Food tech firm MeliBio is making honey without bees using biofermentation. It's identical to the real thing, but is it vegan? Food tech is a fascinating thing. Mung bean protein can yield a viscous, bottled liquid that scrambles like conventional eggs. Scientists can create meat alternatives using mycelium, the long, stringy root system of fungi. Someday soon, milk, butter, coffee creamer, and yogurt will be made with vegan milk proteins created via fermentation—ice cream like that is already on the market. And now, California-based MeliBio aims to sweeten the vegan alternatives market with honey made without bees. MeliBio recently announced the closing of an $850,000 pre-seed round funding. With this funding, the company will produce “real” honey that’s made without bees. Darko Mandich, MeliBio CEO, co-founder, and eight-year honey industry veteran, tells LIVEKINDLY that no bees are used during the production process. “The technology we are developing is powered by bio-fermentati