Hifas da Terra is a Galician biotechnological company leader in Europe in the development of products based on medicinal mushrooms for human health. Founded in 1998, the initiative emerged as a spin-off from the University of Santiago de Compostela for the creation of innovative mycological products.

At the helm is Catalina Fernández de Ana, a biologist, mycologist, mycotherapist and doctor of medicine, specialising in mycology applied to integrative oncology. Her father, Franscisco Fernández de Ana, a renowned researcher, phytopathologist and mycologist, passed on his passion for mushrooms to her as a child. So, in the 5th year of studying Biology, when she had to face the challenge of creating a biotechnological company focused on an innovative product or one that did not exist on the market, it was clear to her. "Without innovation, Hifas da Terra would not exist," he explains. "Mycotherapy or myco-medicine is a completely new science, so whatever we wanted to do had to be based on innovation, research and development.

The medicinal applications of fungi are immense. Today, with more than 20 years of experience, Hifas da Terra's portfolio of healthcare products ranges from nutraceuticals and supportive treatments for cancer patients to creams and nutricosmetic products. "Over the years we have been learning from developing many different products and lines, choosing those that brought us the most success, but always with a fundamental pillar: scientific evidence," he says.

Design has also been instrumental in its success, and from the outset it has opted for a powerful and distinctive image. In fact, it is one of the beneficiary companies of the DeseñaPeme programme. "Design helps to convey to a patient or prescriber the potency of a product formulation. We pay a lot of attention to details, communication, use of ecological and recyclable materials... There must be continuity in the discourse," he says.

His innovative trajectory has been recognised through numerous awards, including the most recent in the Galicia Innovation and Design Awards, promoted by the Xunta de Galicia through the Galician Innovation Agency (Axencia Galega de Innovación).

R&D projects

"Our main challenge for the future is to increase the number of people who know about and consume Hifas da Terra products," says Catalina Fernández de Ana. To achieve this milestone, the key will be "to have the results of the large clinical trials we are carrying out and to subsequently address the regulatory area so that our products can be prescribed in health services".

Hifas da Terra is involved in various R&D projects in areas such as musculoskeletal, immunology and oncology, and digestive and neuronal pathologies.

In addition, the company works with the entire research and innovation ecosystem, not only in Galicia, but also in other countries, such as Italy and the United Kingdom. "It is essential to join forces and validate the work already done by other research groups so that we are not inventing the wheel every time. We are at the service of society and our mission is to offer solutions to problems that do not yet have them today, in a quick, agile way," he concludes.