Lever VC
Lever VC is a venture capital firm focusing on early-stage investments in the food and agriculture ecosystem, with emphasis on sustainability, health, and the development of alternative proteins. The firm backs startups across food technology, agricultural technology, novel ingredients, plant-based and cell-based proteins, farm inputs, crop technology, and related consumer products and services. It operates globally, with offices in New York and Hong Kong and staff across the United States, Hong Kong, Europe, and Israel, plus a regional presence in Kuala Lumpur. Led by Managing Partner Nick Cooney, a co-founder of New Crop Capital and the Good Food Institute, Lever VC combines experience in the alternative protein space with a broad investment approach across regions and sectors.
Top Stages
46 past transactions
XOXO Soda
Venture Round in 2025
XOXO Soda is a plant-based drink with prebiotic fiber that is low in sugar and calories.
Gavan
Series A in 2024
Gavan is a company based in Acre, HaZafon, Israel, founded in 2018 by Allen Hazan and Uri Jeremias. It specializes in the production of natural proteins intended to enhance food quality through sustainable methods. Gavan employs proprietary technology to extract high-purity proteins from plant sources while maintaining their natural structure and functionality. This innovative approach allows the food industry to create healthier and more environmentally friendly products without the need for animal-derived ingredients. By protecting the integrity of the biomass during the extraction process, Gavan ensures that additional ingredients can be obtained, further supporting sustainable food production practices.
Boston Bioprocess
Seed Round in 2024
Boston Bioprocess is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in scaling up microbial processes. It offers services including strain evaluation, process development, and scale-up solutions for yeast, bacteria, and fungal microbes used in fermentation and downstream applications.
HerdDogg
Series A in 2024
HerdDogg, Inc. is a company that specializes in real-time livestock monitoring solutions for producers across various sectors, including beef, bison, dairy, and sheep. Founded in 2015 and based in Ashland, Oregon, the company offers a two-part system consisting of DoggTag ear tags and a passive device known as DoggBone. These components work together to collect and transmit data on individual animals, allowing ranchers to monitor breeding, health, and traceability through a mobile app and software platform. By providing insights into the activity, health, and location of each animal, HerdDogg enhances herd management and supports data-driven decision-making for livestock producers.
Clever Carnivore
Seed Round in 2023
Founded in Chicago in 2021 by Dr. Paul Burridge and Dr. Virginia Rangos, Clever Carnivore is a cultivated meat company dedicated to producing cost-competitive pork products using optimized cell lines and bioprocesses. The company aims to expand global meat supply sustainably while maintaining product quality.
HerdDogg
Series A in 2023
HerdDogg, Inc. is a company that specializes in real-time livestock monitoring solutions for producers across various sectors, including beef, bison, dairy, and sheep. Founded in 2015 and based in Ashland, Oregon, the company offers a two-part system consisting of DoggTag ear tags and a passive device known as DoggBone. These components work together to collect and transmit data on individual animals, allowing ranchers to monitor breeding, health, and traceability through a mobile app and software platform. By providing insights into the activity, health, and location of each animal, HerdDogg enhances herd management and supports data-driven decision-making for livestock producers.
THIS
Series B in 2023
THIS is a brand specializing in plant-based meat alternatives. Their products are crafted from plant ingredients fortified with nutrients like vitamin B12 and iron, offering meat lovers a similar taste experience while being cruelty-free.
New School Foods
Seed Round in 2023
New School Foods develops plant-based seafood products that mimic the texture, flavor, nutrition, and cooking experience of traditional seafood. Their initial product is a plant-based salmon filet, aiming to provide sustainable and healthier alternatives.
GROUNDED
Seed Round in 2022
Grounded is a London-based food and beverage company founded in 2016, specializing in the production of healthy natural drinks. The company focuses on creating low-sugar and plant-based beverages, including protein milkshakes made from coconut milk. Grounded uses only raw ingredients sourced from nature, ensuring that its products provide a flavorful and nutritious alternative to traditional drinks. The packaging is environmentally friendly, utilizing materials derived from plants, which aligns with the company's commitment to sustainability while catering to health-conscious consumers.
NuCicer
Seed Round in 2022
NuCicer develops customized chickpea varieties to move chickpeas from an interesting ingredient to a staple superfood. Using a diverse breeding library and a proprietary platform grounded in plant genetics and machine learning, it creates chickpeas with enhanced protein content, targeted functional properties, and favorable agronomic traits. The company aims to deliver better nutrition, improved flavor, and more economical ingredients while reducing agriculture's environmental footprint. By offering multiple lines of chickpeas tailored to nutritional and environmental requirements, NuCicer supports the growth of protein-rich diets and related sectors, including plant-based foods and alternative meat.
Bond Pet Foods
Venture Round in 2022
Founded in 2015, Bond Pet Foods produces sustainable pet food using biotechnology. It creates animal protein through fermentation without slaughtering animals, meeting the nutritional requirements of companion pets.
Avant Meats
Venture Round in 2022
Avant Meats specializes in developing sustainable, cell-based animal protein products. They focus on innovation, branding, and intellectual property to create fish protein products free from heavy metals and microplastics.
CellX
Series A in 2022
CellX specializes in developing mushroom-based protein ingredients through morel mycelium fermentation. Their products cater to savory snacks, protein powders, and meat alternatives. Additionally, they license intellectual properties to facilitate the commercialization of cultivated meat.
Melt&Marble
Seed Round in 2022
Melt&Marble is a company focused on enabling the plant-based food industry by providing innovative fat solutions that are both environmentally friendly and palatable. Utilizing precision fermentation, Melt&Marble produces animal fats without the use of animals by engineering microbial metabolism. This approach allows the company to control the structure and properties of the fats generated, enabling the creation of fats that can closely mimic traditional animal fats or even develop entirely new formulations. By generating yeast cell factories through advanced bioengineering techniques, Melt&Marble empowers food manufacturers to enhance the taste and health profile of plant-based foods, aiming to make them as appealing and nutritious as their animal-based counterparts.
Mooji Meats
Seed Round in 2022
Mooji Meats is a sustainable food manufacturing company that produces and sells plant-based steaks.
Good Food Technologies
Seed Round in 2022
Good Food Technologies is a Hong Kong-based startup specializing in innovative food research and development, as well as manufacturing. The company focuses on creating plant-based meat products using non-GMO soy as the primary protein source. By offering vegetarian alternatives, Good Food Technologies aims to provide consumers with healthier and sustainable options to replace traditional meat.
NuCicer
Seed Round in 2022
NuCicer develops customized chickpea varieties to move chickpeas from an interesting ingredient to a staple superfood. Using a diverse breeding library and a proprietary platform grounded in plant genetics and machine learning, it creates chickpeas with enhanced protein content, targeted functional properties, and favorable agronomic traits. The company aims to deliver better nutrition, improved flavor, and more economical ingredients while reducing agriculture's environmental footprint. By offering multiple lines of chickpeas tailored to nutritional and environmental requirements, NuCicer supports the growth of protein-rich diets and related sectors, including plant-based foods and alternative meat.
Nude
Series A in 2022
Nude is a food technology company specializing in plant-based products derived from oats sourced from small-scale producers. Committed to sustainability and flavor innovation, Nude focuses on creating delicious, healthy, and environmentally responsible alternatives.
Marvelous Foods
Angel Round in 2022
Marvelous Foods is a plant-based snack foods start-up focused on producing and retailing dairy-free coconut yogurt under the brand name yeyo yogurt. The company aims to provide nutritious, flavorful, and environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional dairy products. By prioritizing gut health and catering to dietary restrictions, Marvelous Foods appeals to consumers seeking allergy-friendly options. Initially, the company shared its yogurt with friends, family, and local eateries that appreciate natural food choices, positioning itself as a promoter of healthy eating and sustainable practices in the food industry.
NoMoo Plant-Based
Series A in 2021
NoMoo Plant-Based is a manufacturer of fermented cashew nut cheeses and yogurts, specializing in plant-based milk products as sustainable alternatives to animal-based offerings. The company produces a variety of vegan products, including cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, and French-style fermented butter, all made from locally sourced cashews. By focusing on these plant-based options, NoMoo Plant-Based aims to provide consumers with delicious and environmentally friendly choices that celebrate Brazilian cuisine.
Welldone
Series A in 2021
Welldone is a plant-based meat producer that offers cutlets, minced meat, and patties as nourishing alternatives to animal-based foods. The company emphasizes nutritious, delicious, and affordable products and relies on research and development and strategic sourcing to scale its offerings and expand beyond its domestic market.
THIS
Series A in 2021
THIS is a brand specializing in plant-based meat alternatives. Their products are crafted from plant ingredients fortified with nutrients like vitamin B12 and iron, offering meat lovers a similar taste experience while being cruelty-free.
Marvelous Foods
Seed Round in 2021
Marvelous Foods is a plant-based snack foods start-up focused on producing and retailing dairy-free coconut yogurt under the brand name yeyo yogurt. The company aims to provide nutritious, flavorful, and environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional dairy products. By prioritizing gut health and catering to dietary restrictions, Marvelous Foods appeals to consumers seeking allergy-friendly options. Initially, the company shared its yogurt with friends, family, and local eateries that appreciate natural food choices, positioning itself as a promoter of healthy eating and sustainable practices in the food industry.
Mission Barns
Series A in 2021
Mission Barns, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Berkeley, California, founded in 2018. It specializes in the production of cell-cultured meat by cultivating animal cells in a nutrient-rich environment. By utilizing cellular agriculture techniques, Mission Barns aims to create sustainable meat products that minimize the negative impacts associated with traditional intensive animal farming. The company focuses on growing meat in a way that is efficient and environmentally friendly, allowing consumers to enjoy juicy and savory meats while contributing to a more sustainable food system.
New Singularity
Seed Round in 2021
New Singularity is a startup that produces plant-based seafood using mycelium fermentation technology.
Bluu Seafood
Seed Round in 2021
Bluu Seafood is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercially producing cultivated seafood made from fish cells. The company aims to offer nutritious fish products that are healthier and more sustainable by growing seafood in controlled environments, reducing reliance on traditional fishing and minimizing harm to animals and vulnerable ocean ecosystems. Through food technology, Bluu Seafood seeks to bring cultured fish products to the market for consumers seeking sustainable choices.
CellX
Seed Round in 2021
CellX specializes in developing mushroom-based protein ingredients through morel mycelium fermentation. Their products cater to savory snacks, protein powders, and meat alternatives. Additionally, they license intellectual properties to facilitate the commercialization of cultivated meat.
The New
Seed Round in 2021
The New is a Brazilian food technology company specializing in the production of plant-based meats that serve as alternatives to animal-based products. The company offers a range of meat substitutes, including options that resemble beef burgers, chicken tenders, and salmon fillets, utilizing ingredients such as pea protein, coconut oil, and beetroot. The products are designed to be gluten-free and free from added sugars, catering to consumers seeking healthier and sustainable food choices.
HERO Protein
Pre Seed Round in 2021
HERO Protein is an alternative protein company dedicated to producing plant-based meat products that are both flavorful and accessible. The company utilizes high moisture extrusion technology, a method not widely employed by domestic plant-based brands in China as of 2021, to create alternatives to beef, chicken, and fish. HERO Protein's offerings aim to provide consumers with the culinary experience and taste of conventional meat while prioritizing food safety, nutrition, and sustainability. Through its innovative approach, HERO Protein seeks to meet the growing demand for plant-based options in the marketplace.
Avant Meats
Seed Round in 2020
Avant Meats specializes in developing sustainable, cell-based animal protein products. They focus on innovation, branding, and intellectual property to create fish protein products free from heavy metals and microplastics.
CellX
Pre Seed Round in 2020
CellX specializes in developing mushroom-based protein ingredients through morel mycelium fermentation. Their products cater to savory snacks, protein powders, and meat alternatives. Additionally, they license intellectual properties to facilitate the commercialization of cultivated meat.
Bond Pet Foods
Convertible Note in 2020
Founded in 2015, Bond Pet Foods produces sustainable pet food using biotechnology. It creates animal protein through fermentation without slaughtering animals, meeting the nutritional requirements of companion pets.
GOOD PLANeT Foods
Series A in 2020
Good PLANeT Foods LLC, incorporated in 2017 and based in Bellevue, Washington, specializes in producing premium plant-based cheese products. The company offers a variety of cheese alternatives, including shreds and slices in flavors such as mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, smoked provolone, garlic and herb, and hot pepper. Good PLANeT Foods aims to provide consumers with delicious and nutritious dairy-free options that replicate the flavors of traditional cheese, all while promoting animal rights and environmental sustainability. The company is dedicated to offering a healthy alternative to dairy cheese without compromising on taste.
GROUNDED
Seed Round in 2020
Grounded is a London-based food and beverage company founded in 2016, specializing in the production of healthy natural drinks. The company focuses on creating low-sugar and plant-based beverages, including protein milkshakes made from coconut milk. Grounded uses only raw ingredients sourced from nature, ensuring that its products provide a flavorful and nutritious alternative to traditional drinks. The packaging is environmentally friendly, utilizing materials derived from plants, which aligns with the company's commitment to sustainability while catering to health-conscious consumers.
TurtleTree Labs
Pre Seed Round in 2020
TurtleTree Labs is a Singapore-based biotechnology company focused on producing real milk from animal cells. Founded in 2019, it uses mammary cell-based technology to produce dairy ingredients and milk in food production facilities without the involvement of live animals, enabling animal-free, sustainable dairy products for manufacturers, infant nutrition providers, and health-focused consumers.
The Better Meat
Seed Round in 2020
Founded in 2018, The Better Meat Co. is a B2B company specializing in plant protein formulas for foodservice providers and meat processors. It offers Damona (beef), Albina (pork), and Thunderbird (chicken) enhancers to blend into ground meats, improving taste, health, and sustainability.
Bond Pet Foods
Seed Round in 2019
Founded in 2015, Bond Pet Foods produces sustainable pet food using biotechnology. It creates animal protein through fermentation without slaughtering animals, meeting the nutritional requirements of companion pets.
The Good Spoon
Seed Round in 2019
The Good Spoon Co is a Paris-based company founded in 2019 that specializes in the manufacture and distribution of gourmet, plant-based condiments. Focusing on sustainability and health, the company offers a range of eggless sauces and vegan mayonnaises made primarily from microalgae, a nutrient-rich alternative to traditional ingredients. Its product lineup includes various flavors such as Supernaise, Garlinaise, Currynaise, and Spicynaise, catering to consumers seeking flavorful and environmentally conscious condiment options. By utilizing microalgae, The Good Spoon Co aims to provide innovative alternatives to classic mayonnaise, appealing to those who prioritize plant-based diets without compromising on taste.
GOOD PLANeT Foods
Seed Round in 2019
Good PLANeT Foods LLC, incorporated in 2017 and based in Bellevue, Washington, specializes in producing premium plant-based cheese products. The company offers a variety of cheese alternatives, including shreds and slices in flavors such as mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, smoked provolone, garlic and herb, and hot pepper. Good PLANeT Foods aims to provide consumers with delicious and nutritious dairy-free options that replicate the flavors of traditional cheese, all while promoting animal rights and environmental sustainability. The company is dedicated to offering a healthy alternative to dairy cheese without compromising on taste.
Avant Meats
Seed Round in 2019
Avant Meats specializes in developing sustainable, cell-based animal protein products. They focus on innovation, branding, and intellectual property to create fish protein products free from heavy metals and microplastics.
Mission Barns
Seed Round in 2019
Mission Barns, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Berkeley, California, founded in 2018. It specializes in the production of cell-cultured meat by cultivating animal cells in a nutrient-rich environment. By utilizing cellular agriculture techniques, Mission Barns aims to create sustainable meat products that minimize the negative impacts associated with traditional intensive animal farming. The company focuses on growing meat in a way that is efficient and environmentally friendly, allowing consumers to enjoy juicy and savory meats while contributing to a more sustainable food system.
Marvelous Foods
Seed Round in 2019
Marvelous Foods is a plant-based snack foods start-up focused on producing and retailing dairy-free coconut yogurt under the brand name yeyo yogurt. The company aims to provide nutritious, flavorful, and environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional dairy products. By prioritizing gut health and catering to dietary restrictions, Marvelous Foods appeals to consumers seeking allergy-friendly options. Initially, the company shared its yogurt with friends, family, and local eateries that appreciate natural food choices, positioning itself as a promoter of healthy eating and sustainable practices in the food industry.
Mush Foods
Mush Foods is a New York-based food technology company that cultivates edible mushroom mycelium. Its flagship product, 50CUT, integrates seamlessly with real animal meat, reducing the carbon footprint by half while enhancing nutrition and taste.
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