No magic.
Simply science.

Woman and child sitting on a sofa, sharing a joyful hug.

We fight iron
deficiency

Our iron compounds:

  • Are highly bioavailable
  • Contain non-animal heme iron
  • Are stable in food products
  • Have no taste

News

Go to News Archive

Problem

A woman looking out of a train window with her hair blowing in the wind.

2 billion people suffer from iron deficiency

Insufficient iron levels leads to fatigue, focus issues, headaches, heart palpitations, learning disabilities, and depression. Lack of iron not only impacts women and girls but also the elderly, children, vegetarians, vegans, and those with chronic illnesses. This, mainly female, problem can affect performance levels and cause productivity and income gaps between men and women from an early age in life.

Current iron supplements contain poorly absorbed inorganic iron that causes adverse effects on the body, like stomach discomfort with potential organ damage due to high oxidative properties.

Solution

A dropper bottle hovers over a beaker filled with red liquid, surrounded by fresh herbs and a pomegranate.
Ironic has developed a portfolio of patented non-animal heme iron compounds with absorption rates comparable to the iron in meat.

These compounds are not magic, they are simply the result of many years of robust research. The compounds come from common edible plants, where they are found in tiny quantities. We produce them sustainably through precision fermentation. The products are tasteless and stable, so they can be taken as stand-alone supplements (e.g pills) or mixed in foods. We are working with foodcompanies to add our bioavailable iron directly into their food products.

Good for our health and our planet

Our product will not only improve the health of millions of people who suffer from iron deficiency but it will also contribute to equality between women and men. It will offer better opportunities of intellectual development to children.

The climate crisis is also a food crisis. We will be forced to eat less meat and many people are already now seeking a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. But a diet without meat often has to be complemented with iron supplements, and here Ironic iron has another important role to play.

Story

The ironic story about Ironic.

I am Dr. Nélida Leiva Eriksson and I've learned the hard way that I was one of countless women suffering from iron deficiency. After neglecting my own health I found myself in desperate need of what I was dedicating my life to research on – blood.
Oh, the irony.

However, the iron pills available  were a major disappointment. Not only did they upset my gut, but my body wasn't able to absorb the iron and most of it went through, anyway. I thought I had to come up with a better alternative.

That's why I founded Ironic - to empower women and put an end to the tiredness and fatigue caused by iron deficiency. So I put together a team to help me accomplish my goal. Each team member complements me with specific skill sets. I refuse to believe that being a woman should mean constantly feeling drained. I am determined to provide a solution that truly works.

Nélida Leiva Eriksson, Founder

A biotechnology scientist standing with her hands together in a photo studio with an orange background

Team

Portrait of Dr. Nélida Leiva Eriksson

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nélida Leiva Eriksson

Founder

A biotechnology scientist at Lund University who has been studying iron proteins for more than 15 years, as well as developing genetic engineering and fermentation techniques to scale-up production processes in vitro. She is at the forefront of the latest technology when it comes to developing innovative and sustainable food technologies.

nelida@ironicbiotech.com
Portrait of Hans Holm

Hans Holm

Innovation pioneer

An innovation pioneer with more than 30 years of experience from DSM and Chr. Hansen, working with food ingredients and dietary supplements. He is specialized in bringing R&D technologies into innovative products, project management and innovation strategy development.

hans@ironicbiotech.com
Portrait of Eskil Åhlin

Eskil Åhlin

Business Developer Veteran

Eskil has long experience from business development in international settings from Sony and other leading tech companies. His first jobs in his career were to design how parts of internet should work. He then continued on that path to see the birth of the mobile phones as we know them now. Today he sees the same energy and forward looking in biotech as the early days of internet in the late 1990s.

eskil@ironicbiotech.com
Karin Kettisen

Dr. Karin Kettisen

R&D Scientist

Karin holds a PhD from Lund university, her dissertation topic was on hemoglobin and engineering of proteins. Before joining Ironic Biotech she worked for Cytiva and SARomics.

karin@ironicbiotech.com

Supported by

Vinnova logo