Konscious Foods

Plantbased Business Hour

How to Get Your Food Business Acquired with Yves Potvin

Three-time founder, Yves Potvin, discusses the current state of the plant-based innovation sector and how to grow a food business to be acquired. Having sold Gardein to Conagra and Yves Veggie Cuisine to Hain Celestial, Yves is now championing Konscious Foods with a plan to be acquired. Learn from this ultra-successful pioneer on The Plant-based Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano. Specifically, they discuss How to have a successful exit/acquisition for your company. The most important steps in building a robust company. Why, after starting and successfully selling Yves Veggie Cuisine and Gardein, he decided to start Konscious Foods. The common mistakes founders make that can implode their companies. The current state of the industry. Below is a highlight clip and transcription from our long-form conversation. …

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Konscious Foods

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Investments & Finance

Protein Industries Canada Partners with Konscious Foods to Elevate Plant-Based Seafood

Protein Industries Canada has introduced a significant initiative for the Canadian alternative seafood sector with its collaboration with Konscious Foods, Avena Foods, and Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds (CPS). Leveraging the success of Konscious Foods’ frozen and ready-to-eat plant-based sushi, this project aims to enhance the nutritional value of existing plant-based seafood products while also developing novel offerings. The project has already garnered praise from government officials for its contribution to addressing the global demand for seafood alternatives and bolstering Canada’s position in the plant-based food market. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, stated, “There is an ever-growing global demand for seafood, and this project is helping to meet that demand by offering an alternative plant-based option that expands the range of healthy …

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Yves Potvin of Konscious Foods

Yves Potvin. © Konscious Foods.
Opinion

Op Ed: Yves Potvin, Founder and President of Konscious Foods, on How the Industry Can Recover

Yves Potvin, the visionary behind Konscious Foods, has made a significant impact in the plant-based food industry. A classically trained French chef from Quebec, Potvin’s culinary journey unexpectedly led him to the world of plant-based foods. He is credited with creating the first fresh veggie hot dog and has established three successful plant-based food companies across three decades: Yves Veggie Cuisine, Gardein, and most recently, Konscious Foods, which continues to thrive in turbulent times. In this piece, Yves clearly identifies two key points on which plant-based brands must focus in order to succeed, and in doing so, he says, “I’m confident next year will put the meatless industry’s business back on track”. The Plant-Based Bubble Has Burst: What the Industry Needs to  Succeed the Next …

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Konscious Foods fresh sushi

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Products & Launches

Konscious Foods’ Ready-to-Eat Plant-Based Sushi Rolls Now Available at Whole Foods Nationwide

Plant-based alt seafood brand Konscious Foods has announced the introduction of ready-to-eat sushi rolls featuring Konscious Foods’ plant-based seafood in Whole Foods Market’s sushi venues across the United States. These ready-to-eat offerings, including the Tuna California and Spicy Sno Crab rolls, are exclusive creations by Whole Foods Market chefs, showcasing Konscious Foods’ award-winning plant-based seafood.  Konscious Foods was launched last year by plant-based innovator and classically-trained French chef Yves Potvin, who is also the founder of Yves Veggie Cuisine and Gardein. While the company’s product line included frozen plant-based sushi rolls, onigiri stuffed rice snacks, and poke bowls, it has now expanded into convenient ready-to-eat options.  Potvin expressed excitement about complementing the existing frozen product line with these new ready-to-eat sushi rolls, stating: “Working with …

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Yves Potvin of Konscious Foods

Yves Potvin. © Konscious Foods.
Interviews

Konscious Foods: “We Take Pride in Pioneering the World’s First Frozen Sushi Rolls Made From Plants”

In 2021, Canadian serial entrepreneur Yves Potvin founded the seafood alternatives brand Konscious Foods. Considering the success of the other plant-based companies founded by Potvin — Yves Veggie Cuisine and Gardein — it’s no surprise that Konscious Foods is already seeing rapid growth. The company has made a name for itself by launching products that are claimed to be the first of their kind, such as frozen plant-based sushi and onigiri. Konscious Foods also announced last year that it was working with fellow Canadian companies Merit Functional Foods and Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds to develop an extensive line of seafood alternatives. Retailers have proven enthusiastic about the plant-based sushi, with the products rolling out at all Whole Foods locations across the US and Canada in July. …

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Konscious Plant-Based Sushi

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Market & Trends

Navigating Turbulence: 8 Plant-Based Brands Riding the Crest, Not Weathering the Storm

While some brands are struggling in the current economic climate (both plant-based and conventional), many are not just surviving but thriving, expanding into new markets and raising large sums of funding. Here, we take a look at some of the biggest industry success stories of 2023. Konscious Foods Canada’s Konscious Foods raised $26 million in seed funding at the beginning of this month, with the aim of making its plant-based seafood more widely accessible. The company now plans to launch at over 4,500 more stores across North America by the end of the year, while also expanding into more food service locations. The seafood alternatives are already available at all Whole Foods locations US-wide, and one investor says it expects Konscious Foods to “transform plant-based …

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Canadian vegan brands

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Food & Beverage

4 Top Canadian Vegan Brands Driving Innovation

The US plant-based market has often cast a shadow on its Canadian counterparts, but several vegan brands are not only thriving in Canada, but innovating in the plant-based and alt-protein space. Vegans and vegetarians make up almost 10% of the Canadian population, and although there are many plant-based options available in retailers across the country, Canadian consumers say supporting home-grown businesses is important to them. From established household names to emerging players, these companies are redefining the possibilities of Canadian vegan cuisine.  1. Daiya The trailblazer of the Canadian plant-based industry is, of course, Daiya, who pretty much pioneered dairy alternatives in Canada back in 2009 with its cheddar and mozzarella-style shreds. Many pizza chains across Canada and the United States use Daiya as their …

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Konscious Foods raises millions to expand into retail and food service

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Investments & Finance

Konscious Foods’ $26 Million Raise Highlights Growing Demand for Plant-Based Seafood

Canadian alt seafood brand Konscious Foods announces it has raised $26 million in a seed financing round to make its plant-based seafood food widely accessible. Participant investors include Protein Industries Canada, Zynik Capital, and Walter Group. The raised funds will propel the company’s retail and food service expansion, support its manufacturing operations, and the necessary marketing initiatives for its next nationwide retail launches. Konscious Foods says it expects to launch in over 4,500 stores across North America by the end of the year. “Konscious Foods has created true alternatives to some of the world’s most important seafood products and without sacrificing quality, which is a feat unmatched by others in the plant-based food space,” said Iqbal Kassam, Chairman of Zynik Capital.  Transforming the seafood industry Yves Potvin, who previously …

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Plant-based sushi by Konscious Foods

© Konscious Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Konscious Foods: Frozen Plant-Based Sushi by Gardein Founder Enters Whole Foods Stores Across North America

Canadian alt seafood brand Konscious Foods has expanded its plant-based frozen sushi range to all Whole Foods Market locations across North America. The range consists of: Sushi rolls — available in the varieties California Roll, Spicy California Roll, Rainbow Roll, and Tuna Avocado Roll. Onigiri stuffed rice snacks — rice wrapped around plant-based fillings. The snacks are available in four varieties — Kale Gomae, Japanese Vegetable Curry, Roasted Corn + Poblano, and Korean BBQ Mushroom. Poke Bowls — rice topped with plant-based fish, edamame, corn, mango, and sauce. Two varieties — tuna and salmon — are available. The products are said to be made with clean ingredients such as konjac, pea fiber, Jasberry rice, and organic red quinoa. Using patent-pending technology, they can be cooked …

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Vegan Frozen Sushi

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Products & Launches

Konscious Foods Launches ‘First-Ever’ Frozen Plant-Based Sushi and Onigiri

Vancouver food company Konscious Foods announces the launch of what it calls the “first-ever” plant-based frozen sushi and onigiri. Created in partnership with Protein Industries Canada (PIC), Merit Foods, and Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds, the new products are now available at Whole Foods Markets and Choices Markets in Vancouver, with more varieties and retail locations being added.  The new line consists of eight products, with four sushi and four onigiri rolls. Konscious says the items are made from non-GMO ingredients, and provide convenient and healthy snacks or meals. Konscious plant-based seafood alternatives are also available for restaurants, caterers and other commercial services. “At Konscious, our chefs create plant-based seafood that people can choose over traditional options for their own health and the health of the planet,” …

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Canadian Partners Launch Alt Seafood

Representatives from Konscious, Merit and Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds ©Protein Industries Canada
Retail & E-Commerce

Canada: Industry Partners Invest $15.3M to Develop New Line of Alt-Seafood Products

Canada’s Konscious Foods, Merit Functional Foods and Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds announce a new partnership to develop an extensive line of plant-based seafood alternatives. Created with a co-investment from Protein Industries Canada (PIC), the line will bring more than 20 sustainably sourced alt-seafood products to North American grocery stores.  A total of $15.3M has been committed to the project, including a $5.5M contribution from PIC. That investment reportedly acted as a catalyst for the innovative partnership, and allowed the project to move at a faster, more efficient pace. The new products will reportedly match the taste and texture of traditional seafood with a focus on clean-label ingredients. To create the line, plant-based seafood brand Konscious Foods will incorporate Canadian-grown and -processed ingredients, including Merit’s pea and …

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