NUGGS, the chicken nugget startup, has announced its official launch. Founded by 19-year-old serial tech entrepreneur Ben Pasternak, NUGGS says that it will disrupt the animal-based meat industry with its new nugget technology.
After over a year of research and development, NUGGS has developed a nugget that uses an advanced texturized pea protein technology to create a nugget with the best texture, crunch and taste. What’s different about this product is that the young entrepreneur is approaching it like an app, with updates being released regularly in order to improve the nuggets based on user feedback.
“NUGGS is the intersection of food and the internet,” says Pasternak. “We set out to make the best nugget period, a chicken nugget simulation is just the baseline.”
Pasternak’s previous success in the tech sector includes being the youngest person to receive backing from Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists at the age of 15. After his wildly successful app Monkey was acquired in late 2017 (which currently boasts close to 20 million users), Pasternak turned his attention to helping end factory farming.
NUGGS raised $7 million in funding, led by industry giant McCain Foods, who manufactures the nuggets.
“At McCain we believe NUGGS has developed an incredible product that uses plant based technology to uniquely simulate a high quality chicken nugget. A significant factor in achieving this is their approach to fast and iterative innovation, which is based on constant consumer feedback. We believe the combination of the NUGGS approach and McCain’s production and commercial expertise will accelerate the brand’s growth and deliver market scale,” says Mauro Pennella, Chief Growth Officer at McCain Foods.
