Lever VC

Lever VC is a U.S.-Hong Kong venture capital fund founded by Managing Partner Nick Cooney and investing in early stage companies in the alternative protein sector (plant-based and “clean”/cell-based meat, egg and dairy companies). Lever VC operates globally, with offices in Hong Kong and the U.S. and staff in the US, Hong Kong, Europe, and Israel. Entrepreneurs and startups interested in connecting with Lever VC about possible investment can reach the team and submit information about their company at http://www.levervc.com. Managing Partner Nick Cooney is the Co-Founder and former Managing Trustee of New Crop Capital, a private venture capital trust vehicle investing in the alternative protein space, and is Co-Founder of the Good Food Institute, the world’s largest non-governmental organization working to grow the alternative protein space. The General Partners at Lever VC have deployed over $1.5 billion in capital over the past decade across a variety of sectors, including over thirty deals in the alternative protein space.

Ronen Bar

Venture Partner

James Caffyn

Partner

Thomas Chen

Senior Associate

Felipe Krelling

Venture Partner

Laura Ocampo

Venture Partner

Ramzi Schumann

Venture Partner

Yoanna Zheng

Venture Partner

32 past transactions

Bond Pet Foods

Venture Round in 2022
Bond Pet Foods makes pet food from real animal protein, without the animal by working with biotechnology. Bond Pet Foods develops meat proteins obtained from animal cells (no slaughter required) and natural microbes. It is fed a nutrient-rich broth of vitamins, sugars, and minerals in fermentation tanks, without the pharmaceuticals. Bond Pet Foods was founded on 2015 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.

Avant Meats

Venture Round in 2022
They focus on technology, commercial product innovation, and branding as well as intellectual property portfolio building in the area of ‘cell-based’ animal protein food products.

CellX

Series A in 2022
CellX is creating the world's first mushroom protein from morel mycelium fermentation. Our ingredient and product solutions can be applied to savory snacks, protein powders, and meat alternatives. We are also licensing existing IPs to help accelerate the commercialization of cultivated meat. Our technology offerings include suspension cell lines and serum-free media that have achieved 30M/ml cell density and <$5/L media cost, tested at the 2,000L scale.

Melt&Marble

Seed Round in 2022
Melt&Marble is a plant-based industry enabler that provides tasty fats for consumers and the environment. It employs precision fermentation to produce animal fats in the absence of the animal. By engineering microbial metabolism, it is possible to control the structure and properties of the fats produced by microbes, allowing them to mimic any fat structure as well as create completely new and better fats.

Mooji Meats

Seed Round in 2022
Mooji Meats is a sustainable food manufacturing firm that produces and sells plant-based steaks.

Good Food Technologies

Seed Round in 2022
Good Food Technologies is a Hong Kong-based startup focused on innovative food R&D and manufacturing.

NuCicer

Seed Round in 2022
NuCicer is unlocking chickpea’s full potential - transitioning it from “interesting ingredient” to “staple superfood” by launching new varieties with ground-breaking agronomic and quality traits that deliver better nutrition, improved flavor, and more economical ingredients. NuCicer’s technology combines the world's most diverse chickpea breeding library and their proprietary breeding innovation platform, built on deep roots in plant genetics and machine learning, to create value across the agri-food system.

Nude

Series A in 2022
Nude is a food tech that develops its food using oats from small producers. Hey Nude is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and targets, is 100% plant-based, and is led by women. It innovates by focusing on flavor and nature.

Welldone

Series A in 2021
WE MAKE DELICIOUS, NUTRITIOUS AND AFFORDABLE PLANT-BASED MEAT. AND WE ARE GOING WELL. Plant-based meat producer leveraging strong R&D and sourcing in Russia. We are building brand #1 in country to cater plant-based meat to 140+ mln people and to expand abroad. Targeting to reach price parity with meat in 2022 to address the wider consumer audience.

THIS

Series A in 2021
THIS is a plant-based meat brand that provides alternative meat products for meat lovers. The company's products are made of plant-based ingredients that are fortified with vitamin B12 and iron, enabling meat lovers to get the real feel of having meat-based products and satisfy their tastes without killing animals.

Marvelous Foods

Seed Round in 2021
Marvelous Foods is a plant-based snack foods start-up that sells yeyo yogurt. To nourish and thrill the world's market with coconut-based plant-based dairy substitutes that are healthy for human bodies, excellent for tastebuds, and better for the environment. They began sharing yogurt with friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and local eateries that valued natural and diet-inclusive food that is good for both the body and the environment.

Mission Barns

Series A in 2021
Mission Barns is making the juicy, savory meats they all love in a sustainable, more efficient way. At Mission Barns, they are cultivating animal cells to sustainably grow meat without the negative impacts of intensive animal agriculture. They start with a handful of cells from select animals, grow them in a nutrient-rich environment, and harvest delicious, savory meat. Working at the convergence of biotech and food science, they’re on the path to creating a more sensible food system for the world.

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 they provide services for food products in seafood made from fish cells, healthier, and more sustainably

CellX

Seed Round in 2021
CellX is creating the world's first mushroom protein from morel mycelium fermentation. Our ingredient and product solutions can be applied to savory snacks, protein powders, and meat alternatives. We are also licensing existing IPs to help accelerate the commercialization of cultivated meat. Our technology offerings include suspension cell lines and serum-free media that have achieved 30M/ml cell density and <$5/L media cost, tested at the 2,000L scale.

Hero Protein

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Hero Protein operates as an alternative protein company. Hero Protein produces juicy, delicious meat from plants.

Avant Meats

Seed Round in 2020
They focus on technology, commercial product innovation, and branding as well as intellectual property portfolio building in the area of ‘cell-based’ animal protein food products.

CellX

Pre Seed Round in 2020
CellX is creating the world's first mushroom protein from morel mycelium fermentation. Our ingredient and product solutions can be applied to savory snacks, protein powders, and meat alternatives. We are also licensing existing IPs to help accelerate the commercialization of cultivated meat. Our technology offerings include suspension cell lines and serum-free media that have achieved 30M/ml cell density and <$5/L media cost, tested at the 2,000L scale.

Bond Pet Foods

Convertible Note in 2020
Bond Pet Foods makes pet food from real animal protein, without the animal by working with biotechnology. Bond Pet Foods develops meat proteins obtained from animal cells (no slaughter required) and natural microbes. It is fed a nutrient-rich broth of vitamins, sugars, and minerals in fermentation tanks, without the pharmaceuticals. Bond Pet Foods was founded on 2015 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.

Good PLANeT Foods

Series A in 2020
Good PLANeT Foods specializes in offering premium plant-based cheese products. It is dedicated to providing a healthy alternative to dairy cheese without having to compromise on the joyful experience of dairy cheese.

GROUNDED

Seed Round in 2020
Grounded is a food and beverage company that makes natural drinks that are for you. Their drinks make common utilitarian products more natural by employing solely natural raw ingredients. They are provided low sugar, natural drinks.

TurtleTree

Pre Seed Round in 2020
TurtleTree is a biotech company dedicated to producing a new generation of nutrition one that’s better for the planet, better for the animals, and better for people everywhere. It is creating better-for-you milk ingredients sustainably and affordably, with benefits that extend beyond the dining table and into the heart of humanity.

The Better Meat Co.

Seed Round in 2020
The Better Meat Co. makes plant-based proteins that foodservice providers and meat companies can seamlessly blend directly into ground meat. Their products improve taste and texture; reduce calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol; and improve the environmental footprint of ground meat products, all in a cost-competitive way. The Better Meat Co. is founded in 2018 by Joanna Bromley and Paul Shapiro and is based in Sacramento, California.

Bond Pet Foods

Seed Round in 2019
Bond Pet Foods makes pet food from real animal protein, without the animal by working with biotechnology. Bond Pet Foods develops meat proteins obtained from animal cells (no slaughter required) and natural microbes. It is fed a nutrient-rich broth of vitamins, sugars, and minerals in fermentation tanks, without the pharmaceuticals. Bond Pet Foods was founded on 2015 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.

The Good Spoon

Seed Round in 2019
Plant based condiments company using microalgae

Good PLANeT Foods

Seed Round in 2019
Good PLANeT Foods specializes in offering premium plant-based cheese products. It is dedicated to providing a healthy alternative to dairy cheese without having to compromise on the joyful experience of dairy cheese.

Mission Barns

Seed Round in 2019
Mission Barns is making the juicy, savory meats they all love in a sustainable, more efficient way. At Mission Barns, they are cultivating animal cells to sustainably grow meat without the negative impacts of intensive animal agriculture. They start with a handful of cells from select animals, grow them in a nutrient-rich environment, and harvest delicious, savory meat. Working at the convergence of biotech and food science, they’re on the path to creating a more sensible food system for the world.

Avant Meats

Seed Round in 2019
They focus on technology, commercial product innovation, and branding as well as intellectual property portfolio building in the area of ‘cell-based’ animal protein food products.

Marvelous Foods

Seed Round in 2019
Marvelous Foods is a plant-based snack foods start-up that sells yeyo yogurt. To nourish and thrill the world's market with coconut-based plant-based dairy substitutes that are healthy for human bodies, excellent for tastebuds, and better for the environment. They began sharing yogurt with friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and local eateries that valued natural and diet-inclusive food that is good for both the body and the environment.
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