Led · Equity · Dec 2023

Emergent Cold LatAm is the region's largest provider of refrigerated storage and logistics solutions. Founded in August 2021 to meet rising demand for modern cold chain capacity, it operates more than 70 cold storage facilities across 11 countries. The company reports over 5.4 million cubic meters of storage capacity including projects under construction. To date it has completed eighteen acquisitions and two new construction projects, with nine greenfields in active development. Emergent Cold LatAm plans to continue expanding its regional network through acquisitions, greenfield projects and expansions of existing facilities, and to invest in technology and operational best practices to improve service and standards. The business recently secured a significant equity commitment that supports continued capital deployment across its pipeline.

Participated · Equity · Oct 2021

Solar Foods has developed a proprietary microbe that converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into Solein, a nutrient-rich, versatile protein ingredient. Solein is positioned as a land- and water-efficient alternative to conventional animal protein, requiring roughly 0.1% of the land and 1% of the water compared with equivalent beef production. The company is building Factory 02 to scale Solein production and has secured a €77.8 million grant and R&D loan package to fund construction, commissioning, upscaling, and optimisation. Solar Foods plans to commercialise Solein at large scale in cooperation with strategic partners and develop scalable business solutions and expertise through the project. The company has also received an order from an unnamed U.S.-based lifestyle company for product development ahead of planned consumer launches in the United States.

Participated · Series A · Feb 2021

Redefine Meat develops 3D-printed plant-based whole cuts for the foodservice and broader food markets. The company launched its commercial 'New-Meat' series in 2021 and has placed products on menus of over 200 restaurants in Israel, as well as in the restaurant chain of Michelin chef Marco Pierre White and other acclaimed chefs. Its products have also been supplied to canteens at companies such as Facebook and Google. Redefine Meat recently hired former executives from Nestlé and Unilever to support global expansion. With the latest financing, the company plans to set up production lines in Israel and the Netherlands and to expand collaborations with restaurant chains worldwide. The firm was founded in 2018 and is pursuing growth via technology-driven meat alternatives rather than animal-based production. Redefine Meat has developed a manufacturing process and 3D-printing technology to produce plant-based steaks that more closely mimic the taste and texture of choice cuts of beef than typical patties. The company plans to expand its product portfolio and support a commercial launch using proceeds from its recent financing. It aims to bring a large-scale production facility for its 3D printers online before the end of the year and to deploy industrial 3D Alt‑Meat printers within meat distributors later this year. Redefine has a strategic agreement with Israeli distributor Best Meister to aid its path to market and has been expanding its staff to roughly 40 employees. The company positions its technology as an alternative to current patty-focused offerings and says the building blocks are in place for broader distribution. Redefine Meat is developing an alternative-meat 3D printer and plant-based meat products. The company combines a proprietary semi-industrial 3D digital printing platform, a 3D meat modeling system and plant-based food formulations. Its animal-free meat uses natural and sustainable ingredients designed to replicate the appearance, texture and flavor of animal meat for steaks, roasts and stews. Founded in 2018 by CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit and based in Tel Aviv, Israel, the company is advancing meat production technology toward commercialization. Redefine Meat intends to use the funding to finalize development of its 3D printer, which it planned to release during 2020. The company closed a seed round to push its product development and market readiness forward.

Participated · Convertible Note · Jan 2021

Founded in 2018, San Diego-based BlueNalu produces premium seafood directly from fish cells, eliminating the need to harvest wild fish. Its first commercial product is cell-cultivated bluefin tuna toro, which the company aims to launch through premium food-service partners once regulatory approvals are secured. The firm collaborates closely with regulators, chefs, distributors and strategic partners worldwide to build a scalable, responsible cultivated-seafood supply chain. Proceeds from the latest financing will fund U.S. and international regulatory engagement, initial commercial-launch activities and manufacturing-process optimization. BlueNalu also plans to deepen strategic partnerships across the value chain to support disciplined commercialization. Agronomics’ investment lifts its fully diluted ownership to 12.96%, giving BlueNalu a committed long-term backer with deep cellular-agriculture expertise. Although revenue figures are not yet disclosed, management positions the company as a leader in the emerging cultivated-seafood category.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2020

New Age Meats develops meat from animal cells, starting with a variety of pork sausages as its first product offering. The company plans to begin production of those sausages next year and expects to go to market in 2022 pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. The $25 million Series A will fund doubling the workforce, expanding R&D and building a 20,000-square-foot pilot manufacturing facility in Alameda. New Age Meats says it will eventually move into other meat categories such as beef and chicken and sees demand from pork-consuming markets like Asia. CEO Brian Spears, a chemical engineer who co-founded the company in 2018 after 12 years developing research laboratory and industry automation, said the firm aims to deliver scalable, affordable and authentic meat experiences. The company is positioning itself amid growing interest and venture investment in cultured meat. New Age Meats develops cultivated pork products with an initial focus on bringing a cultivated pork sausage to market. The company is building a pilot facility and working to scale product development and production. Management plans to expand its Food Science department and implement more automation and robotics. The startup aims to continue driving down the cost of its first product. New Age Meats was founded in 2018 and is based in Berkeley, Calif. Current financing described in the article is a $2M seed extension to support these operating and development goals. New Age Meats is a Berkeley-based cultivated meat company founded in 2018 by CEO Brian Spears. The company develops technology to make meat from animal cells rather than animal slaughter, applying automation and data science to stem cell research and bioreactor optimization. It is a graduate of IndieBio's accelerator program. New Age Meats closed a $2.7M seed funding round to support its operations. The company intends to use the funds to grow the team, invest in automation equipment, and iterate its cultivators. No operating metrics were disclosed in the article. New Age Meats is a US-based, only a few months old startup focused on research and development of cultured meat (clean meat). The company is a member of IndieBio’s Accelerator Program and has been granted $250,000 in financial capital. Its core product development includes laboratory-grown "Farm-Free" pork sausages made from pig cells. The startup invited a small group to taste-test three types of its lab-grown sausage; Business Insider reporter Erin Brodwin wrote, "It tasted like meat. On the other hand, it is meat. The texture was clearly sausage-like." New Age Meats aims to counter traditional animal agriculture with innovative, slaughter-free cultivated products. Other companies mentioned in the same field include Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms and Just.