Find out how GIIAVA launches their innovative new products into the plant-based market with help from IPI Singapore and Republic Polytechnic.

• The Client
  GIIAVA Singapore is a long-established emulsifier manufacturer exploring new opportunities in plant-based innovation.
• Objective
  To commercialise a proprietary plant-based egg replacer and identify new growth opportunities.
• What IPI Singapore Did
  IPI Singapore provided strategic advice on business restructuring and go-to-market strategy, as well as connected GIIAVA with Republic Polytechnic for product prototyping.
• Impact
  Developed four egg-free product prototypes, validated market potential, and laid the groundwork for product launch and market entry in India.

A chance discovery in the lab of GIIAVA Singapore opened the door to a bold new direction - developing a plant-based egg replacer. The R&D team found the secret to formulating a novel plant-based egg replacer. However, turning this discovery into a commercial-ready product required more than great chemistry. It called for strategic guidance, food innovation expertise, and the right partners to bring the idea to market. 

With support from IPI Singapore and in collaboration with Republic Polytechnic, GIIAVA transformed their innovation of egg-replacers into a pipeline of four egg-based food prototypes, setting the stage for a new business vertical aimed at sustainability and global markets.

Identifying opportunity beyond internal expertise

Since starting its Singapore operations in 2014, GIIAVA has built a reputation on turning agricultural byproducts, like low-grade edible oil, into high-value products such as lecithin—a natural emulsifier used in food and animal feed.

“The egg replacer was discovered while we were working with chefs to create recipes using some of our oil products about 10 years ago,” said Yashodhan Bhawe, Director, GIIAVA. “We kept it as proprietary know-how until we had the ability to deploy it. We started to take the idea more seriously when consumer sentiment around eggless products started picking up about five years ago.”

On top of seeing the potential of the technology, GIIAVA also recognised the need for food expertise to experiment and validate the functionality and versatility of the egg replacer across different food formats. To find this expertise, GIIAVA turned to IPI Singapore to identify a suitable collaborator.

Adding external guidance to the mix

In May 2023, GIIAVA began working with IPI Singapore through the Innovation Advisory Service. The company was looking to build a cohesive organisation structure with middle management across its Singapore and India entities. With the guidance of Innovation Advisor (IA) Jitesh Avlani, they were able to develop an internal sales team and a three-year growth strategy for both the product and commodity divisions, paving the way for long-term scalability and commercial readiness.

Shortly after, Jitesh and the IPI Singapore team assisted GIIAVA Singapore and GIIAVA India again in corporate restructuring efforts and commercialisation strategies for a new product - the egg replacer. Together, they worked closely with the GIIAVA team to solidify strategic goals, tactics, and plans to commercialise the product.

When the egg replacer was ready for commercialisation, IPI Singapore’s Innovation & Technology (I&T) team collaborated with IA Jitesh to identify a partner with food technology capabilities. After an in-depth conversation with GIIAVA and reviewing IPI Singapore’s relevant partners, Republic Polytechnic (RP) was selected for its Food Innovation Module, where the polytechnic’s Year 2 students from the School of Applied Science could co-develop food prototypes using GIIAVA’s proprietary plant-based egg replacer.

IPI Singapore facilitated the introduction, and the project launched in April 2024. The GIIAVA team was particularly impressed with the creativity and technical understanding of the RP students.

“GIIAVA’s strength lies in their willingness to rethink their business and experiment with new opportunities,” said Adeline Chan, Principal Manager, I&T, IPI Singapore. “Our role was to help connect the dots, from strategy to prototyping, so they could confidently move into new markets with a solid plan and the right partners.”

Over a 12-week period, four prototypes were developed: egg-free cookies, mochi cream puffs, egg noodles, and a ready-to-eat vegetarian carbonara sauce. Each prototype came with data on taste, shelf-life and production processes, giving GIIAVA practical options to evaluate.

Serving market-ready solutions

The RP collaboration gave GIIAVA much more than product ideas. The team also gained a testbed for customer feedback, technical insights, and future-ready planning. The company is now exploring a commercial pilot, including hiring RP students as interns and working with RP’s principal investigator on further refinement.

GIIAVA is finalising the launch of three products: a whole egg replacer, egg yolk replacer, and eggless cake mix under Crema de Lille, a new baker-friendly spin-off brand tailored for the bakery and pastry segment. Manufactured in India, samples have been distributed to potential customers as part of their market entry efforts.

“With GIIAVA, we were able to provide end-to-end services,” explained Grace Wee, Principal Manager, Innovation Advisory, IPI Singapore. “They received strategic guidance from IA Jitesh in two projects, and connected with the perfect partner through the I&T team that allowed them to test-bed and launch unique new products, which expanded their reach to a new market segment.”