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björn_witte Blue Horizon

Bjöern Witte © Blue Horizon

Blue Horizon: “The Wave of Innovation That Will Be Rolling Towards Us in the Coming Years is Huge”

Bjoern Witte, Managing Partner and CEO of Blue Horizon, gives his insights into the world of alternative protein investments, the company’s plans for 2023, and his thoughts as to the future of the category. What does your current portfolio look like; in which new companies did you invest in 2022? We see a lot of very innovative companies that we source through our Seed portfolio which sort of acts like our finger on the pulse of the industry. One example of a new company we invested in this year would be Arkeon, an Austrian company that produces proteins from carbon dioxide. Arkeon’s technology makes it possible to convert CO2 directly into all 20 amino acids that are essential for human nutrition. At the same time, …

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Green Boy New Managing Director

© Green Boy Group

Green Boy Group Hires Former Interfood CEO Jeroen van den Heuvel as Managing Director

Plant-based protein supplier Green Boy Group announces it has hired Jeroen van den Heuvel, former CEO of global dairy supplier Interfood, as its new managing director.  In addition to managing Green Boy’s daily operations, Jeroen will oversee hiring and provide strategic input to increase the company’s commercial activities.  “I was connected to Green Boy the last two years via the advisory board which allowed me to get to know the company pretty well,” said Jeroen. “The energy and creativity that the team at Green Boy brings to the table is amazing. I’ve never seen a company grow so fast and have such a positive impact on the food industry. It is really exciting to be able to contribute with my experience in a meaningful way …

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Henrik of Naturli' Foods

©Naturli' Foods

Op Ed: Henrik Lund, CEO Naturli Foods

In the second instalment of our brand new Opinion section which will feature the views and insights of leaders and figures from across plant-based and cell-based industries; Henrik Lund, CEO of hugely popular Danish plant food producer Naturli Foods, talks about how we need to accelerate our green transition. Speeding up the green future Going shopping in a supermarket is becoming a nightmare for consumers. They can really feel the effects of war in Europe and high inflation when they have to pay at the checkout. I try to remind myself that a crisis always brings something good with it, even though it can be difficult to focus on that here and now. My guess is that the global crisis will push the taste for …

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UPSIDE Foods FDA greenlight

© UPSIDE Foods

FDA’s Approval of Cultivated Meat: Industry Leaders Respond

Following this week’s groundbreaking news of UPSIDE Food receiving GRAS status for its cultivated chicken, marking the first time in the world that the FDA has given the green light to a cultivated meat product, industry leaders from the GFI, Stray Dog Capital, BioTech Foods, and Synthesis Capital here provide commentary on the significance of this historic development.   To recap: UPSIDE Foods has now successfully completed the FDA’s rigorous pre-market safety review for its cultivated chicken, demonstrating that it is as safe as conventional chicken. This historic milestone will pave the way for consumers to access these products in restaurants and retail across the country and ultimately across the world.   Seth Roberts, GFI The Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) – the leading …

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jobBoard Blue Horizon

© Blue Horizon

Blue Horizon Launches Sustainable Food Industry Jobs Board and Talent Network

Swiss Impact Investor Blue Horizon announces the launch of a sustainable food industry Jobs Board and Talent Network, designed to match the industry’s best talent with live career opportunities.    With over 200 active job listings already, Blue Horizon says that the Jobs Board is one of the largest of its kind in the sustainable food space. The listings are updated automatically so the career opportunities are always fresh, according to the company. Robert Boer, Director at Blue Horizon, comments: “One out of five meals we’ll eat in 2035 will be made from alternative protein. However, today there are still many challenges to be solved to reach this consumer adoption. Recruiting talent is one of the biggest challenges our industry faces and with the launch of …

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jobBoard Blue Horizon

© Blue Horizon

The Need for Seasoned Talent in a Maturing Alt Protein Industry  

To mark the company’s newly launched jobs board, Robert Boer, Director at Blue Horizon here discusses the HR needs in the industry and the importance of skilled, experienced talent. It’s no secret that the alternative protein industry is predicted to take a serious cut out of Big Meat’s pie with the likes of KFC and Burger King already adding alternative meat options to their menus. One out of five meals we’ll eat in 2035 will be made from alternative protein. However, today there are still many challenges to be solved to reach this consumer adoption. Recruiting talent is one of the biggest challenges our industry currently faces. Startups aiming to innovate the food industry while competing with decades-old traditional food companies need talent in order …

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Leslie Sims New Chief Marketing and Creative Officer, Impossible Foods

Leslie Sims, Chief Marketing and Creative Officer, ©Impossible Foods

Impossible Foods Hires Leslie Sims as Chief Marketing And Creative Officer

Impossible Foods announces that award-winning creative and marketing veteran Leslie Sims, formerly of Deloitte, will begin in the newly created role of Chief Marketing and Creative Officer on 1st Jan 2023. Sims has been hired by Impossible to “build out robust marketing and creative functions” as the company plans to “significantly increase consumer awareness and trial while pulling well ahead of other plant-based brands into a category of its own”, according to a press release. In her previous role as U.S. Chief Creative Officer at Deloitte Digital, Sims was named one of the Top 1CCOs’s in the U.S. by Adweek, one of the Most Creative Women in Advertising by Business Insider, and one of the Top Marketing Leaders and Innovators by Media. “Leslie is the …

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TBH Noah Schnapps Vegan Nutella

©tbh

TBH Vegan Hazelnut Spread Appoints New Co-CEO as Part of Strategic Growth Plan

TBH, the vegan hazelnut cocoa spread co-founded by Stranger Things star Noah Schnapps, announces a realignment of its executive team, with investor and co-founder Ba Minuzzi joining current CEO Elena Guberman as co-CEO, and Ms. Guberman becoming a co-founder. According to tbh, these changes mark the beginning of a strategic growth trajectory for the brand.  Created as a better-for-you alternative to conventional hazelnut spreads, TBH (an anagram of To Be Honest) sells spreads made with simple ingredients, less sugar, and don’t use any palm oil. Since launching in 2021, TBH has built an impressive online following with over 160,000 fans on IG and TikTok, and over 20 million views of its content, thanks to Schnapp’s celebrity influence. Purpose-driven brands The brand’s new co-CEO, Ba Minuzzi, …

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Joshua Errett

© Because, Animals

CULT Food Science Hires Because, Animals Co-Founder Joshua Errett

CULT Food Science has appointed Joshua Errett — co-founder of cultivated and plant-based pet food brand Because, Animals — as its new vice president of product development. CULT is an investment platform focused on cellular agriculture. The Canadian firm has an impressive and fast-growing portfolio featuring companies such as Umami Meat, Novel Foods, and Ohayo Valley. “I am excited to add Joshua as a member of the CULT team,” said Lejjy Gafour, chief executive officer of CULT. “He will be pivotal in the expansion of CULT’s operations, new product development, and other company efforts. His extensive experience in both cellular agriculture and as an experienced operator are expected to be vital in exploring new ways CULT can build value and be on the leading edge …

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planted.kebab_Oliver_Polak

© Planted Foods AG

Stand-Up Comic Oliver Polak Gets Naked in Planted’s Berlin Campaign

Food tech startup Planted wants to surprise people in Kreuzberg with a “billboard of a different kind”. Comedian Oliver Polak took off all his clothes to pose in front of the billboard at lunchtime as a living advertising message for Planted’s first plant-based kebab without additives. While the classic order is “one kebab with everything”, it is now “one kebab with nothing”. And just like the planted.kebab without additives, Oliver Polak also came “without everything”. The mission of the Swiss company, which raised £61 million in Series B last month in one of the largest alt-protein rounds in Europe, is to be better than animal meat, in terms of taste, sustainability, health and price. Planted wants to revolutionise the way meat is perceived and consumed …

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bluenalu's new members of its scientific advisory board

© BlueNalu

BlueNalu Announces Scientific Advisory Board of Multidisciplinary Experts

Cultivated seafood pioneer BlueNalu announces a new scientific advisory board (SAB), formed by multidisciplinary experts to support the company’s coming scale-up and consumer product development. The SAB will work with BlueNalu’s senior leadership to provide strategic guidance and solutions to accelerate the large-scale commercialization plans of BlueNalu’s cell-cultured seafood. BlueNalu says it has developed a robust pipeline of seafood products from a wide array of species and plans to launch its first commercial product, premium bluefin tuna toro, following regulatory approval in the US. The company has plans to bring its products to Europe through Nomad Foods, and recently announced a partnership with Japan’s largest sushi operator to supply its cultivated tuna. BlueNalu claims to have developed two new technologies that unlock the profitability and scalability …

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food tech enough new hire john gray

© ENOUGH

ENOUGH Appoints John Gray as Managing Director for EU Operations

Food tech startup ENOUGH, a leader in mycoprotein production, has appointed John Gray as Managing Director for its EU operations. Gray has been hired to strengthen and lead the company’s commercial B2B focus and build scale.   John Gray was previously MBU Director Europe & Global Poultry Lead for OSI – one of the world’s largest privately held food manufacturers with more than 65 facilities in 18 countries. Gray’s appointment comes just after one month after ENOUGH inaugurated what it claims to be the world’s largest mycoprotein facility. According to ENOUGH, Gray has an exceptional track record of building and supporting customer relationships in both branded and own-label arenas in the global marketplace. His 30 years of experience across the food manufacturing, marketing, sales, food …

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vegan activist ed winters

© abillion social media

Earthling Ed Joins abillion as Strategic Advisor

Vikas Garg, founder and CEO of the sustainable e-commerce platform abillion, has announced on social channels that much-loved UK vegan activist and public speaker Ed Winters will join the company as strategic advisor. Ed Winters, AKA Earthling Ed, has an incredible presence with his viral YouTube videos, documentaries, seminars, and Ted Talks. He is also a partner in Unity Diner, London’s 100% vegan diner & cocktail bar. Earlier this year, Earthling Ed launched a brand ethical clothing brand and launched vegan fish & chips shop chain No Catch. Ed is also teaching an animal ethics course on animal farming at Harvard University.# A global movement for social change Vikas Garg founded abillion in 2017 with the aim of helping a billion people to join the plant-based movement by …

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Beyond Burger 3.0

©Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat Appoints New CFO, Makes Top Leadership Changes

Beyond Meat (NASDAQ: BYND) is making significant changes to its leadership following the departure of Chief Operating Officer Douglas Ramsey on Oct. 14th, according to the company’s 8-K investor documents. Beyond is also appointing Lubi Kutua as its new Chief Financial Officer and shifting top personnel in other roles including principal accounting officer and SVP of operations.  Ramsey, who was suspended from Beyond on Sept. 20th following an altercation at a college football game, formally resigned from the company on Oct. 14th, according to documents.  In addition, current CFO and treasurer Phillip E. Hardin is exiting the company to “pursue other opportunities” reports Fortune. In a statement, Beyond shared Hardin will remain employed with the company through Oct. 28th to assist the transition, noting, “His …

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