Responsible, Renewable, Remilk

Can we build a dairy industry that does not rely on cows? This is the ultimate goal of Remilk, a company producing real “cow” milk--not on a farm, but in a lab. The product is truly innovative: it uses real milk proteins as its foundation, meaning that at the microscopic level it is genuinely milk—but produced at a fraction of the environmental and industrial cost. After getting its start at Tel Aviv University’s Entrepreneurship Center, the milk hit supermarket shelves in Israel this year. It offers higher nutritional value than regular milk, with lower sugar content, no lactose, and full kosher pareve certification.  

“We are not trying to become another alternative milk,” says founder Aviv Wolff. “We are reimagining the dairy industry in a kinder, more responsible way.” 

Since its inception in 2019, Remilk has raised over $150 million from international backers including the US, UAE, Japan, Europe, and Australia, and it operates production plants across multiple countries.  

Remilk hit shelves this year partnering with Gad Dairy.

Back to the Farm 

Before Remilk, Wolff spent eight years in an IDF special forces unit as an officer. After his release, he chose to forgo college and jump straight into entrepreneurship, where he found success in the cybersecurity sector. Yet something was missing. 

“After two years, I realized that I needed to do something more impactful than just building a big company,” he says. “I needed to make a positive impact on society, on the planet. So, I went back to the drawing board to figure out where I could make a difference, and I landed on the dairy industry.” 

To Wolff, the dairy industry is familiar ground: his grandfather was a dairy farmer and much of his family grew up in Israel’s agricultural north. His insider’s perspective has allowed him to understand where and why there is need for innovation.  
 

Dr. Ori Cohavi: "My degree at TAU trained me to think critically, approach complex problems methodically, and connect theory with real-world application."

To pursue his plan to liberate milk from the udder, Wolff partnered with biochemist Dr. Ori Cohavi, who is a graduate of TAU’s Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. Of his time at TAU, Dr. Cohavi adds: “My bachelor’s degree in biology at Tel Aviv University gave me a strong scientific foundation and, more importantly, trained me to think critically, approach complex problems methodically, and connect theory with real-world applications--skills that have been essential in my role as CTO and co-founder of Remilk.”

The two knew they needed guidance to bring a product to market, and at just the right moment, they discovered the JumpTAU startup accelerator program at TAU’s Entrepreneurship Center. 

Jumping into Action 

JumpTAU is one of several startup accelerators at the Center, with a coexistence mission built in: Jewish and Arab students work together on each team. The intense collaborative atmosphere breeds solidarity in addition to innovation and business acumen. Each team has a mentor from the business world to guide them, and successful industry speakers and experts give lectures and offer advice to participants. 

Wolff and Cohavi were part of the very first cohort in 2019. Seven years later, they are still in touch with the mentors they met at the Entrepreneurship Center and the connections they made there continue to be a valuable resource. 

Aviv Wolff: “The diverse feedback from the mentors at the Entrepreneurship Center made a huge difference, and we're still in touch with them even now.”

“The most important lesson for me was to not be afraid to ask questions,” says Wolff. “The diverse feedback from the perspective of those with experience made a huge difference, and we still see those people as a resource even now.” 

The founders’ time at JumpTAU showed them that bringing their product to market would require throwing everything they had into development. With that goal in mind, the two raised over $150 million in only a year and a half of fundraising. They then hired as many scientists as they could and put together state-of-the-art labs to develop their milk as quickly as possible.  

Wolff and Cohavi were part of the first JumpTAU cohort.

More than Milk 

Remilk’s investment paid off: their milk is now on Israeli shelves and in cafes, and a whole line of dairy products are already in the works. In Israel, they are partnering with dairy giant Gad Dairies, but they aren’t stopping there: launch in the US and abroad is imminent, and they already have FDA approval. Thanks to international investments and partnerships, the company is showing that even in uncertain times Israel’s innovation continues to bring immense value to the world. 

Indeed, Remilk’s social contributions too are felt both in Israel and abroad. “After October 7, I was called up to reserve duty along with over a third of our employees,” says Wolff. “But those who weren’t called up came back to work very quickly, as we all supported each other. We also looked for ways to help soldiers and families who had been displaced after the attack, including sending food and care packages.” 

Aviv Wolff: “We are working toward a future where Remilk becomes the obvious choice—more nutritious, better tasting, more affordable, and far more responsible to produce.”

More broadly, Remilk has the potential to meaningfully improve food security for a number of countries worldwide, such as those still developing and those with climates that do not allow them to produce their own dairy. “Food isn’t a privilege, it’s a right and a need. Countries looking to improve their food systems and become self-sufficient are already showing interest in what we offer,” Wolff says. This is especially pertinent in the wake of current geopolitical circumstances, which have disrupted global trade and affected the agriculture industry. 

“We are working toward a future where Remilk becomes the obvious choice—more nutritious, better tasting, more affordable, and far more responsible to produce,” says Wolff. “I know that day is coming, because unlike cows, our milk is getting better every single day. When it does, the question will no longer be whether milk can be made without cows, but whether it still makes sense to rely on cows at all.”