Participated · Equity · Nov 2024

Loki Foods is developing a whole-cut plant-based cod fillet analog with a prototype built on a protein foundation containing vitamins and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The company aims to improve taste, cookability, texture and nutrition to attract consumers away from conventional seafood and grow the alt-seafood market. Loki received funding to support development of its cod analog prototype. Sustainable Food Ventures highlighted the company’s team, technology and Iceland location as enabling production of alternative proteins using renewable energy and pristine Icelandic water. CEO and co-founder Chris McClure emphasized the nutritional composition of the prototype and the company’s mission to accelerate removal of marine life from the supply chain. The business is based in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2022

Bucha Bio is a Houston, TX-based biomaterials science company developing biobased materials for multiple industries. It is developing two materials, SHORAI—an alternative to animal leather, plastic leather, or other synthetic materials—and HIKARI, a translucent material with processing capabilities that will be formally introduced in November. The company raised $1.1M in Seed funding to accelerate its move to market. Backers include New Climate Ventures, Lifely VC, Beni VC, Prithvi VC, Asymmetry VC, Alwyn Capital, and Chris Zarou. Bucha Bio plans to use the funds to secure co-manufacturers to scale material production and to support construction of a new Houston headquarters. It also plans to enable new form factors, including biofibers, biopackaging, and hard biocomposites, targeting industries such as fashion, automotive, home goods, electronics, and construction. Bucha Bio develops novel biomaterials from fermented bacterial nanocellulose and plants. The company designs next-generation materials with applications in textiles, packaging and hard construction materials. An expansive library of plant-based formulations combined with a proprietary consortium of bacteria underpins its material innovations. Bucha offers a signature luxury biotextile, MIRAI™, inspired by the Japanese word 'future' and the Italian phrase 'look with emphasis', which is available for reservation. Founded in 2019 and a graduate of SOSV's IndieBio program, the New York-based company plans to scale production of MIRAI™. It raised $550K in funding to support that scale-up.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2022

Bond Pet Foods began as a maker of plant-based pet treats and is shifting to develop precision-fermented, nature-identical chicken, beef, fish and other meat proteins for pet food. The company has partnered with Hill’s Pet Nutrition to develop a craft meat protein and is positioning to supply other established pet-food brands rather than building its own consumer-facing line. Bond is based in Boulder, Colorado, and plans to scale production at a new 15,000-square-foot facility in Boulder while tripling the size of its team. Management expects the facility to be complete in Q1 2023 and initial meat proteins ready for commercialization in roughly two years, including pilot feeding programs and regulatory work. The move is framed against a global pet food market valued at $110 billion in 2021 and projected to grow to $164 billion by 2029. Since 2017 the company has raised a total of $20 million, including a $17.5 million Series A in June. Bond Pet Foods develops dog and cat foods produced via microbial fermentation to make real animal proteins without animals. In August the startup announced a prototype of its "chicken without the chicken" product. Co-founder Rich Kellman said Bond is currently the only company developing meat proteins through microbial fermentation in the pet food space. The company plans to develop other cultured meat proteins for pet nutrition, including turkey, pork, and beef, and is exploring applications in the human food space. Financially, Bond completed $1.2 million in seed funding in December and a seed extension this year, bringing private raises to just under $2M to date; it also received a $250,000 grant from the Colorado OEDIT Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program. Bond states its mission is to be an ally for all animals by finding a better way to make complete, nutritious food for pets. Bond Pet Foods is a biotechnology company that produces animal-free, protein-rich ingredients for pet food by using fermentation to grow muscle proteins in microbes such as yeast. The company adapts fermentation technology used for cheese-making and insulin production to harvest high-quality proteins nutritionally identical to chicken, turkey, beef, pork and fish. Its proprietary process inserts animal muscle protein genes into microbes, ferments them with simple sugars, vitamins and minerals, and uses the resulting proteins as the foundation of complete pet-food recipes. Bond plans to use the seed proceeds to drive R&D and scale its animal protein production. It intends to debut its first consumer product — a protein-packed dog treat bar made with a pure yeast protein — early next year. The company reported closing a $1.2M seed round to support these efforts.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2022

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.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2021

Aqua Cultured Foods develops whole‑muscle seafood alternatives — calamari, shrimp, scallops, tuna and whitefish filets — plus minced fillings for dumplings, ravioli and sushi. The company uses proprietary mycoprotein (fungi) fermentation processes with no animal inputs or genetic modification and says its products are optimized to be consumed raw with textures close to conventional seafood. Aqua is Chicago‑based and recently acquired a 5,000‑square‑foot food‑grade pilot facility and expects to begin manufacturing first products (tuna, scallops and ground shrimp) by early summer. The team says a 450‑square‑foot grow space could produce between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds of product, supporting decentralized manufacturing for future market expansion. Planned uses of the new funding include hiring, expanding restaurant and foodservice introductions, and running chef pop‑ups to gauge demand. Financially, the company announced a $5.5M seed round and has raised just over $8M to date. Aqua Cultured Foods makes animal-free seafood analogs using a microbial fermentation process and a proprietary strain of fungi. The company produces a “whole-grown” protein it says requires no extra processing or genetic modification, yielding a more robust nutritional profile than many plant-based seafood options. Its inherently flavorless base can be fine-tuned late in the growth process to create textures and flavors for products such as tuna, whitefish, calamari, shrimp, and scallops. Founded in 2020 and based in Chicago, Aqua Cultured Foods raised $2.1 million in pre-seed funding to support rapid growth. The startup is targeting 2022 for commercial releases, initially via limited-time foodservice offerings with retail planned later, and reports early sales interest and strategic partnerships. The new capital will be used to build the team and accelerate R&D to iterate on texture, shape, nutritional value, and flavor to bring products closer to animal-derived versions.