Alternative Protein

The San Francisco-based start-up is in discussions with Proterra about a cultured meat partnership at a time when more Asian investors want exposure to the space.

Founder Nick Cooney says Asian family offices provided 70% of the $23m already raised towards a $50m target, as Asian governments introduce incentives to support investment into the alternative protein space.

Big Idea Ventures' portfolio companies have also fared well on the fundraising trail, as the firm plots a successor $250m vehicle to its debut $50m fund.

The Canadian pension fund has launched a new strategy to access the budding landscape of agtech companies emerging across the value chain.

Insectta has developed technology that can extract chitosan from insect waste, an antimicrobial ingredient used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

The practice of voluntarily conducting and disclosing climate-related financial risk analysis is in its early days, but awareness and engagement are gathering pace.

Coller FAIRR’s climate risk tool for the animal meat industry predicts alternative proteins ‘will command at least 16% of the total meat market by 2050, potentially rising up to 62%.’

BlueNalu CEO Lou Cooperhouse expects to see a boom in cellular agriculture investment as soon as FDA regulation is established, which he expects to be put in place in 2021.

Equinom founder and CEO Gil Shalev says the firm’s naturally-bred yellow peas will have as much as 50% protein content.

AgFunder founding partner Rob Leclerc says his firm’s dedicated alternative protein fund has attracted incumbents from the meat and dairy space who see the fledgling market as ‘a hedge’.