Fundraising

© MYCFOODS

French Mycelium Startup MYCFOODS Launches First Fundraising Round

Mycelium Technologies, a French startup specializing in mycelium-based foods, has launched its first fundraising round to support the industrial scaling of its innovative food products marketed under the MYCFOODS brand. The company aims to raise €750,000 from qualified business angels, with plans for a subsequent €4.5 million venture capital round next year. The company’s product, developed over four years of research and development, uses mycelium as the main ingredient. This new food offers a natural, clean-label alternative to traditional meat and fish, as well as ultra-processed plant-based products. According to the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, 60% of Europeans are moving away from ultra-processed plant-based alternatives due to concerns about their health impacts. MYCFOODS’ combines the firm texture of mycelium with a subtle flavor profile, It …

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PLNT Burger

© PLNT Burger

PLNT Burger Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign After Opening New Location Near Boston, Massachusetts

American plant-based fast-casual chain PLNT Burger has launched an equity crowdfunding campaign via the Startengine platform to accelerate its expansion. Customers can invest a minimum of $299.20 into the company, which achieved over $11.2 million in sales in 2023. All operating locations have reportedly been profitable year-to-date in 2024 through September. The launch of the crowdfunding campaign comes after PLNT Burger raised $3.8 million in Series A funding at the end of November. According to the Washington Business Journal, this brings the total amount secured by the company to over $12 million. Earlier this month, PLNT Burger opened a new location in Brookline, Massachusetts, a town in the Boston metropolitan area. The restaurant is the chain’s second standalone location (the other is in Manhattan). PLNT …

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Foreverland carob chocolate

© Foreverland

Foreverland Secures €3.4M to “Redefine the Future of Chocolate and the Food Industry” with Carob-Based Alt Chocolate

The Italian startup Foreverland, which developed and patented a sustainable chocolate alternative made from the carob plant, announces it has secured €3.4 million in a seed round, a year after the company was founded. Foreverland states that the funds will enable the startup to enter its next phase of growth, and that it is “redefining the future of chocolate and the food industry” through this new round which, aimed to launch the presently semi-finished manufacturing facility and expand into Europe. Additionally, the funds will support European expansion, the development of new products, and the establishment of its first production facility in Puglia, Italy, which is poised to be operational from January 2025. Founded by Massimo Sabatini, Riccardo Bottiroli, Giuseppe D’Alessandro, and Massimo Brochetta in Bari …

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THE PACK plant-based pet food becomes a certified B Corp

© THE PACK

THE PACK Reports 41% Growth in the First Half of 2024 as Interest in Plant-Based Pet Food Surges

UK plant-based pet food brand THE PACK has reported that it saw 41% growth in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year. The company also now has over 200 customers signed up for regular D2C orders. THE PACK is currently looking to raise £100,000 via an ongoing crowdfunding campaign to fuel further expansion. The brand notes that the plant-based pet food market is seeing rapid growth globally, indicating that there is likely to be strong demand for its products. A Vegan Society report published in 2022 found that a significant proportion of Brits were interested in buying plant-based food for their pets, and that the trend was not limited to vegetarian and vegan pet owners. According to THE PACK, the …

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A photo of a Odd Burger restaurant

© Odd Burger

Odd Burger Opens $4M Round to Fuel Vegan Fast Food Expansion Following Strong Q3 Results

Odd Burger Corporation, the company behind the vegan fast food chain Odd Burger, has announced a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $4 million via convertible debentures. As explained in the announcement, the debentures have a 36-month maturity and carry a 15% annual interest rate. Additionally, they can be converted into common shares at $0.25 each and may be forcibly converted if share prices increase significantly. Odd Burger is a franchised vegan fast-food chain with a vertically integrated supply chain and 17 operational stores across Canada. The first Odd Burger restaurant opened in London, Ontario, in December 2016, becoming the country’s first vegan-fast food restaurant. Today, the firm focuses on smart kitchens, advanced cooking technology, competitive pricing, and high-quality ingredients to offer healthier options …

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Niqo Robotics on the Investment Climate Podcast

© Investment Climate Podcast

Investment Climate Podcast: Jaisimha Rao of Niqo Robotics – How to Get Funded in 2024

In this podcast series, co-produced by vegconomist, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding Alt Proteins in 2024 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs. Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative protein and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. Episode 9: Jaisimha Rao of Niqo Robotics In this episode, Alex talks to Jaisimha Rao, founder and CEO of Niqo Robotics which is a robotics solutions pioneer that is poised to lead a sustainable Agricultural Revolution in India through AI-powered agricultural robots. Having recently raised $21 million with the latest $13 million round closed in March 2024, …

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Investment Climate Podcast nutrumami

© Investment Climate Podcast

Investment Climate Podcast: Frederik Jensen of Nutrumami – How to Get Funded in 2024

In this podcast series, co-produced by vegconomist, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding Alt Proteins in 2024 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs.  Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. Episode 08: Frederik Jensen of Nutrumami In this episode, Alex talks to Frederik Jensen, founder and CEO of Nutrumami who creates multifunctional plant proteins to impact better taste, texture and nutrition through synergistic cross fermentation. Having recently raised €475k, Frederik highlights the importance of adaptability, relationship-building, and strategic pivots in the startup landscape and how their focus …

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Vegius plant-based travel and lifestyle app

© Vegius

Vegius Launches $120K Crowdfunding Campaign for App That Could “Revolutionize Plant-Based Travel”

Vegius, an app that aims to connect plant-based travel and lifestyle enthusiasts with vegan options across the globe, has announced a crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder. The team behind the app, which was previously called The Vegan Stay, hopes to raise $120,000. Powered by AI, Vegius already offers accommodation in over 30 countries and can provide personalized deals and suggestions. The team hopes to expand this significantly, making it easier for vegans and vegetarians to find accommodation, eateries, and experiences that align with their values. The app also helps small vegan businesses to gain more exposure. Additionally, for every booking made through the app, up to 50% of fees collected are donated to animal sanctuaries. Currently, Vegius has partnerships with 125 sanctuaries across 40 countries. Catering …

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THE PACK plant-based pet food

© THE PACK

Plant-Based Pet Food Brand THE PACK Announces Planet Organic Listing & Equity Crowdfunding Campaign

UK plant-based pet food startup THE PACK has announced a listing at supermarket chain Planet Organic, which has nine stores across London. THE PACK’s full range of wet food and oven-baked dried food is now available at all Planet Organic locations, becoming one of very few plant-based pet food brands to be stocked at a UK brick-and-mortar retail chain. The company says the listing represents its increasing focus on an omnichannel strategy. “We are seeing increasing interest from retailers in listing our plant-based dog food,” said Damien Clarkson, co-founder and CEO of THE PACK. “I commend Planet Organic under the visionary leadership of founder Renee Elliot for re-launching their pet food section and putting plant-based proteins front and centre alongside other established brands. THE PACK …

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NUTRUMAMI founder Frederik with Chuchu

Image courtesy of NUTRUMAMI

NUTRUMAMI Secures €450K Pre-Seed Funding to Pioneer a Brand New Ingredient Category, “Multi-Functional Plant Proteins”

NUTRUMAMI, a Danish startup developing a plant protein powder designed to replace the nutrients found in animal meat products, announces the successful closing of a €450K pre-seed funding round led by Kost Capital and Planetary Impact Ventures. Founded by Frederik Jensen, a fine-dining chef with over 12 years of experience in FMCG innovation, NUTRUMAMI states that it is pioneering a new ingredient category, “multi-functional plant proteins”. Jensen previously served as CIO and co-founder of CHEW in Boston. Head of Fermentation, Chuchu Huang, holds a PhD in microbiology and fermentation and previously worked at Mycorena and Novo Nordisk. Through a “unique cross-fermentation process”, for which the startup says it has a patent pending, NUTRUMAMI provides ingredients and flavors produced from sustainable resources to facilitate a reduction …

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CEO's Linda Obregon and Karina Zegarra of Peruvian Veef

Linda Obregon and Karina Zegarra © Peruvian Veef

Peruvian Veef Secures $320K in First Funding Round, Aims for Latin American Expansion

Peruvian Veef, a plant-based food startup in South America, has raised $320,000 in its first funding round, led by US-based venture capital investors. This round included contributions from Ahimsa Foundation and Sustainable Food Ventures, along with a non-dilutive government grant from ProInnovate Peru. Founded by Karina Zegarra, with a focus on affordable, locally-made plant-based meat alternatives, the company has developed a range of 11 products inspired by Latin American cuisine, including beef, chicken, cold-cuts, and traditional Peruvian dishes like anticucho and grilled chicken. According to the company, these products are competitively priced at less than half of some imported alternatives. The company has established a significant presence in the local market, with its products available in over 70 stores and leading sales at Peru’s specialty …

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© Nicola Kagoro

Support Plant-Based Cooking Workshops in African Schools

The Animal Welfare and Environment Network for Tanzania (AWENET) raises awareness in Tanzanian schools about the environmental and health benefits of plant-based eating. The organisation has made Meatless Mondays and Fridays possible in schools, while their Vegan School Lunches Outreach Programme aims to reach 12,000 students this year – all made possible thanks to the support of ProVeg Grants. Your donation to ProVeg Grants will help organisations like AWENET to expand their plant-based school food programmes, thus impacting hundreds of catering staff and thousands of students. Since launching in 2019, ProVeg Grants has provided more than 900 grants to organisations and individuals in over 90 countries working to change the global food system. Every contribution you make reaches, supports, and empowers organisations around the world. …

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Blackbird Foods pizza

© Blackbird Foods

Blackbird Foods Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign to Take Company to “Next Level”

Blackbird Foods, a New York City-based plant-based food manufacturer, has announced the initiation of a new equity crowdfunding campaign via StartEngine. The company, currently valued at $15 million, has established itself in the market with a wide distribution across national retailers such as Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Target. Established in 2020, Blackbird Foods has been consistently developing new products and expanding its retail footprint in the United States. The company began with plant-based seitan for foodservice in NYC, and moved into hand-tossed frozen pizzas and plant-based wings. Blackbird Foods reported a 60% increase in sales from 2022 to 2023, which it attributes to its ability to rapidly innovate and respond to consumer demands due to its self-manufacturing capabilities in New York City. This year, in …

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Nelida Leiva Eriksson, CEO of Ironic Foods

© Ironic Biotech

Ironic Biotech Raises €1M for Precision Fermentation-Derived Plant Proteins with High Iron Content

Swedish startup Ironic Biotech has received €1 million for its plant-based proteins, which are designed to facilitate the absorption of iron into the blood. Ironic’s proteins are produced by precision fermentation and used as ingredients for food or food supplements. The funds will be used for further development work, the expansion of the company’s patent portfolio, and the optimisation of the production process. The team is now looking for partners in the food and supplement industry with whom to collaborate. Addressing the performance gap Up to 25% of the world’s population suffers from iron deficiency, which can lead to severe fatigue, tiredness, heart palpitations, learning difficulties, and anaemia. “We want to help 2 billion people prevent and recover from iron deficiency and anaemia. Iron deficiency …

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Die Vegane Fleischerei team

© Die Vegane Fleischerei

German Vegan Butcher Die Vegane Fleischerei Launches €89K Crowdfunding Campaign

German vegan butcher shop Die Vegane Fleischerei has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Startnext, with the aim of raising €89,000. The funding will be used to purchase equipment that will enable Die Vegane Fleischerei to scale up production, such as a vacuum sausage filler, a steam convection furnace, and a vacuum cutter. By making production more efficient, the equipment will allow the company to reduce the prices of its products, making plant-based meat accessible to more people. Die Vegane Fleischerei has a focus on sustainability and animal welfare rather than profit, and is therefore trying to finance itself independently from banks and traditional investors. Backers will receive surprise rewards. Controversial beginning Die Vegane Fleischerei currently has three stores — two in Munich and one in …

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Revo Foods salmon filet on plate with asparagus

© Revo Foods

Revo Foods Launches Crowdinvesting Campaign, Announces Scaling Plans for 3D Printed Seafood Alternatives

Austria’s Revo Foods, the first company to launch a 3D-printed product in retail, has launched a crowdinvesting campaign to support its next phase of production expansion using its latest 3D food printing process, the Food Fabricator X2. The campaign’s goal is to reach €1.5 million and represents the company’s first public investment opportunity in the form of digital company shares. It will be live until the 18th of April. With a strong focus on marine protection, Revo Foods pioneers 3D food printing technologies to produce fish alternatives. Its portfolio includes smoked salmon, sliced salmon with a citrous flavor (Gravlax), and salmon and tuna spreads. Its latest development, THE FILLET, a mycoprotein 3D printed salmon whole cut, recently launched in Austria’s Billa Pflanzilla. Revo’s products are available in over 20 countries …

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Those Vegan Cowboys announces a €15 million funding round to develop further and scale its precision fermentation platform for animal-free casein-

© Those Vegan Cowboys

Those Vegan Cowboys Open €15 Million Financing Round to Scale Casein for Animal-Free Cheese

Belgian biotech Those Vegan Cowboys has opened a financing round to raise €15 million to further advance and scale its precision fermentation platform (named Margaret) to develop casein for animal-free cheese. After selling The Vegetarian Butcher to Unilever, Jaap Korteweg and Niko Koffeman founded Those Vegan Cowboys in 2020 to make grass-fed dairy products using microbes instead of cows. With the funds, they assembled a talented team of scientists and established a “milk lab” in Ghent, Belgium. Last year, the company successfully developed a batch of caseins and crafted its first proof of concept, a cheese prototype made with dairy-identical caseins. Now, the company states that it is ready for its next phase of growth, which involves a significant scale-up of its operations.  “We gave ourselves 7 …

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Willicroft Original Better, a new plant-based butter

© Willicroft

Willicroft Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for New Clean-Label Vegan Butter Made with Beans and Fermentation

Dutch company Willicroft, Europe’s first plant-based cheese brand to achieve B-Corp certification, announces the launch of a crowdfunding campaign to support the release of its latest development at retail and food service in 2024: Willicroft Original Better, a vegan butter made using beans and fermentation. Willicroft aims to raise €350,000 through a convertible loan agreement (CLA) via Seedblink. Individuals or investors will have two options to convert the loans into equity shares in the company: a valuation cap of €7.5 million or a 20% discount. As the company explains, the likely conversion date of the CLA is set for Willicroft’s Series A in early 2025.  The campaign’s goal is €475,000; however, Willicroft already has €125,000 committed offline by existing investors.  Regarding returns, the company believes it is well-positioned …

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Mans Ullerstam. © Kale United

Kale United Aims to Raise 12M SEK in Preparation for IPO

Leading Nordic plant-based investor Kale United has started a new funding round with the goal of raising 12 million SEK (€1.03 million). The round will be active until December 1, with a third of shares already booked. It comes as Kale United prepares for an IPO in Q2 2025. Some of the capital raised will be used to launch a fund for sustainable investments, which will cater to large institutional investors. The fund will also provide capital to Kale United’s portfolio companies, increasing the investor’s assets under management by 150 million SEK (€12.9 million). Following the raise, Kale United plans to continue investing in both new and existing portfolio companies. The investor says it foresees high growth for its subsidiary, Kale Foods, which distributes its …

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pink albatross

©pink albatross

Spain’s Pink Albatross Opens Funding Round, Aiming to Raise Over €1M

Pink Albatross, a 100% plant-based ice cream company based in Madrid, has opened a financing round with the aim of raising between 1 and 1.5 million euros. The company’s objective is to consolidate its growth after reaching more than 2,000 points of sale in Spain, Portuga,l and Germany. The four pillars on which it will focus are: Innovation and new products: Pink Albatross currently has a wide variety of flavours and formats and with this financing, the company intends to expand its product portfolio. New marketing and sales activities with the aim of increasing both brand awareness and distribution. Recruitment of personnel: due to its strong growth in recent months, the company plans to expand its team. Maintenance of working capital or working capital Robust …

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