Umiami, the French food tech startup, has raised what it claims is the largest ever Series A financing in Europe within the plant-based meat market. Rasing $30 million from investors including the French government, Umiami has also announced the industrialization of its plant-based chicken breast production.
After two years of R&D, Umiami has now finalized its first whole chicken breast based on 100% plant proteins and will open an industrial R&D center near Paris in May 2022, in order to accelerate scale-up and portfolio expansion. The $30 million fundraising included the French Tech Seed Fund, managed on behalf of the government by Bpifrance.
Umiami has developed a proprietary technology to create what the company says are the world’s first vegan whole-cuts, such as plant-based chicken breast. The company now plans to open a dedicated plant by 2023, creating up to 200 jobs and producing 15,000 tons of alt meat per year. This will serve its B2B customers globally in food manufacturing and foodservice.
“Our plant-based chicken contributes to ecological transition”
Umiami reports to have acquired its first major clients in Northern Europe, North America, and South East Asia for its products, which are comparable in texture to animal meat, with a clean label approach and ‘B’ Nutriscore. Additionally, production requires 25% less energy, 50% less water and land, and emits half as much greenhouse gas as its conventional counterpart. The company recently announced a partnership with vertically integrated plant-based marketplace Above Food.
“We must change our eating habits to reduce our environmental footprint, but this isn’t always easy. Our plant-based chicken contributes to ecological transition, by enabling consumers to increase the amount of plant protein on their plates, without too much effort and without delay” stated Martin Habfast, co-founder and Head of Sales.
