Terramino Foods, San Francisco, announced a $4.25 million seed funding round co-led by True Ventures, San Francisco, and Collaborative Fund, New York. The company will use the new funds to expand its team and continue developing sustainable protein products.
Terramino Foods uses sustainably grown fungi as a source of protein to provide the taste, texture and nutrition of seafood and meat.
Co-founders Kimberlie Le and Joshua Nixon developed Terramino's prototype at the Alternative Meat Lab at UC Berkeley's Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Berkeley, Calif. Terramino's first product is a sustainable salmon burger that not only looks, smells and tastes like salmon, but also delivers omega-3 fatty acids and is high in digestible protein, unlike many plant-based meats. This product line will be all-natural, non-GMO and completely animal free.
"Our fungi naturally grows in a fibrous texture that feels like meat when you chew it," says Nixon, chief technology officer.
Recently, Le and Nixon were part of Indie Bio, a San Francisco-based biotech accelerator that helps scientists become entrepreneurs. There, they received initial funding and product development support.
"We plan to expand into multiple seafood and meat products using our flexible and efficient protein platform," says Le, chief executive officer.
"We are proud to support Kim and Josh on their mission to bring great-tasting, healthy and sustainable, new foods to customers," says Adam D'Augelli, partner at True Ventures. "The team's differentiated technology and scientific approach have enabled them to create products that are both delicious and in line with the tastes and textures the consumer expects."
"Terramino has identified a protein platform that has massive potential because of its unique texture and ability to substitute for many different animal proteins," says Lauren Loktev, partner at Collaborative Fund. "As avid investors in meat alternatives, we were blown away by the taste and texture of Terramino's salmon burgers, and we're excited to support Kim and Josh as they build a world class team to create a new category in food."
