Akua SpongeBob SquarePants Kelp Burgers

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Products & Launches

Akua Partners with Nickelodeon to Launch Kid-Friendly SpongeBob Kelp Patties

Akua, maker of the “world’s first” kelp burger, announces a new partnership with Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants to launch kid-friendly Kelp Patties. Created to make eco-friendly eating more appealing to children, the slider-sized patties will be available in select US retailers and at PLNT Burger locations starting in July.  Akua’s collaboration with the popular TV show is aligned with Nickelodeon’s Operation Sea Change – a newly launched ocean sustainability initiative, reports The Fish Site.  By combining SpongeBob’s popularity as an ocean-based cartoon character with Akua’s commitment to regenerative ocean-farmed foods, the partnership aims to make such products more accessible to children. The Kelp Patties will be available in Original and BBQ flavors. Kelp-based foods Founded in 2017, Akua specializes in meat and seafood alternatives made with kelp …

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Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

AKUA Launches Krab Cakes Made With Sustainable Kelp

AKUA, producer of the “world’s first” Kelp Burger, launches its latest NPD — Krab Cakes — on Wednesday, July 20. AKUA creates plant-based foods from locally sourced and regeneratively ocean-farmed kelp, one of the most sustainable and nutrient-dense food sources on the planet, debuting back in 2019 with initial product Kelp Jerky. The Brooklyn brand has received accolades from Fast Company, TIME, and Travel + Leisure for its burger product, and secured $3.2 million last November in a seed round featuring New England Patriots coach and former linebacker Jerod Mayo, beauty founder Cristina Carlino, SmartyPants CEO Courtney Nichols Gould, and Sir Kensington’s co-founder Brandon Child. AKUA says that the Krab Cakes, created with a blend of kelp, cannellini beans, Dijon mustard, artichokes, garlic, onion and …

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Neat Burger in NYC Time Square

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Studies & Numbers

Tripadvisor Study Names New York as Most Vegan-Friendly US City

Meal Delivery Experts, an online review platform, has joined with Tripadvisor to discover which US cities offer the greatest number of vegan food options. With over 1,400 restaurants and food venues offering abundant menu options, New York City officially ranks as the top destination for plant-based foodies.  Los Angeles comes in 2nd place with 705 vegan-friendly venues, and where diners can find a huge array of cuisines ranging from fast food to Korean, Ethiopian and Thai. Chicago, with 489 restaurant and food venue options, earned a spot in 3rd place, while San Francisco and San Diego, California, round out the top five.   To conduct the study, Meal Delivery Experts and TripAdvisor analyzed the 20 most populous US cities and calculated how many restaurants offered at …

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Celebrities

Host of Celebrity Investors See Future in Kelp as New York’s AKUA Secures $3.2M

After launching what it claims to be the first-ever burger made from kelp, New York-based alt-meat brand AKUA has now announced an impressive $3.2 million seed round. The kelp specialist looks set to find a prominent niche in the alt meat landscape as it promotes regenerative ocean farming.  “The first wave of plant-based eating was the Boca Burger, beans and tofu. The second wave is Impossible and Beyond, and the third wave is going to be the return to whole foods and clean eating” The funding round included a host of venture funds as well as New England Patriots coach and former linebacker Jerod Mayo, beauty founder Cristina Carlino, SmartyPants CEO Courtney Nichols Gould, and Sir Kensington’s co-founder Brandon Child. The seed round brings AKUA’s …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Can We Leave The Oceans Better Than We Found Them?  Courtney Boyd Myers of Akua is on The Plantbased Business Hour

Kelp, algae and the state of our oceans: can we leave them better than we found them?  CEO and Founder of Akua, Courtney Boyd-Myers and Elysabeth Alfano discuss all this and more on The Plantbased Business Hour.  Specifically, they discuss, What is Kelp and why it might be a game-changer, The perils of industrial fishing and factory farming, The nutritional profile of kelp, Why kelp makes a great burger and AKUA retail launch, AKUA’s multi-faceted and successful raise. Below is a clip and transcript from their passionate conversation. The podcast is here.  Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “Can Farming Kelp Leave The Oceans Better Than We Found Them?” directly …

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AKUA Kelp Burger

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Products & Launches

AKUA’s “Game-Changing” Kelp Burger to Hit US Grocery Stores

New York-based alternative meat company AKUA has teamed up with business development firm Next In Natural (NeNa) to bring its kelp-based burger to the retail market. “Harvesting kelp from clean waters as a regenerative carbon-reducing, plant-based superfood is a game-changer.” AKUA first launched what it claimed to be the first-ever plant-based burger made from kelp in May this year, though it has only been available to purchase online or at a select number of restaurants in the US. The burger is made of ocean-farmed seaweed, crimini mushrooms, pea protein, black beans, quinoa, and crushed tomatoes. AKUA Founder and CEO Courtney Boyd Myers said the firm was the “ideal partner” to help lead efforts to expand into grocery stores, pointing to NeNa’s experience with iconic brands …

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