertical farming techniques to make the most of the space they have, and can produce an estimated 70 tons of finished ingredients annually..
The company’s portfolio includes over two dozen mushroom species representing 50 strains, all of which are USDA-certified organic, Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher.
Within its portfolio of blends, the company has the Core line, which includes: Clarity Core, which features Lion’s Mane, suitable for functional foods and supplements; Biome Core, which is formulated to support a balanced microbiome and support a healthy GI system; Performance Core, which is focused on physical and mental performance; AgeWell Core, designed to support cellular health and protect against oxidative stress; and Immune Core, a proprietary blend of seven mushrooms standardized to 20% beta glucans.
“Brands need standardized, easy-to-incorporate ingredients with clinically-substantiated claims and reliable, simplified supply,” Nair said. “That’s why we created these ingredients to address both current consumer wellness challenges and the needs of manufacturers, so brands don’t have to do the research.”
“We are launching with Lions Mane, Reishi and Cordyceps extracts. Our extracts provide great versatility for formulators to create ready-to-mix and ready-to-drink beverage applications.” Nair said. “A concentrated ingredient with excellent solubility and dispersion means our ingredients can be readily used for a wide variety of wet dosage applications.”
Similarly to its Core line of mushroom powders, Sempera’s mushroom extracts are all standardized to a minimum 20% beta glucans, and the company has developed technology to capture the full spectrum of water-soluble polysaccharides and the water insoluble triterpenes and sterols, dependent on the mushroom species.
Beyond dietary supplements, the company is now beginning to evaluate other uses for their mushrooms, such as ready-to-mix or ready-to-drink beverages, pasta, and meat-free alternatives.
“Mushrooms should be a vital part of everyone’s day, but before we entered the market, quality supply was rather limited,” Nair said. “One of our goals is to produce standardized mushroom ingredients for the widest applications possible to allow for a wider diversity of consumers to enjoy their benefits. Today all of our ingredients are standardized to 20% beta glucans, and this will be expanded in the future.”
All of Sempera Organics’ ingredients are made in California from mushrooms grown on sorghum, with a zero-waste manufacturing process which consumes low amounts of energy. “We believe in being stewards of our environment and ensuring that the resources we use stay modest and renewable so our mushroom ingredients can be a gift of good health for the foreseeable future,” Nair said.
Additionally, the climate-controlled facility allows for the full control of growth and production, and the company reports that it can reduce production times by up to 40% compared to conventional methods.
