Great Circle Ventures

Supergut is a nutrition company based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2019. It specializes in producing and retailing clinically validated nutritional products designed to address common health conditions through the gut microbiome. Supergut's product line includes a variety of flavorful nutritional shakes that contain resistant starch, a prebiotic fiber that supports a healthy gut microbiome. These shakes are formulated to enhance the body's natural ability to manage blood sugar levels, satisfy hunger, and strengthen immunity, thereby helping individuals boost and balance their immune system.

Equii is a food technology company founded in 2021 by Monica Bhatia, located in San Ramon, California. The company specializes in discovering and utilizing highly nutritious sources of microbial proteins to ferment grains, resulting in high-protein grain flours. Equii's innovative technology transforms agricultural crops into nutritionally balanced products, aimed at providing healthy food options for various eating occasions. By focusing on complete protein sources, Equii enhances the nutritional value of its offerings, making them accessible to consumers seeking healthier dietary choices.

Bend is a financial technology company focused on supporting climate-friendly businesses through innovative solutions. It offers corporate cards specifically designed for these enterprises, enhancing their financial management while promoting sustainability. Additionally, Bend operates a climate assessment platform that transforms CO2e emissions data into a programmable and queryable format. This platform provides a comprehensive database of merchant-specific CO2e information and enables clients to estimate their carbon footprint based on spending. By facilitating the tracking of emissions and supporting companies in their efforts to reduce carbon output, Bend plays a crucial role in helping businesses navigate their sustainability goals and measure their supply chain impact.

SOBO Foods, established in Thousand Oaks, California, specializes in the production and distribution of plant-based comfort foods inspired by Asian-American cuisine. Their product line features veggie-packed recipes designed to evoke nostalgia and satisfy cravings for comforting meals, all while being entirely plant-based.

Demi is a company focused on promoting composting as a mainstream practice, specifically targeting the 40 million Americans living in apartments who collectively produce over 200 million pounds of food waste weekly. By partnering with residential buildings, Demi provides a tech-enabled "compost-as-a-service" system that includes aesthetically designed bins, smart collection pods, and a user-friendly mobile app. This service not only simplifies the composting process but also serves as a valuable amenity that can help reduce traditional waste management costs. Additionally, Demi's offerings support sustainability and wellness certifications, allowing communities to enhance their environmental credentials while contributing to lower emissions. Through its innovative approach, Demi aims to foster a culture of composting, making it accessible and beneficial for urban dwellers.

Hedgehog is a company founded in 2022 that specializes in the cultivation of fungi, including organic mushrooms for culinary use. Utilizing an AI-driven discovery platform, Hedgehog significantly reduces cultivation costs and increases production efficiency, allowing for the growth of fungi at more than 1000 times the conventional scale. The company's mushrooms are recognized for their rich umami flavor and versatility, serving as a low-calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. This commitment to innovation enables Hedgehog to provide consumers and restaurants with locally sourced, organic ingredients, enhancing the culinary experience while promoting sustainable food production.

Pow.bio specializes in intelligent fermentation services tailored for industrial and synthetic biology applications. The company focuses on optimizing fermentation processes using a combination of continuous fermentation techniques and advanced control methodologies. This approach allows Pow.bio to enhance production efficiency, yielding high outputs at reduced costs. Their fermentation capacity ranges from 1 to 100 liters and is applicable to a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, and filamentous fungi. By addressing capacity challenges in fermentation, Pow.bio enables scientists and businesses to develop innovative products that can effectively compete against less sustainable alternatives in the market.

California Cultured is a food company based in Davis, California, that specializes in creating sustainable, lab-grown cocoa and coffee through advanced cellular agriculture techniques. Founded in 2020, the company focuses on producing cocoa that is less bitter and requires less sugar, while also ensuring its products are healthier for consumers. By stimulating cocoa cell growth using common food ingredients, California Cultured aims to provide high-quality cocoa products that are free from the ethical issues traditionally associated with cocoa production, such as slavery and deforestation. This innovative approach allows customers to enjoy delicious and sustainable cocoa without the environmental and social drawbacks of conventional methods.

Dispatch Goods Inc. is a San Francisco-based company established in 2018 that specializes in manufacturing reusable steel containers and boxes intended to replace disposable food ware in the food delivery ecosystem. By providing a proprietary reverse logistics platform, the company serves restaurants, food trucks, and meal delivery services, allowing them to transition from single-use packaging to a sustainable reuse model. This innovative approach not only generates immediate cost savings for clients but also significantly reduces their carbon footprint, contributing to a more environmentally friendly food service industry. Co-founded by Lindsey Hoell and Maia Tekle, Dispatch Goods aims to disrupt the waste industry and promote sustainable practices within the sector.