Breaking Records: $5 Billion Invested in Alt Proteins
Investor appetite signals sustained interest in planet-friendly proteins
New data released by The Good Food Institute (GFI) reveals that globally, 2021 was a record period of investment in companies creating sustainable alternatives to conventional animal-based foods, including global plant-based meat, seafood, egg, and dairy companies; cultivated meat and seafood companies; and fermentation companies devoted to alternative proteins. Alternative protein companies have raised almost $11.1 billion in invested capital since 2010, 73% or $8 billion of which was raised since 2020 when the coronavirus first disrupted global markets.
While investor confidence in alternative protein companies is driven by multiple market factors, the public health and environmental crises that gripped the world throughout 2020 and 2021 have illuminated the risks associated with business-as-usual portfolios and practices. Against this backdrop, the prospect of meat produced with zero risk of contributing to zoonotic disease transmission and dramatically less emissions than conventional meat has even greater relevance.
Sustained interest in alternative proteins signals a growing appetite for planet-friendly investments with returns beyond the bottom line.
While alternative protein investments have grown at an impressive rate, they remain a miniscule fraction of the trillions of dollars that have been invested globally in climate technology companies as a whole. In 2021 alone, private capital in earlier stage climate technology companies amounted to $47 billion.
SimplyProtein to Continue North American Expansion
Growth capital set to accelerate distribution, along with investments in marketing and innovation
The SimplyProtein team is intentionally taking a multi-channel approach to its distribution.
The SimplyProtein® brand has its sights on 2022 being its most transformative yet as it continues to expand in the North American market. In November 2021, Wellness Natural Inc., the parent company of the SimplyProtein brand, raised $8.5M in a Series B funding round. This round is focused exclusively on growth capital to accelerate distribution gains in the US and Canada, scale eCommerce, increase investments in marketing programs and bring new product innovations to market.
New Gluten-Free Nutrition Bars Contain Protein and Fiber
BodyBar’s three nutritious bars are packed with protein and fiber, gluten-free, and made simply with clean, high-quality ingredients and zero added sugar or natural flavors.
BodyBar Protein launched with a line of clean, protein-based bars—in both vegan and non-vegan options—that deliver a variety of nutrients. Available in three flavors, Apple Cinnamon, Sweet Cocoa, and Chocolate Brownie, BodyBar was designed to reset the bar and serve as a better-for-you replacement for traditional nutrition bars.
Stephanie Lind, Elohi Strategic Advisors, Leads Expert Panel to Discuss New Protein Technologies
Stephanie Lind, founder, Elohi Strategic Advisors.
Panelists include:
Shannon Cosentino-Roush
Chief Strategy Officer
Finless Foods Inc.
Tara Kriese
Acting President
Mikuna Foods
Cheryl Preyer
President
North American Coalition of Insect Agriculture
Mervyn de Souza
Chief Science Advisor
Elohi Strategic Advisors
