Willicroft team

© Willicroft

Company News

Willicroft Announces Closure After Six Years of Operations

Amsterdam-based plant-based cheese company Willicroft has officially announced its closure following difficulties in meeting fundraising targets in 2024. The company, founded in 2018 by Brad Vanstone, created sustainable alternatives to dairy inspired by traditional cheese-making techniques, but ultimately could not achieve the financial viability required to continue operations. In a public statement on Linkedin, Vanstone described the decision to close as a difficult one. “2024 was a tough year for Willicroft. After failing to meet our fundraising goals, we made the difficult decision to sell the company,” he wrote. Reflecting on the company’s trajectory, he acknowledged its contributions to the plant-based sector while also noting the challenges it faced in scaling. Willicroft began as a small operation in Vanstone’s kitchen in Amsterdam, drawing inspiration from …

more

Sundial Foods

Co-founders Jessica Schwabach and Siwen Deng © Sundial Foods

Company News

Sundial Foods Concludes Operations Following IP Sale to European Food Company

Plant-based food startup Sundial Foods has announced the conclusion of its operations following the sale of its intellectual property portfolio to an undisclosed European food company. This decision marks the end of Sundial Foods’ five-year journey developing and refining its chickpea-based plant protein products. In a LinkedIn post reflecting on the company’s closure, Sundial Foods expressed gratitude to its supporters, stating, “Since 2019, we have strongly believed in the mission of plant-based food, and in working to make our planet greener and healthier. Five years of development on our process and product, and the accompanying IP portfolio, culminated in our delicious chickpea chicken, with seven clean ingredients and as much protein per serving as animal chicken.” The startup noted its commitment to creating sustainable food …

more

Largest ever Vurger Co. location opens

© The Vurger Co.

Food Service

The Vurger Co Closes its Doors, Citing Government Failures & “Anti-Vegan Misinformation”

British vegan fast food chain The Vurger Co has closed its doors for the last time, following years of “seemingly endless domestic and international crises”. After launching in 2016, The Vurger Co. opened four locations in total — two in London, one in Brighton, and one in Manchester. The restaurants have served hundreds of thousands of burgers over the years, including to celebrities such as Billie Eilish. The chain also launched a range of sauces for retail at Ocado, Whole Foods, and Co-op, as well as further afield at stores in Los Angeles, New York City, and Dubai. But like most hospitality businesses, The Vurger Co struggled during the pandemic, heightened by what the company describes as “infuriating government policy”. Ensuing crises, such as the …

more

Ordinary Seafood's alt salmon

© Ordinary Seafood

Company News

German Alt Seafood Startup Ordinary Seafood to Cease Operations

The Potsdam startup Ordinary Seafood will sadly cease its business operations due to financial difficulties. The startup was founded as recently as 2022 by Dr. Anton Pluschke with the aim of solving the myriad problems associated with industrial fishing. With its plant-based fish alternatives, the company wanted to transform the global seafood industry and become the world’s leading alternative seafood products company by 2030. Despite its far-reaching mission and goals, Ordinary Seafood has now had to cease operations due to financial difficulties. According to the founder, despite the incredible customer feedback and great response, the financing landscape has changed dramatically in recent times, which has now led to the closure of the company. The shakeout continues Other startups that have had to close doors in …

more