Tokyo’s Kinish Raises $800,000 USD to Scale Rice-Based Casein Production
Tokyo-based food tech startup Kinish Inc. has secured $800,000 USD (¥120 million) in a seed funding round to advance its rice-based dairy alternative technology. The funding was led by Genesia Ventures, Lifetime Ventures, Full Commit Partners, and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital. Kinish is working to develop a rice-based source of casein, the key protein found in milk, using plant molecular agriculture. The company’s goal is to create plant-based dairy alternatives that closely replicate conventional dairy in taste and texture, while also addressing environmental concerns tied to livestock farming. CEO Hiroya Hashizume explained that the company’s mission is rooted in both sustainability and food enjoyment. “We believe that ‘small moments of excitement’ are essential to human life, and delicious food plays a key role in that. However, …