ISRAEL | Novella Innovative Technology, Ltd. has announced the appointment of Antonio Martinez Descalzo, a global expert in scaling health and wellness ingredients, as the company's CEO.
The biotech and nutrition veteran will lead the start-up’s transition from its intensive R&D phase toward full-scale commercial operation. He brings more than two decades of global leadership experience in the life sciences, health, and nutraceutical industries.
He previously held several senior leadership roles at the food and beverage giant ADM, including Vice President of Innovation and Business Development Director for its health and wellness division, where he was a key architect in promoting branded ingredients across international markets.
Descalzo is particularly experienced in the probiotics and speciality ingredients sector, having contributed his strategic vision to the Board of Directors of the International Probiotics Association (IPA).
“2026 marks a pivotal operational year for Novella,” said Kobi Avidan, Chairman and co-founder of Novella.
“Having successfully completed pilot production, we are moving into full industrial manufacturing, responding to the global demand for precise, consistent, and high-potency botanical ingredients. Martinez’s combined background as a seasoned nutraceutical expert and global commercial strategist makes him the ideal leader to steer Novella toward becoming a commercial powerhouse.”
Novella’s development of AuraCell™ technology is opening a new era in nutraceutical sourcing. The breakthrough precision-cultivation platform enables the growth of bioactive botanical compounds directly from plant cells in a closed, controlled environment, bypassing the need to grow the whole plant. Beyond slashing resource use, the platform delivers pure, high-value, standardised phytonutrients with guaranteed consistency and zero waste.
Precision Botanicals: the new category for nutraceuticals
“We’re introducing the new category of ‘Precision Botanicals’ into the nutraceutical space. It’s a sustainable channel that will deliver fully standardised botanical ingredients at consistent volumes in line with regulatory and consumer requirements,” said Descalzo.
“Novella’s breakthrough technology reinforces the fragile supply chains for botanical extracts, which are seeing a reemergence in demand for their potent antioxidant power and relevance to broad wellness channels. This will also bring more price stability via protection from global climate fluctuations.”
New Partnerships
Over the last year, commercial production of Novella Strawberry∞ has moved into full swing at Chemo Biosynthesis' state-of-the-art facilities in Italy.
In a strategic contract-manufacturing partnership, Chemo is integrating Novella’s proprietary technology into its processes. This will enable Novella to meet the commercial demands of tons of Novella Strawberry∞at the highest standards of quality, safety, and purity.
“Beyond the advantages of having a lean production model that does not require capital-intensive facility build-outs, this approach enables the production of natural ingredients at volume with pharmaceutical-grade precision."
Commercial roll-out of Strawberry∞ is projected for 2027, with the North American USD 60 billion nutraceutical industry valued at USD 60 billion on Novella’s initial market radar. Other Novella whole-cell ingredients are also in the pipeline for release.
