In a region long known for dairy farms and fruit orchards, a young Ithaca company is reinventing one of America's most static health products: calcium supplements.
Seen Nutrition, a women's bone-health start-up co-founded by Adrienne Bitar, a lecturer in American Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Jennifer Han, clinical pharmacist, made the first patented calcium supplement derived entirely from real foods-including milk sourced from New York state.
The duo used a number of Cornell resources to get to where they are: Members of the Cornell Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture, they participated in Cornell's Dairy Runway Program and prototyped at Cornell's Food Innovation Lab in Geneva, New York. And this month, Seen Nutrition won $500,000 at the state-funded Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Startup Competition, an annual showcase for high-growth start-ups in food, agtech and supply-chain innovation, administered by Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, announcing the winners on Nov. 14, called Seen's focus on women's bone health "long overdue," pointing to the persistently high rates of osteoporosis and the economic drag of chronic conditions in aging populations.
"We've been growing really fast, but this award will help us grow even faster," said Bitar, who specializes as a lecturer in the history and culture of American food and health. "We have hiring plans for right here in Ithaca in the areas of operations, finance, sales and medical marketing professionals, so we can grow our team to reach more women across the country."
The company's product draws its calcium from milk and in combination with a specific ratio of milk protein that early research suggests may be easier to absorb than the chalky tablets that have dominated the market for decades.
The idea, the founders say, grew out of a striking gap in women's health. Osteoporosis and menopause-related bone loss affect millions, yet consumer products targeting those issues have changed little in a generation. Seen's founders argue that supplements have lagged behind innovations in functional beverages, protein snacks and other wellness categories.
For Seen, the Grow-NY award comes with obligations - and opportunities. All winners commit to delivering measurable economic impact in the Grow-NY region over the next 12 months. Seen founders note that the company already operates fully within the region's supply chain, from dairy ingredient sourcing to manufacturing, packaging and fulfillment, and plans to grow its staff in the region.
Menopause is having a moment and interest in women's health-focused start-ups has grown sharply in recent years, with venture investment in the "femtech" sector climbing even as broader start-up funding slowed. Still, only a sliver of that capital goes to companies outside major tech hubs. Ithaca's combination of scientific talent, agricultural supply chains and programs like Grow-NY may help change that equation.
Seen launched its calcium chew in July 2024, since then growing 30% month over month with a direct-to-consumer subscription model, with future goals of partnering with additional medical providers to get the chews in front of women who may have just gotten an osteoporosis or other medical diagnosis.
Early prototypes had to overcome headaches familiar to food scientists: achieving shelf stability, finding a manufacturing method that could scale and preventing off-flavors.
"We wanted the experience of eating a calcium chew to be a positive one," Han said. "It has to taste good, because that is a really important factor for adherence to taking it regularly."
The key to that, said Bitar, is making it a food product, not a chemical-based supplement, incorporating real food ingredients like milk minerals, organic dates, almonds and vitamin D-rich mushrooms.
Overcoming scientific hurdles and navigating a rigorous approval process helped Seen stand out in the Grow-NY competition, which drew 270 applicants from 41 countries, nearly half of them led by women. The seven winners were selected for the viability of their business models, team strength and the potential for job creation and agrifood innovation across the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Central New York.
Grow-NY has become a major pipeline for the region's food and agriculture start-up ecosystem.
Jenn Smith, the program's director, said the Grow-NY judges saw tremendous potential in Seen. "Not only because they are making an innovative, high-quality product that meets a growing consumer base where they are, but also because they have an awareness of the skills they need to build to scale their venture sustainably," she said.
For Cornell, Seen's trajectory is a case study in how business incubators and economic-development programs can work together. The Center for Regional Economic Advancement provided mentorship throughout the 10-week Grow-NY preparation period, and the company's local manufacturing model aligns with state initiatives to support farm-based value chains.
"Women all over the country have been enjoying our calcium to build strong bones, but this Grow-NY award will accelerate our growth, allowing us to begin our export program and launch new bone health nutrition products," Bitar said.
