The plant-based protein industry is experiencing a surge in innovation, driven by consumer demand for sustainable and healthy alternatives. This article provides an overview of 10 new plant-based protein companies redefining the sector with efficient and scalable methods for producing plant-based protein ingredients.
These pioneers utilize cutting-edge technologies like rapid solid-state fermentation, plant cell cultivation, and nitrogen fixation techniques to enhance sustainable protein synthesis. Their endeavors promise a shift towards a more resilient food system by creating eco-friendly alternatives to animal protein.
Continue reading to gain up-to-date and data-driven insights on:
- Profiles of 10 Emerging Plant-based Protein Companies
- How to Scout New Plant-based Protein Companies Easily
Key Takeaways
Drawing insights from the Big Data & AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform that provides data on over 4.7+ million emerging companies globally, we explore the evolving landscape of the plant-based protein industry. This sector is marked by key trends and a substantial workforce, shaping its future. Here are some key insights at a glance:
- Latest Plant-based Protein Trends: Pivotal trends in plant-based protein manufacturing include precision fermentation, advanced protein isolation, protein engineering, robotics, and additive manufacturing.
- Plant-based Protein Industry Stats: The global plant-based protein industry consists of 2.5K + organizations and has a 173.8K workforce. It is experiencing an increase of 8.46% in annual growth rate and has seen the emergence of 684 new plant-based protein companies in the past five years.
- 10 New Plant-based Protein Companies:
- Cosun Protein – Fava Bean-based Protein Isolate
- ExpressTec.bio – Plant-based Protein Manufacturing Platform
- IngredientWerks – Crop-based Protein Alternative
- Protealis – High-yielding Legume Crops
- ERGO – Plant Cell Cultivation
- Eighth Day Foods – Rapid Solid-State Fermentation
- SGProtein – Plant-based Meat Contract Manufacturing
- Mycovation – Mycelium Protein
- Apparo – Crop Utilization Platform
- FERM FOOD – Plant-based Protein Ingredients
Meet 10 out of 680+ New Plant-based Protein Companies
In this section, we spotlight 10 pioneering startups transforming plant-based protein manufacturing. These companies are at the forefront, responding to ecological challenges and evolving consumer needs for enhanced nutrition. By leveraging genetic engineering to produce specific proteins directly from plants, rapid solid-state fermentation (RSSF) to accelerate fermentation processes, and nitrogen fixation to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, these companies are setting new standards in the sector.
Note on Signal Strength
One of the unique metrics we feature for each company is Signal Strength, a proprietary data point generated by our Discovery Platform. It gauges the extent to which a company’s influence has permeated the global ecosystem of startups, scaleups, and emerging companies. This proprietary metric serves as a valuable guidepost for understanding a company’s standing in the broader market landscape.
1. Cosun Protein
- Founding Year: 2022
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: Netherlands
- Signal Strength: Medium
- What they do: Cosun Protein produces a fava bean-based protein isolate designed for manufacturing high-quality dairy and animal-free alternatives. It utilizes extraction technology to offer protein with unique properties in taste and functionality, such as superior emulsification, solubility, and neutral taste. This enables food manufacturers to create smooth and stable plant-based products with good taste and texture. Overall, Cosun Protein addresses the growing demand for high-performance plant-based protein ingredients.
2. ExpressTec.bio
- Founding Year: 2023
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: United States
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: ExpressTec.bio offers a platform for manufacturing recombinant proteins, harnessing rice plants as a production system. This method eliminates the limitations of conventional protein production using mammalian cells or bacteria, which is expensive, time-consuming, and susceptible to contamination. It is used to develop new biotherapeutics, vaccines, cell culture media components for cell therapy, gene therapy, vaccine applications, and enzymes. The plant-based platform utilizes advanced bioprocessing techniques for efficient production in medicine and biotechnology due to the inherent safety profile of rice as a food crop.
3. IngredientWerks
- Founding Year: 2022
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: United States
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: IngredientWerks develops high-value plant-based ingredients for food and nutritional alternative proteins. It employs proprietary technology to grow heme protein in corn, leading to reduced costs, superior taste, and quality. This approach addresses the rising demand for sustainable protein sources. The company enables plant-based protein manufacturers lower production costs and minimize environmental impact through crop-based, instead of fermentation-based alternative protein production infrastructure design.
4. Protealis
- Founding Year: 2021
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: Belgium
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Protealis develops high-yielding legume crops that fix nitrogen in the soil, thus reducing reliance on external fertilizers for farmers. The company employs breeding and nitrogen fixation techniques to create legume crops, such as peas and beans, to lower the environmental impact of protein production. These yield-enhancing soil bacteria contribute to the sustainability and profitability of farming practices. Protealis assists European farmers in finding new opportunities to address the protein deficit and foster a sustainable, local supply of plant proteins.
5. ERGO
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: United States
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: ERGO integrates DNA sequences from complex animal proteins into plant cell lines for protein production. Through genetic optimization and industrial-scale cultivation, the company generates protein-rich plant biomass efficiently. These proteins maintain their functional properties, enhancing taste, texture, and aroma in end products. ERGO’s approach offers alternatives to traditional animal-derived proteins, catering to health-conscious consumers and food producers aiming to reduce environmental impact. This technology fosters the creation of sustainable, groundbreaking ingredients for the food industry.
6. Eighth Day Foods
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Australia
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Eighth Day Foods leverages rapid solid-state fermentation (RSSF) to manufacture plant-based protein products. This fermentation technique facilitates the creation of affordable, nutritious, and sustainable protein alternatives. Moreover, the process yields a natural umami flavor, eliminating off-tastes and allowing for versatile flavoring options. The protein stands out for its clean label, free from isolates, concentrates, or extrusion. Food manufacturers integrate this technology into existing production lines, reducing costs significantly.
7. SGProtein
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Singapore
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: SGProtein specializes in contract manufacturing plant-based meat, including alternatives for meat, fish, or seafood. The facility boasts an extruder with a cooling dye for high-moisture meat analogs and processing machinery for high-capacity production. This technology enables food manufacturers to efficiently create a wide range of plant-based proteins with various textures and forms. SGProtein thus plays a pivotal role in meeting the rising global demand for sustainable protein sources while meeting food safety standards.
8. Mycovation
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Singapore
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Mycovation creates alternative proteins through mycelium fermentation. The company’s platform ferments biomass waste into fungi-based meat, egg, and dairy alternatives. Biomass fermentation enables rapid fungi growth on high-carb substrates, ensuring efficient protein production. Additionally, the company utilizes low-cost agricultural side streams as feedstock, thereby reducing production costs and GHG emissions. This solution benefits food manufacturers seeking sustainable, nutritious alternatives to animal proteins. With traditional, biomass, and precision fermentation techniques, Mycovation optimizes growth conditions and yield.
9. Apparo
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: United States
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Apparo provides a total crop utilization platform that utilizes food science and engineering to transform leftover crops into valuable food components. It specializes in producing plant proteins and nutritional ingredients for the food, supplement, and nutraceutical industries. Notably, the platform repurposes brewers’ spent grain into valuable barley protein. Furthermore, it leverages sunflower seeds, offering scalability, nutritional richness, and allergen neutrality, making them a promising protein source. Apparo aims to convert these resources into functional, nutritious ingredients, catering to diverse dietary needs and promoting global food security. The platform maximizes nutritional yield from raw materials, ensuring efficient resource utilization.
10. FERM FOOD
- Founding Year: 2019
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Denmark
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: FERM FOOD produces plant-based protein ingredients for food manufacturers using solid-state fermentation. This technology utilizes microorganisms to cultivate high-quality protein from plants without the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming. Further, the fermentation process allows for the creation of customized protein profiles without additives or allergens for various applications in the food industry. The company eliminates energy-intensive stages of production, offering a more efficient solution and eco-friendly protein production, contributing to a greener future.
Quickly Find New Plant-based Protein Companies
Utilizing a SaaS platform like the Discovery Platform for identifying new plant-based protein companies provides significant benefits compared to traditional scouting methods:
- Increased Efficiency: The Discovery Platform offers advanced tools that streamline the scouting process. It replaces your hours of conventional desk research, saving time and resources in identifying plant-based protein innovations.
- Access to Real-time Insights: Gain a competitive edge with up-to-date information on the latest trends in the plant-based protein industry. The platform keeps you informed with near real-time updates on emerging plant-based protein companies and news, enabling you to make swift and informed decisions.
- Tailored Exploration: Customize your search to focus on specific niches within the plant-based protein sector, such as precision fermentation, protein engineering, or advanced protein isolation. The platform’s diverse filtering options allow you to target your scouting efforts precisely, ensuring that you find the most relevant and groundbreaking companies in the field.
Explore All Plant-Based Protein Companies!
We’ve explored the dynamic landscape of the plant-based protein industry, examining the latest trends and spotlighting exceptional companies driving innovation. To dive deeper, download our free Food Report or schedule a demo of the Discovery Platform for a customized exploration of these groundbreaking developments.
