Portfolio News
Barvecue® Breaks Ground on the World’s Largest Plant-Based Smokehouse
Barvecue, producers of wood-smoked, plant-based barbecue, makes history by breaking ground on the world’s largest plant-based smokehouse, a 10,000 square foot facility. Link
Meatless Farm and Real Madrid team up on global sustainable nutrition initiative
Real Madrid is joining forces with Meatless Farm, one of the most developed plant-based food companies in Europe. The two organizations will engage in a joint venture to raise awareness of the importance of reducing meat consumption to minimize the environmental impact of food and to promote cultural change for health and wellbeing. Link
Will The Plant-Based Food Industry Ditch Plastics?
No Evil Foods is putting pressure on manufacturers to develop alternatives to plastic that meet its needs and sees the switch from plastic as an opportunity to shift to a more sustainable food system. Link
MEAT GIANT TO BRING LAB-GROWN MEAT TO BRAZIL
Food company BRF, S.A.—one of the largest meat suppliers in the world—signed a deal with Israel-based cultured meat company Aleph Farms to bring its innovative lab-grown meat to Brazil. Link
Back in business: Ocean Hugger gears up for global plant-based seafood launch after forging JV with Nove Foods
Plant-based seafood firm Ocean Hugger Foods – which was forced to pause operations last June due to COVID – will stage a comeback later this year after forging a joint venture (Ocean Hugger Inc) with Thai food manufacturer Nove Foods. Link
McPlant and more: Beyond Meat inks McDonald’s, Yum deals
Beyond Meat’s partnership with McDonald’s and Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut will expand offerings in the coming years that could eventually include plant-based burgers, chalupas or toppings on a stuffed-crust pizza. Link
Entrepreneurs: Meet Meatless Farm founder Morten Toft Bech as his plant-based start-up closes in on $75m raise
Recently Morten Toft Bech, founder of SDC portfolio company Meatless Farm, was featured in The Evening Standard. Read more about the company’s growth to date and plans for their upcoming raise. Link
Vejii Announces Launch of Barvecue Smoked Plant-Based Meat Products on ShopVejii.com
SDC portfolio company Barvecue’s products will now be available through ShopVeji.com. The wood-smoked vegan pulled pork products will be cold packed and delivered to US customers in 2-3 business days. Link
Good Catch Tuna Now in Whole Foods Deli as Part of “Aggressive” Foodservice Expansion
Good Catch, an SDC portfolio company, has plans for an aggressive international food service expansion this year, building on a recent launch in the prepared foods section of Whole Foods Market. Link
Raising the steaks: First 3-D-printed rib-eye is unveiled
Recently Aleph Farms, an SDC portfolio company and leader in the cultivated meat space, unveiled the world’s first 3-D printed rib-eye steak. Link
Pret A Manger Swaps Meatball Wraps For Vegan Alternative Due To Consumer Demand
Since the Veganuary campaign, increasing consumer demand for plant-based foods has led Pret A Manger to eliminate meatball wraps from its menu permanently and features a meatless substitute instead. Link
Podcast: BlueNalu CEO on Building a Cell-Based Fish Tech Company
Lou Cooper, President and CEO of BueNalu, a SDC portfolio company discusses how he went from concept to pilot production of cell-based seafood. Link
Better Dairy: Meet the UK start-up tapping precision fermentation to disrupt dairy
SDC portfolio company Better Dairy is using precision fermentation to produce milk proteins. “We’re leveraging off yeast fermentation, which means following a process very similar to beer brewing. But instead of ending up with beer, you end up with a big vat of dairy,” CEO Jevan Negarajah explains. Link
Geltor Adds Ingredient Science Industry Veterans to Leadership Team
SDC portfolio company Geltor announced the addition of three new senior executives to its leadership team to drive product innovation, operational excellence, and commercial growth for its specialty proteins. Joining the company are Scott Fabro as Vice President of Business Development, Alex Patist as Vice President of Operations, and Michele Champagne as Vice President of […]
daring™ Announces Rapid Foodservice Expansion of Plant-Based Chicken through Strategic Dot Foods Partnership
SDC portfolio company daring announced a partnership with Dot Foods, North America’s largest food industry redistributor. This gives foodservice channels the ability to give more customers a plant-based chicken alternative that delivers on the look, taste, pull and mouthfeel of the traditional animal protein. Link
More Bacon, Less Guilt – This Startup Is Taking On The American Classic
Forbes covers SDC portfolio company, Atlast and shares thoughts on how an upstart food technology company could disrupt the future of the $8 billion bacon market. Link
BlueNalu scores US$60M to commercialize cell-based seafood in late 2021
SDC portfolio company BlueNalu has closed US $60 million in debt financing from new and existing investors. This marks the largest funding to date in the cell-based seafood industry globally. Link
Beyond Meat expanding to 300,000 square-foot headquarters in El Segundo
Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat’s founder and CEO, said the El Segundo facility will house “cutting-edge” research and product development teams. The company, founded in 2009, currently has offices about 3 miles away from the newer campus. Link
Mitsubishi Pairs With Aleph to Sell Lab-Grown Beef in Japan
Mitsubishi Corp. partners with Aleph Farms to lay the groundwork for bringing lab-grown beef to Japan, where demand for meat is growing. Link
Mosa Meat gets $19.7M to scale up and continue moving toward cell-based meat products
Netherlands-based Mosa Meat, a SDC portfolio company, received 16.3 million euros ($19.7 million) in new investor funding, bringing its total series B fundraising to 63 million euros (almost $75 million). Link
Israel’s Prime Minister Tastes Aleph Farms Cultivated Steak
Israel’s Prime Minister visited Aleph Farms, a cultivated meat company, and sampled its cultivated steak. Aleph Farms is a pioneer in growing real meat directly from cow cells, without antibiotics and using a fraction of the resources required for raising an entire animal for meat. “It’s delicious and guilt-free, I can’t taste the difference,” declares […]
Franklin Farms Announces New Partnership with Purple Carrot
Franklin Farm, a division of Keystone Natural Holdings, announced they have entered a new partnership with SDC portfolio company Purple Carrot, the 100% plant-based meal kit company. A prominent consumer brand and leading supplier of high-quality and delicious meatless offerings, Franklin Farms brings more than twenty years of expertise in plant-based protein foods and innovation […]
Gathered Foods, Makers of Good Catch Plant-Based Seafood, Announce International Retail Expansion Into European Markets
Gathered Foods, makers of Good Catch Plant-Based Seafood, announced international retail distribution across multiple European markets, including the Netherlands and Spain. This follows the January news of Gathered Foods’ launch in over 300 stores in the UK through a distribution partnership with Tesco. This is Gathered Foods’ largest retail expansion since the brand’s inception, a […]
Aleph Farms unveils prototype of first commercial cultivated steak product
Aleph Farms Ltd., an SDC portfolio company, has introduced a prototype of its commercial product – thin-cut beef steaks. The quality steaks, grown directly from non-GMO cells of a living cow, boasts the nutritional, culinary, and sensory attributes of meat in terms of texture, flavor, and aroma. The company has developed five proprietary modules for […]
At the first lab-grown meat restaurant, you can eat a ‘cultured chicken’ sandwich
SDC portfolio company, Supermeat, has created the first lab-grown meat restaurant. At ‘The Chicken’ in Tel Aviv, customers can now be amongst the first to enjoy cruelty free chicken products. Link
Plant-Based Startup Daring ‘Challenges Chicken’ After $8 Million Raise
SDC portfolio company Daring plans to launch its breaded, plant-based chicken at all locations of Just Salad, making progress towards disrupting the $100B wholesale market for conventional chicken. Link
Emulate Signs Collaborative Agreement with the FDA to Apply Lung-Chip to Evaluate Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines and Protective Immunity Against SARS-CoV-2
Emulate, a SDC portfolio company, announced an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to enable studies in priority research areas, including programs to evaluate COVID-19 vaccines. Link
No Evil Foods is the first plant-based meat company to go plastic negative
No Evil Foods, a SDC portfolio company, is a plant-based meat company that is committing to removing around 8,000 pounds of plastic from the ocean. It is the first company of their type to take a plastic-negative stance. Link
Meat on Mars: Aleph Farms wants to serve ‘slaughter free’ steaks in space
Aleph Farms announced the launch of its Aleph Zero space program focused on one-day establishing large-scale meat cultivation facilities in extraterrestrial environments. Link
Ecovative to debut world’s first whole-cut mushroom ‘meat’ in Capital Region
Made from the world’s first whole-cut mushroom meat, MyBacon, produced by SDC portfolio company, Atlast, will debut on Nov. 9 at Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany. It will be available in six-ounce packages for $5.99 each. link
Meatless Farm Launches New Plant-Based Breakfast Product in Canada in Partnership With National Foodservice Distributors
Meatless Farm, an SDC portfolio company, has partnered with leading foodservice distributors, to bring new meat-free breakfast sausage patties to Canada. Link
Much Anticipated Launch of Hooray Foods’ Plant-Based Bacon to Take Place on World Vegan Day 1st November
Hooray Foods plant-based bacon will launch on World Vegan Day, November 1st! Hooray Foods bacon will be in seven regions of the USA through a distribution partnership with Whole Foods. Link
Vegan Meat Company Meatless Farm Closes $31 Million Funding Round As Meatless Diets Gain Popularity
Strong demand for plant-based foods has led SDC portfolio company, Meatless Farm, founded in 2016, to become the UK’s leading vegan meat producer. They recently closed a $31M funding round to support global growth. Link
Vegan tuna melts just launched at Veggie Grill outlets across the US
Veggie Grill, Inc. teamed up with plant-based seafood maker and SDC portfolio company, Good Catch Foods, to add a new vegan tuna melt sandwich to its menu. The plant-based option is healthier than conventional seafood and free from mercury and other toxins. Link
Barvecue: “The Word Excited Doesn’t Begin to Express How We Feel About the Possibility of Having an Impact in the Plant-Based Space”
North Carolina based SDC portfolio company, Barvecue, produces a wood-smoked vegan pulled pork from soy and wheat, and is proud to produce with clean-label, non-GMO, US grown ingredients. Link
World Plant-Based Awards 2020 winners revealed!
Congratulations to Alpha Foods, Meatless Farm, Good Catch Foods, and Hooray Foods – SDC portfolio companies which were all named as winners, or finalists, in the 2020 World Plant-Based Awards! Link
Lab-grown meat: The promising alternative that may be years away from appearing on dinner plates
PitchBook Data recently profiled the burgeoning cultivated meat industry with input from two Stray Dog Capital portfolio companies: Aleph Farms and Memphis Meats. Link
Daring Receives $8 Million For Expansion, New Product To Launch Soon
Daring, which makes plant-based chicken pieces, announced last week that it raised an $8 million Series A round of funding. Stray Dog Capital invested alongside other notable VC firms in support of this promising company. Link
STARBUCKS IS NOW TESTING VEGAN MIYOKO’S CREAM CHEESE
Starbucks is now testing vegan cream cheese from Miyoko’s Creamery at one location east of Seattle. The 1.5-ounce packages come in exclusive Everything and Cinnamon Raisin flavors and retail for $1. Link
Geltor Appoints Biotechnology Pioneer Doug Cameron to Board of Directors
“Geltor Inc.’s focus on designing proteins, and in particular non-animal proteins with profound positive impacts on the environment and nutrition, aligns with what I view to be one of the most promising solutions for the future of food,” said new board member, Doug Cameron. Link
BlueNalu: The cell-based company about to make waves in the seafood segment
SDC portfolio company, BlueNalu is on track to commercialize the world’s first seafood product made from cultivated fish cells – mahi-mahi, a US favorite, particularly in San Diego, BlueNalu’s headquarters. Link
Miyoko’s Creamery plans to expand staff 25% at larger Sonoma County plant
Miyoko’s Creamery plans to expand its Petaluma operations by 2/3 and its workforce by 1/4 to satisfy demand for its plant-based products. “It’s an exciting time for our company,” said founder Miyoko Schinner. Link
21st-Century Farming: A Manifesto
Read about how SDC portfolio company, VitroLabs Inc, sees the world of cultivated animal products and the journey forward, as a company, and as a broader movement and mindset. Link
New Zealand & Australia – New Report Finds Plant Meats “Nutritionally Superior” to Animal Products
Food Frontier, an alternative proteins think tank in Australia and New Zealand, analyzed the health and nutrition of plant-based meat products citing Sunfed Meats, a SDC portfolio company, and Fable Foods as the biggest plant-meat brands in the region. Key findings reveal that: • Plant-based meats are nutritionally superior or comparable to conventional meat equivalents […]
How Gathered Foods got its new factory running during a pandemic
Despite the challenges of coronavirus, Good Catch Foods’s newly built 42,500-square-foot plant opened on time. It has been producing plant-based seafood since May with best-in-class safety measures in place. Link
KITE HILL TO LAUNCH VEGAN CULTURED ALMOND MILK BUTTER AT TARGET
Recently, SDC portfolio company Kite Hill debuted its newest product, Plant-Based Butter Alternative, exclusively at nationwide Whole Foods Market stores and will soon launch their new vegan butter at Target. Link
Geltor Raises $91.3 Million Series B Funding To Accelerate Development Of Animal-Free Ingredients
Biodesign startup Geltor, an early SDC investment, has raised a $91.3 million series B funding, led by fellow alternative protein investor CPT Capital with significant commitment from WTT Investment Ltd. Link
Venture Investors Double Their Bets on Faux Meat Startups
More than 20 alternative meat startups raised about $1.4 billion from venture investors in the first seven months of 2020, according to a report from London-based investor network Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return, known as FAIRR. Link
Beyond Meat partners with Social Change Fund to fight racial inequality
Beyond Meat Inc., a leader in plant-based meat, and non-profit Social Change Fund have formed a partnership to fight disparities in the Black community through initiatives tied to social justice, education, and health equity. Link
Food technology – the protein alternative for a better future
“The development of alternative proteins is turning out to be one of the most important missions of our generation,” says Prof. Yaacov Nahmias, head of the bioengineering department at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “In one stroke, this class of technologies can both help slow down climate change and ensure the nutritional security of future […]
Grounded Foods: “Do you Realise What You’ve Done? This Could be Huge”
After closing an over-subscribed seed round led by Stray Dog Capital, Grounded Foods co-founders Veronica Fil and Shaun Quade spoke with Vegconomist about their products, their goals, and the future of plant-based cheese. Link
Call It ‘Cell-Based’: New Study Looks At Selling Seafood Grown From Cells
Commissioned by the cell-based seafood maker BlueNalu, Rutgers University psychologist, William K. Hallman, PhD, tested the reactions of 3,000+ participants to seven possible product names. The term “cell-based” was found to the clearest and least confusing. Link
Plant-based cheese maker Grounded Foods raises $1.74M Seed round led by Stray Dog Capital
Stray Dog Capital announced Monday that it is the lead investor in the Series Seed round for Grounded Foods. “We are always looking for extraordinary players in the plant-based cheese category, and Grounded’s product and team exceeded our expectations in taste, creativity and strategy,” said Johnny Ream, Principal. Link
Stray Dog Capital Leads a $2M Investment Round For Plant-Based Barbecue Innovators Barvecue
Stray Dog Capital’s Principal, Johnny Ream will join Barvecue’s Board of Directors. “We’re really excited to partner with the company and help bring Barvecue’s products to thousands of locations in the U.S. and beyond.” Link
BlueNalu partners with Pulmuone to gain access to Asian markets
“This agreement with Pulmuone represents our shared values and respect for healthy families, a healthy ocean, and a healthy planet,” said Lou Cooperhouse, president and CEO of BlueNalu a Stray Dog Capital portfolio company. Link
US firm launches frozen plant-based seafood analog entrees, apps
Gathered Foods, Stray Dog Capital portfolio company and the manufacturer of Good Catch plant-based seafood, is launching a new line of frozen seafood entrees and appetizers. Link
Leading in a Time of Uncertainty and Speaking up About Diversity
Madeline Haydon, Founder and CEO of nutpods discusses the impact of COVID-19 on her business and her response to the wave of protests calling for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd. Link
Kite Hill Launches a New Cultured Vegan Butter at Whole Foods and Target
Kite Hill’s new butter offers a luxurious, creamy texture and the rich, European-style flavor you expect from animal butter, but without cows. Made from cultured almond milk, sunflower and coconut oils, it is sure to delight planet conscious epicureans everywhere. Link
Purple Carrot Brings Plant-Based Frozen Meals to Whole Foods
Plant-based meal-kit provider Purple Carrot has launched a line of single-serve meals for sale in the frozen food sections of “most Whole Foods Market stores across the country.” Vegan convenience has never been easier. Link
Beyond Meat Speaks to Vegconomist on Expansion into European Market: “We Have Strong Ambitions in Europe”
Beyond Meat’s Chief Growth Officer, Chuck Muth discusses their new facility in the Netherlands, expansion into the European market, price parity, and the new even “meatier” recipe. Link
Round one goes to Miyoko’s in ‘plant-based butter’ dispute with State of California
Miyoko’s has won round one in its legal fight with the State of California over its use of the term ‘butter’ on a plant-based product after a court rejected the State’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the brand in February. Link
Nutriati launches proprietary chickpea ingredient for plant-based meats
Leveraging its custom chickpea ingredient technology, Nutriati, the manufacturing and technology partner of PLT Health Solutions, is introducing a new ingredient for plant-based, meat analogue solutions such as hamburgers, meatballs and pizza toppings, chicken, fish and pork products. Link
6 Israeli companies selected as tech pioneers by World Economic Forum
6 Israeli companies selected as tech pioneers by World Economic Forum Link
Blue Nalu set for 6-fold expansion
BlueNalu, a Stray Dog Capital portfolio company, has signed a lease for an expansion to its administrative, R&D and manufacturing space with a new facility in San Diego. BlueNalu has also recently expanded its team in its project management, technology, product development, and engineering areas, and anticipates doubling its staff to approximately 50 team members […]
Kiwi Company’s meatless bacon hitting supermarket shelves soon
Sunfed, a Stray Dog Capital portfolio company, is due to launch a new product line of plant-based bacon in New Zealand stores next week. Link
Beyond Meat Announces Burgers for $1.60 to Make Plant-Based BBQing Affordable for the Season
Available at Walmart, Target, and additional retailers in the US from the week of June 22, a limited-edition value pack of Beyond Burgers, called the Cookout Classic Value Pack, has been introduced in order to narrow the price gap between plant-based meat and animal protein for barbecue season. Link
Beyond Meat expands into Europe with new Dutch facility
Plant-based burger maker Beyond Meat is opening its first production facility in Europe as Covid-19 causes demand to spike for its products. Link
Leeds-based Meatless Farm lands major Tesco deal
From June 17 Meatless Farm’s plant-based mince, burger patties and sausages will be available in 117 of Tesco’s largest stores, stretching from Hastings to Dundee. Link
BlueNalu secures investment from Sumitomo Corporation of Americas
Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA) has announced that it has invested in BlueNalu, the San Diego, California, U.S.A.-based company that is researching how to create cell-based seafood products. Link
‘Meat the Future’: Film Review
New documentary “Meat the Future” teaches about cellular agriculture, and features portfolio company Memphis Meat’s CEO and scientists in doing so. Link
Good PLANeT Foods raises $12M to expand its plant-based empire
Allergen-friendly plant-based cheese brand GOOD PLANeT Foods has raised $12m in a series A round led by Cleveland Avenue, and supported by GreatPoint Ventures, Tasseo Consumer, Stray Dog Capital, and Lever VC. Link
Plant-based seafood Good Catch hooks a round of celebrity investors
Stray Dog Capital portfolio company Gathered Foods, the makers of Good Catch plant-based tuna, announced celebrities Woody Harrelson, Shailene Woodley, Paris Hilton and Lance Bass have invested in the company shortly after a $32M series B funding round this January. Link
A compelling case for cellular aquaculture
One of Stray Dog Capital’s portfolio companies Blue Nalu is on the forefront of innovation – read more about why Paul Cuatrecasas, founder and CEO of Aquaa Partners, thinks the cellular aquaculture market will grow to generate over a trillion dollars a year within the next decade. Link
Aleph Farms to go carbon-neutral
“Aleph Farms, Ltd., announced a goal to eliminate emissions associated with its meat production by 2025. The cultivated meat startup also plans to achieve the same net-zero emissions across its entire supply chain by 2030. The company’s new sustainability initiatives come as it gears up to begin active pilot-plant operations. It currently is working with […]
Starbucks to debut Beyond Meat products in China as part of coffee chain’s sustainability push
“Starbucks will debut Beyond Meat products on its menu in China on Wednesday. The global coffee chain created three dishes made with Beyond’s beef alternative and two made with a pork alternative from Hong Kong-based Omnipork as part of a far-reaching goal to become “resource positive.” Starbucks will also offer Oatly’s oat milk as a […]
No Evil Foods Donates Over 3,000 Pounds of Plant-Based Meat Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
“No Evil Foods, the scratch-made plant-based meat company, announced that they will continue to donate a portion of their products to support those in need throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when demand for food is growing by the day, those in need are finding it increasingly difficult to find high-quality […]
Geltor Announces First Biocompatible Elastin for Skincare Market
“Biodesign company Geltor today announced Elastapure™, the newest ingredient in its portfolio of bioidentical active ingredients for the cosmetics industry. The first ever human elastin designed for topical skincare, Elastapure™ is the latest ingredient technology developed using Geltor’s biodesign platform. (PRNewsfoto/Geltor) A major component of human skin, elastin functions alongside collagen in the body and […]
GOOD PLANeT Introduces Plant-Based Frozen Pizza Featuring Beyond Meat
GOOD PLANeT Foods, a premium plant-based food company known for its environmentally-friendly, delicious and meltable cheeses, has introduced Plant-Based Frozen Pizza, featuring industry pioneer, Beyond Meat. This innovation speaks to the changing category, being plant-based, kosher, halal, gluten free and Non-GMO Project Verified, as well as free from the top eight most common allergens. Soon […]
Alpha Foods Raises $28M of Series A Capital in Funding Round
Alpha Foods, makers of convenient plant-based foods, today announced it raised $28 million in a funding round led by AccelFoods (AF), a leading venture capital fund and first institutional investor in prominent food and beverage companies such as Four Sigmatic and Koia. With this latest round of funding, AccelFoods, with mostly existing investment partners, including […]
Memphis Meats Raises $161 Million In Funding, Aims To Bring Cell-Based Products To Consumers
Memphis Meats, one of the leading cell-based meat, poultry and seafood companies, has just announced the close of a $161 million funding round. This breakthrough round marks the largest funding moment in the history of the cell-based meat industry, and will likely enable Memphis Meats to reach the historic milestone of bringing its products to […]
BlueNalu Announces Strategic Partnership with Nutreco
“BlueNalu, a leading innovative food company developing seafood products directly from fish cells, today announced a strategic partnership with Nutreco, a global leader in animal nutrition and aquafeed. Nutreco’s aquafeed company, Skretting, is a world leader in the manufacture and supply of aquaculture feeds and an important link in the feed-to-food chain. The two companies […]
Plant-Based Food Tech Company Good Catch® Secures Over $32M In Series B Financing Round
” Gathered Foods, makers of Good Catch® plant-based seafood products, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed Series B funding round, which includes two key strategic industry investors: Greenleaf Foods and 301 INC, the venture arm of General Mills. Led by Stray Dog Capital and Rocana Ventures and including several prominent impact investors such as […]