Plant-based chicken brand SIMULATE announces it is launching new STRIPS and CUTLETS, which will be initially available in US foodservice. Unlike the brand’s previous releases, Simulate’s new products are made using advanced extrusion technology tto produce a more realistic animal-meat texture.
“We’re primarily focused on building a heavy presence in restaurants”
Known for developing its flagship products NUGGS and TENDERS using software-like, iterative development, SIMULATE says its new products come closer than ever before to conventional meat. The unbreaded STRIPS are meant to recreate grilled chicken, while the CUTLETS offer a plant-based filet for use in fried chicken sandwiches and similar QSR offerings.
The company also notes its STRIPS represent the brand’s first real “food swap” – an item that can directly replace chicken meat in any given recipe.
Better texture
To improve the products’ texture, SIMULATE employed higher-moisture extrusion technology which “uses heat and pressure to denature plant proteins, and realign them in a linear fibrous structure, which is the key distinctive trait of animal protein,” SIMULATE founder and CEO Ben Pasternak told TechCrunch.
Pasternak added, “High moisture extrusion is the first of a few technologies that we’ve been building and we’re excited to share more later this year.”
140% growth
Since launching in 2019, SIMULATE has raised $57M in funding, including $50M in a 2021 Series B round led by investor Alexis Ohanian’s 776. The brand’s retail footprint has seen 140% YOY growth, and its chicken products can now be found in over 12,000 stores.
By rolling out STRIPS and CUTLETS, SIMULATE says it is entering a new stage of company growth. “After we had much success with DTC, we transitioned to retail where the vast majority of our revenue comes from today,” Pasternak said. “Now, we’re entering the next evolution of SIMULATE, where we’re primarily focused on building a heavy presence in restaurants.”
