NuCicer develops high-protein chickpea varieties and sustainable ingredient solutions for food brands. Its products generate simply milled protein and flour ingredients that help companies meet protein and fiber targets without relying on highly processed isolates. The company operates a licensing-based model to scale rapidly through strategic supply chain partners, allowing adoption without disrupting existing infrastructure. NuCicer’s current variety matures 10–20 days earlier than most conventional chickpeas, reducing late-season weather risk and the need for chemical desiccants. It planted over 2,500 acres in 2025 and plans to 10x acreage by 2026. Led by CEO Kathryn Cook, NuCicer intends to use the new funding to expand operations and advance development efforts. NuCicer has developed a chickpea variety that contains up to 75% more protein than regular chickpeas, enabling much higher-yielding chickpea protein ingredients. The company says this could slash the cost of chickpea protein by nearly half — the first time a plant protein cost has been reduced this dramatically. Its ingredients target applications such as texturised vegetable protein (TVP) and alt-dairy products like yogurts. NuCicer is a father-daughter run startup founded by Kathryn Cook and UC Davis researcher Douglas Cook. The company will use new funding to support commercialisation trials and to scale its speed-breeding program to further develop and improve products. NuCicer recently closed an oversubscribed $4.5M seed round to advance those plans.

Total raised

$16M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Aug 2025