Lever China Fund
100 Mulberry Street, Gateway Center 3, Newark, New Jersey, 07102, United States
Overview
Lever VC is a U.S.-Hong Kong venture capital fund founded by Managing Partner Nick Cooney and investing in early stage companies in the alternative protein sector (plant-based and “clean”/cell-based meat, egg and dairy companies). Lever VC operates globally, with offices in Hong Kong and the U.S. and staff in the US, Hong Kong, Europe, and Israel. Entrepreneurs and startups interested in connecting with Lever VC about possible investment can reach the team and submit information about their company at http://www.levervc.com. Managing Partner Nick Cooney is the Co-Founder and former Managing Trustee of New Crop Capital, a private venture capital trust vehicle investing in the alternative protein space, and is Co-Founder of the Good Food Institute, the world’s largest non-governmental organization working to grow the alternative protein space. The General Partners at Lever VC have deployed over $1.5 billion in capital over the past decade across a variety of sectors, including over thirty deals in the alternative protein space.
- Total investments
- 1
- Lead investments
- 1
- Investments · 12mo
- 0
- Active investors
- 4
Sector focus
- Alternative Protein
- Food and Beverage
- Food Delivery
- Food Processing
- Nutrition
Investment portfolio
- Hero Protein
Led · Seed · Feb 2021
HERO Protein develops plant-based beef and chicken products formulated for the Chinese palate, leveraging what it calls cutting-edge high-moisture extrusion technology. Its initial range was created by a team of former senior R&D executives from Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Gardein, Lightlife and Morningstar. The company says its products are tailored to domestic tastes and priced to reach a broader segment of Chinese consumers. HERO plans to continue R&D, scale production capacity and expand distribution across China. Management cites growing demand in the region, noting a study that forecasts plant-based meat demand in China and Thailand could rise 200% over the next five years. The company is Shanghai-based and has secured outside capital to support its near-term product development and commercialization activities.