Daring Foods produces plant-based chicken products sold in multiple retail and foodservice channels. Its portfolio includes four SKUs — Original, Lemon & Herb, Cajun and Breaded — designed to look, cook and taste like chicken. The product emphasizes a short ingredient list (five ingredients), higher protein and lower calories than traditional chicken. Distribution has expanded to Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, online marketplaces (Gopuff, Imperfect Foods) and restaurants, with a recent Walmart launch into 3,000 stores that doubled total distribution to about 6,000 outlets. The company grew roughly 900% over the past 12 months and has scaled to about 60 employees. Daring says it will use new funding to support that growth and to roll out additional product launches in the coming months and next year. Daring produces plant-based chicken products called Daring Pieces (Original, Lemon & Herb, Cajun, and Breaded), each with 14g of protein per serving and made with non‑GMO ingredients and all‑natural spices. The company launched in the U.S. in 2020 and was founded in 2018 by Ross Mackay and Eliott Kessas; Ross Mackay serves as CEO and co‑founder. Since its Series A, Daring has expanded into more than 1,000 retail locations including Costco, Wegmans, Kroger, and Imperfect Foods, and is available via DTC and select foodservice partners. Daring plans to use its latest funding to triple its internal team by the end of 2021, dramatically scale retail and foodservice growth, and support future product innovation and development. The brand has received media and industry recognition, including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Fast Company coverage, and has won NOSH’s Best New Product of 2020 award. daring makes clean, plant-based frozen chicken pieces available in Original, Lemon & Herb, Cajun, and Breaded varieties, delivering 14g of protein per serving with five non-GMO ingredients. The company emphasizes taste, texture, and a minimal processing ingredient profile. It recently launched Breaded daring Pieces direct-to-consumer and expanded retail distribution to Sprouts, Gelson’s, Bristol Farms, and Fresh Thyme, with a planned national launch at Just Salad. Products are free of GMOs and gluten and the brand positions itself to remove chicken from the food system. daring was founded in 2018 by Ross Mackay and Eliott Kessas and entered the U.S. market in 2020. The company says it will use new capital to drive marketing, product innovation, and staffing to support rapid growth. Daring Foods develops plant-based chicken called Daring Pieces made from five non-GMO ingredients: water, soy, sunflower oil, salt and natural flavorings (paprika, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, cardamom). The company is positioning its product as a healthier, everyday plant-based option targeted at meat-eaters and white-meat lovers. Its pieces aim for a chicken-like texture and cook in about eight minutes. Daring began selling the first version in the U.K. earlier this year and plans a U.S. launch in February, selling direct-to-consumer via its website and to restaurants and retailers. The company is shifting its headquarters from Glasgow to New York. Co-founder and CEO Ross Mackay is vegan. Rastelli Foods Group has committed $10 million in backing, combining cash with infrastructure, sales and distribution support.

Total raised

$123M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Oct 2021