Big Idea Ventures

Big Idea Ventures, LLC is a New York-based venture capital firm established in 2018 that specializes in investing in early and growth-stage companies within the FoodTech sector. The firm is particularly focused on alternative protein solutions, including plant-based food products, plant-based ingredients, and cell-based meats. Big Idea Ventures aims to support the development of innovative food technologies and has invested in over 100 companies across 22 countries, with a strong presence in Asia and North America. The firm collaborates with a network of strategic partners and engages with governments globally to address food security and foster new food ecosystems. In addition to its main office in New York, Big Idea Ventures has locations in Singapore and Paris.

Bill Arnold

Director - GFRP Fund

Henrietta Hearth

Vice President Global Acceleration

Michael Lightman

Managing Partner

Tom Mastrobuoni

Chief Investment Officer

Qaynat Sharma

Partner

Van Truskett

Director - GRFP Fund

Adrien Villalonga

Senior Investment Associate

Christian Cadeo

Managing Partner

Past deals in Food Processing

Cultimate

Seed Round in 2024
Cultimate Foods is a cellular agriculture company focused on developing cultivated fat for hybrid alt-meat products. By replicating the structure of animal fat tissue, the company aims to create plant-based fat alternatives that enhance the sensory experience of meat consumption. Utilizing a unique technological approach to 3D cultivation, Cultimate efficiently produces its ingredients while reducing production costs. The company’s innovative methods enable the development of cell-cultured meat alternatives that provide a sustainable and ethical option for consumers seeking to enjoy meat without compromising on taste or texture.

MarineXcell

Venture Round in 2023
The present global demand for shrimps and crustaceans has reached unprecedented levels, and this demand is expected to double in the coming decade. However, traditional sources of seafood production, such as fishing and aquaculture, cannot keep pace with this exponential growth. These methods pose significant environmental and sustainability challenges. The world needs a new solution, one that is both innovative and eco-conscious, to meet the surging demand for these unique seafood delicacies. This is where Marinexcell comes in, offering a timely and revolutionary approach to address the challenges of supplying genuine shrimp, lobster, and crab meat to a hungry world. Marinexcell exists to revolutionize the seafood industry, offering a groundbreaking, sustainable, and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional shrimp, lobster, and crab meat production. We aim to meet the increasing global demand for these delicacies while preserving our planet's fragile ecosystems. We are committed to providing consumers with genuine, high-quality seafood that is not only delicious but also ethical and sustainable. Our mission is to make a positive impact on the environment, animal welfare, and food security by providing a solution that aligns with the values of conscious consumers. At Marinexcell, we offer a solution beyond meeting the growing demand for shrimp, lobster, and crab meat. We empower consumers, businesses, and the industry as a whole to enjoy these delicacies without compromising on ethics or sustainability. With our proprietary and novel process, we will deliver: • High-quality, genuine shrimp, lobster, and crab meat that can be used in various culinary creations. • An environmentally friendly and sustainable source of seafood, eliminating the negative impacts of overfishing and traditional aquaculture. • Products that are 100% contaminant-free, ensuring safety and health for consumers. • Flexibility in nutritional components,

Innocent Meat

Venture Round in 2023
Innocent Meat offers an automated, end-to-end clean meat production system designed to assist food processors in reducing their dependence on traditional animal agriculture. The company provides a plug-and-play solution that facilitates the transition to cell-based meat production. This includes essential components such as growth media, cell lines, and scaffolding, along with the necessary manufacturing hardware, including bioreactors and filtration systems. By supplying these resources, Innocent Meat enables clients to effectively manage their production processes while ensuring safety and efficiency in the creation of clean meat products.

Zymoscope

Seed Round in 2023
Zymoscope is a food-tech start-up based in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, founded in 2019. The company specializes in developing innovative instruments for beer quality control, focusing on fermentation monitoring. Its non-invasive device attaches to fermentation tanks, providing real-time data on essential brewing parameters. This technology facilitates remote access and monitoring, allowing brewers to optimize their fermentation processes. By offering features such as instant alerts, easy data access, and batch comparison, Zymoscope enables the beer industry to enhance brewing efficiency, improve product quality, and reduce waste. Through its solutions, Zymoscope aims to support brewers in achieving better outcomes in the brewing process.

Naturannova

Venture Round in 2023
Naturannova focuses on food technology, specifically in the development of plant-based protein flavors and ingredients. The company utilizes a computational platform to discover proteins from plant sources, integrating computational biology with biomanufacturing processes. This approach allows Naturannova to design and develop innovative, healthy, and sustainable ingredients for the food and beverage industry. By streamlining the development process, the company aims to help manufacturers reduce costs and time, ultimately promoting healthier lifestyles for consumers.

Yeastime

Venture Round in 2023
Yeastime is a pioneering company focused on transforming the fermentation process through its innovative ultrasound technology. This deep-tech hardware device optimizes fermentation by utilizing sensors and mechanical waves, resulting in a reduction of time, costs, and environmental impact. By accelerating fermentation by up to 30%, Yeastime enhances industrial productivity while simultaneously minimizing the ecological footprint of its clients. This groundbreaking approach positions Yeastime as a leader in food technology, offering significant advancements in efficiency and sustainability.

The Very Food

Seed Round in 2023
The Very Food Co is a French start-up focused on transforming the food industry by providing natural, affordable, and ready-to-use plant-based ingredients that replace dairy and eggs. The company aims to support a sustainable food system by offering functional proteins derived from plants, enabling food manufacturers and professionals in the foodservice sector to integrate these alternatives into their existing processes. By leveraging scientific research to map plant properties to their molecular profiles, The Very Food Co develops formulations that maintain the desired functionalities of traditional egg and dairy products. This approach caters to the increasing demand for vegan options while promoting a more resilient and environmentally friendly agri-food sector.

Cocuus

Venture Round in 2023
Cocuus, founded in 2017 and based in Cizur Menor, Navarra, Spain, specializes in innovative culinary solutions by integrating engineering and architecture into kitchen practices. The company develops industrial machinery that utilizes mechatronic engineering and laser technology to create plant-based meat and fish alternatives. Cocuus focuses on enhancing the visual appeal of food through its advanced printers, which can engrave, decorate, and print on food items. This technology not only fosters artistic culinary creations but also provides the hospitality sector with the tools to showcase creativity and attract customers. Additionally, Cocuus generates revenue through the sale of its industrial-scale devices for producing plant-based bacon and related ingredient mixes.

Aqua Cultured Foods

Seed Round in 2023
AQUA Cultured Foods specializes in producing innovative, fungi-based food products that serve as fermentation-enabled alternatives to traditional seafood. The company focuses on creating plant-based seafood that replicates the taste, texture, and freshness of fish, including tuna, scallops, squid, and shellfish, while being entirely fish-free. By meticulously controlling the growing environment, AQUA ensures that its products are consistently high-quality and sustainable. This approach allows consumers to enjoy delicious and healthy seafood options without contributing to the depletion of ocean resources, catering to the growing demand for environmentally friendly food alternatives.

Meat.The End

Seed Round in 2022
Meat.The End is focused on advancing plant-based meat alternatives that closely replicate the texture, flavor, and appearance of traditional animal proteins. By employing innovative extrusion processing techniques, the company develops protein texturizing technologies that enhance the sensory experience of plant-based products. Recognizing that texture remains a significant barrier to consumer acceptance of meat alternatives, Meat.The End's solutions aim to improve the mouthfeel and overall eating experience, thereby addressing a critical shortcoming in current plant-based offerings. Through its industrial processes and protein treatment methods, the company enables producers to create nutritionally balanced products that convincingly mimic the characteristics of meat, ultimately providing healthier and more satisfying options for consumers seeking alternatives to animal-based foods.

Cultimate

Seed Round in 2022
Cultimate Foods is a cellular agriculture company focused on developing cultivated fat for hybrid alt-meat products. By replicating the structure of animal fat tissue, the company aims to create plant-based fat alternatives that enhance the sensory experience of meat consumption. Utilizing a unique technological approach to 3D cultivation, Cultimate efficiently produces its ingredients while reducing production costs. The company’s innovative methods enable the development of cell-cultured meat alternatives that provide a sustainable and ethical option for consumers seeking to enjoy meat without compromising on taste or texture.

Standing Ovation

Series A in 2022
Standing Ovation specializes in developing vegan cheese alternatives that closely mimic the taste and texture of traditional dairy cheese. The company employs scientific methods to create animal-free and environmentally friendly cheese products, utilizing protein-producing microbes that are fed with plant-based sugars in a fermentation process reminiscent of traditional cheesemaking. This innovative approach not only offers a healthier option for consumers but also aligns with the growing demand for sustainable and plant-based food choices.

Esencia Foods

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Esencia Foods is a food processing company focused on creating sustainable seafood alternatives derived from mushroom mycelium. The company employs solid-state fermentation to produce high-protein, fiber-rich, and omega-3-enriched food products that are vegan, non-GMO, and free from antibiotics. By offering innovative mycelium-based fish and seafood substitutes, Esencia Foods aims to promote a healthy and nutrient-rich lifestyle for consumers.

Impacfat

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Producer of food products intended to provide fish meat alternatives through cell cultivation. The company specializes in producing cultivated cell-based fish fat to greatly enhance the flavor, texture aroma and nutrition of alternative protein products, enabling consumers to get healthy fats such as omega-3 that protect from heart diseases.

Pullulo

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Pullulo specializes in producing plant-based microbial proteins that serve as a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources, both plant and meat-based. The company's offerings are allergen-free, non-GMO, vegan, and Halal, catering to a broad range of dietary needs. By focusing on the development of these plant-derived proteins, Pullulo aims to harness the potential of proteins and microorganisms to enhance efficiency and sustainability in food production, as well as in regenerative aesthetics and therapeutics. This approach addresses various challenges faced by industries while promoting environmentally responsible solutions.

Smart MCs PTY

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Smart MCs PTY LTD specializes in developing innovative microcarrier technologies aimed at enhancing the large-scale production of cultivated meat. Recognizing the growing demand for sustainable protein sources in light of environmental challenges, the company focuses on creating advanced materials that facilitate the efficient cultivation of adherent cells. By improving harvesting performance and reducing production costs, Smart MCs enables cultivated meat companies to scale their operations while minimizing cell loss. This approach addresses critical issues within the meat industry, contributing to more sustainable food production practices that align with global efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and resource use.

FoodSquared

Pre Seed Round in 2022
FoodSquared is a B2B food tech company that enables the next generation of plant-based shellfish starting with shrimp.

Cocuus

Seed Round in 2022
Cocuus, founded in 2017 and based in Cizur Menor, Navarra, Spain, specializes in innovative culinary solutions by integrating engineering and architecture into kitchen practices. The company develops industrial machinery that utilizes mechatronic engineering and laser technology to create plant-based meat and fish alternatives. Cocuus focuses on enhancing the visual appeal of food through its advanced printers, which can engrave, decorate, and print on food items. This technology not only fosters artistic culinary creations but also provides the hospitality sector with the tools to showcase creativity and attract customers. Additionally, Cocuus generates revenue through the sale of its industrial-scale devices for producing plant-based bacon and related ingredient mixes.

Meat.The End

Seed Round in 2022
Meat.The End is focused on advancing plant-based meat alternatives that closely replicate the texture, flavor, and appearance of traditional animal proteins. By employing innovative extrusion processing techniques, the company develops protein texturizing technologies that enhance the sensory experience of plant-based products. Recognizing that texture remains a significant barrier to consumer acceptance of meat alternatives, Meat.The End's solutions aim to improve the mouthfeel and overall eating experience, thereby addressing a critical shortcoming in current plant-based offerings. Through its industrial processes and protein treatment methods, the company enables producers to create nutritionally balanced products that convincingly mimic the characteristics of meat, ultimately providing healthier and more satisfying options for consumers seeking alternatives to animal-based foods.

Lypid

Seed Round in 2022
Lypid specializes in the production of vegan fats designed to replicate the taste and functionality of animal fats. By utilizing animal-free proteins and a novel formulation combined with microencapsulation techniques, Lypid creates a product that mimics the texture, mouthfeel, flavor transfer, and cooking behavior of traditional fats. This innovative approach provides consumers with a healthier alternative that contains minimal artificial additives, reduced hydrogenation, and lower trans fat content, contributing to a decrease in the carbon-intensive reliance on animal sources.

Meatless Kingdom

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Meatless Kingdom is an Indonesian food technology startup specializing in plant-based food products, primarily derived from mushrooms and soy. The company aims to cater to both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets in Indonesia. In the B2B segment, Meatless Kingdom partners with hotels, restaurants, and catering chains, supplying them with high-quality plant-based alternatives. For the B2C market, the company focuses on delivering tasty, nutritious, and convenient ready-to-eat products that align with Asian culinary preferences and are free from monosodium glutamate (MSG). The brand is committed to providing vegan options with a meaty texture and high protein content, promoting healthier eating habits while helping customers reduce their meat consumption.

Phyx44

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Phyx44 Labs, founded in 2021 and based in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, focuses on developing cell-derived replacements for popular dairy products that are nature-identical. The company utilizes precision fermentation technology to create animal-free dairy proteins and fats, allowing the production of milk alternatives that closely mimic traditional dairy. By offering these innovative products, Phyx44 aims to provide consumers with sustainable and environmentally friendly dairy options.

Alt Atlas

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Alt Atlas is an innovative company focused on developing an AI-driven digital manufacturing platform tailored for the cultivated meat and biotechnology sectors. The platform aims to expedite production processes and reduce costs by leveraging advanced cell lines and smart tools. With a phased approach, the initial focus is on cultivated meat, followed by applications in biotech such as in-vitro toxicology testing and disease modeling. The company addresses critical challenges in the field, including the scarcity of relevant cell lines and the complexities of scaling up production. Alt Atlas offers non-GMO stem cell lines from various animal species, alongside customized AI-based services to enhance cell culture conditions. The team behind Alt Atlas possesses over 70 years of experience across leading universities and multinational food and agritech companies, contributing to advancements in bioinformatics and the cultivated meat ecosystem, particularly in Latin America.

Aqua Cultured Foods

Pre Seed Round in 2021
AQUA Cultured Foods specializes in producing innovative, fungi-based food products that serve as fermentation-enabled alternatives to traditional seafood. The company focuses on creating plant-based seafood that replicates the taste, texture, and freshness of fish, including tuna, scallops, squid, and shellfish, while being entirely fish-free. By meticulously controlling the growing environment, AQUA ensures that its products are consistently high-quality and sustainable. This approach allows consumers to enjoy delicious and healthy seafood options without contributing to the depletion of ocean resources, catering to the growing demand for environmentally friendly food alternatives.

Actual Veggies

Seed Round in 2021
Actual Veggies, founded in 2020 and based in New York, specializes in the production of plant-based vegetable burgers aimed at providing healthy and environmentally friendly meal options. The company focuses on creating burgers made entirely from real vegetables without the use of preservatives or additives. Its product line features large, 5-ounce vegetarian burgers crafted from ingredients such as black beans, kale, sweet potato, beet, oats, and red onions. By avoiding artificial methods and processed offerings, Actual Veggies seeks to appeal to a diverse range of consumers, including vegans, flexitarians, and meat-eaters. Their burgers are designed to be vibrant and visually appealing, highlighting the freshness of the ingredients while delivering a satisfying taste. Products are available for purchase online, allowing customers to enjoy nutritious and flavorful meals without the need for frozen or less appetizing alternatives.

De Novo Foodlabs

Pre Seed Round in 2021
De Novo Foodlabs is a producer of animal-free dairy products and proteins, focusing on creating nutritionally identical alternatives to cow's milk. Utilizing precision fermentation technology, the company develops innovative ingredients that are sustainable, vegan, and free from antibiotics. Their protein innovation platform allows food companies to adopt a phased approach to product development, targeting healthier and more environmentally friendly food options. By combining bioinformatics with advanced biotechnology, De Novo modifies the functionality of proteins and essential nutrients, enabling the creation of nutrient-dense dairy alternatives that are easier to produce and have a lower environmental impact.

The Frauxmagerie

Pre Seed Round in 2021
The Frauxmagerie is a manufacturer of plant-based cheese products that offers a variety of dairy-free alternatives to traditional cheeses, including aged and fresh options. Each product is handcrafted using only five natural ingredients: raw cashews, nutritional yeast, vegan probiotics, salt, and bacterial cultures. The company aims to innovate traditional cheese-making methods to create authentic, nutritious alternatives that are healthier and environmentally friendly. By utilizing cashews and a vegan probiotic in the fermentation process, The Frauxmagerie provides customers with ethical and flavorful cheese options that cater to those seeking plant-based diets.

Aqua Cultured Foods

Pre Seed Round in 2021
AQUA Cultured Foods specializes in producing innovative, fungi-based food products that serve as fermentation-enabled alternatives to traditional seafood. The company focuses on creating plant-based seafood that replicates the taste, texture, and freshness of fish, including tuna, scallops, squid, and shellfish, while being entirely fish-free. By meticulously controlling the growing environment, AQUA ensures that its products are consistently high-quality and sustainable. This approach allows consumers to enjoy delicious and healthy seafood options without contributing to the depletion of ocean resources, catering to the growing demand for environmentally friendly food alternatives.

Meat.The End

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Meat.The End is focused on advancing plant-based meat alternatives that closely replicate the texture, flavor, and appearance of traditional animal proteins. By employing innovative extrusion processing techniques, the company develops protein texturizing technologies that enhance the sensory experience of plant-based products. Recognizing that texture remains a significant barrier to consumer acceptance of meat alternatives, Meat.The End's solutions aim to improve the mouthfeel and overall eating experience, thereby addressing a critical shortcoming in current plant-based offerings. Through its industrial processes and protein treatment methods, the company enables producers to create nutritionally balanced products that convincingly mimic the characteristics of meat, ultimately providing healthier and more satisfying options for consumers seeking alternatives to animal-based foods.

Innocent Meat

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Innocent Meat offers an automated, end-to-end clean meat production system designed to assist food processors in reducing their dependence on traditional animal agriculture. The company provides a plug-and-play solution that facilitates the transition to cell-based meat production. This includes essential components such as growth media, cell lines, and scaffolding, along with the necessary manufacturing hardware, including bioreactors and filtration systems. By supplying these resources, Innocent Meat enables clients to effectively manage their production processes while ensuring safety and efficiency in the creation of clean meat products.

Meat.The End

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Meat.The End is focused on advancing plant-based meat alternatives that closely replicate the texture, flavor, and appearance of traditional animal proteins. By employing innovative extrusion processing techniques, the company develops protein texturizing technologies that enhance the sensory experience of plant-based products. Recognizing that texture remains a significant barrier to consumer acceptance of meat alternatives, Meat.The End's solutions aim to improve the mouthfeel and overall eating experience, thereby addressing a critical shortcoming in current plant-based offerings. Through its industrial processes and protein treatment methods, the company enables producers to create nutritionally balanced products that convincingly mimic the characteristics of meat, ultimately providing healthier and more satisfying options for consumers seeking alternatives to animal-based foods.

Orbillion Bio

Seed Round in 2020
Orbillion Bio, Inc. is a food-tech company based in Fremont, California, that specializes in developing cultured meat products derived from small tissue samples taken from heritage cattle breeds. Founded in 2019, the company focuses on producing premium cell-based meat products sourced directly from farmers using heritage cell lines. Orbillion Bio aims to create delicious and nutritious food while promoting sustainability and accessibility in the meat industry.

Peace of Meat

Seed Round in 2020
Peace of Meat is a Belgian company established in 2019 that specializes in producing cultured animal fat to enhance the taste, texture, and nutritional profile of both cultured and plant-based food products. The company supplies non-GMO cultured chicken and duck fat, which are utilized in various meat alternatives, including nuggets, burgers, and meatballs. Through its proprietary stem-cell-based bioreactor technology, Peace of Meat cultivates animal fats without harming animals, making it a pioneer in the field of sustainable meat alternatives. The company has conducted taste tests demonstrating that its cultured fat significantly improves the flavor of plant-based protein offerings, positioning itself as a key supplier for food manufacturers seeking to create appealing meat substitutes.

WTH Foods

Seed Round in 2020
WTH Foods is a plant-based meat product manufacturer based in Makati City, Philippines. Founded in 2019, the company focuses on creating vegan alternatives to popular processed meat products using sustainable and locally sourced ingredients. Its product lineup includes items such as corned beef, ground meat, pinoy pulled pork, and jackfruit nuggets, all inspired by local flavors and culinary preferences. WTH Foods aims to facilitate a transition to more sustainable eating habits by providing accessible plant-based options, which are sold online.

Zhenmeat

Seed Round in 2020
ZhenMeat is a Beijing-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in producing plant and fungus-based meat alternatives. The company offers a variety of products, including plant-based mince made from pea protein, available in pork and beef flavors. Its product lineup features items such as mooncakes, dumplings, meat sauces, meat patties, and meatballs. ZhenMeat's mission is to promote healthier lifestyles and reduce the environmental impact of traditional farming by providing nutritious and delicious vegetarian options.

Actual Veggies

Seed Round in 2020
Actual Veggies, founded in 2020 and based in New York, specializes in the production of plant-based vegetable burgers aimed at providing healthy and environmentally friendly meal options. The company focuses on creating burgers made entirely from real vegetables without the use of preservatives or additives. Its product line features large, 5-ounce vegetarian burgers crafted from ingredients such as black beans, kale, sweet potato, beet, oats, and red onions. By avoiding artificial methods and processed offerings, Actual Veggies seeks to appeal to a diverse range of consumers, including vegans, flexitarians, and meat-eaters. Their burgers are designed to be vibrant and visually appealing, highlighting the freshness of the ingredients while delivering a satisfying taste. Products are available for purchase online, allowing customers to enjoy nutritious and flavorful meals without the need for frozen or less appetizing alternatives.

Evo Foods

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Evo Foods is a Mumbai-based food processing company that specializes in producing plant-based liquid eggs. Founded in 2019, the company has developed a 100% plant-based egg alternative using lentil protein, moong beans, and peas. This innovative product is designed to mimic the taste and texture of traditional eggs while being free from cholesterol and antibiotics. Evo Foods employs cutting-edge science and proprietary patent-pending technology to create its products, which are rich in protein and essential micronutrients, including Vitamin B12. By offering a plant-based substitute for animal products, Evo Foods aims to cater to the growing demand for healthier and more sustainable food options.

Plant Bliss

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Plant Bliss specializes in producing plant-based food products that serve as replacements for meat, dairy, and eggs. The company focuses on creating whole food ingredients that are free from artificial preservatives, flavorings, and colors, catering to the rising demand for healthier plant-based options. These products are designed to be seamless substitutes for traditional meals, making them particularly appealing to food service professionals and consumers alike. Plant Bliss aims to offer nutritious alternatives that align with the growing interest in plant-based diets while ensuring convenience and quality.

Uproot

Seed Round in 2019
Uproot, founded in 2018 and based in New York, specializes in providing healthy and sustainable plant-based milk solutions for food services, including college dining and coffee shops. The company addresses the increasing demand for diverse plant milk options, such as oat milk, soymilk, and chocolate pea milk, by offering innovative dispensers that streamline operations and minimize packaging waste. Uproot's products are designed for health-conscious consumers and aim to lower greenhouse gas emissions and water usage compared to traditional dairy and existing plant milk alternatives. By focusing on sustainability and convenience, Uproot supports food service providers in meeting the evolving preferences of their customers.

Phuture

Seed Round in 2019
Phuture Limited, founded in 2018 and located in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, specializes in producing sustainable, plant-based minced meat products. The company aims to provide alternatives to traditional meat, offering a range of non-genetically modified options, including a halal plant-based patty that closely mimics the taste, smell, and texture of pork. Phuture employs a proprietary processing technology that integrates rice into its product blend, enhancing the flavor and mouthfeel to replicate the experience of consuming meat. By focusing on innovation and health, Phuture seeks to cater to consumers looking for vegan options without compromising on taste or culinary enjoyment.
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