Biotech startup's plant-based food ingredients born to save energy, water, land
Shiru, a biotech startup that identifies and creates novel plant-based ingredients for the global food industry, has closed a $17 million Series A investment round led by S2G Ventures and joined by returning investors Lux Capital, CPT Capital, Y Combinator and Emles Venture Partners. They are joined by existing investors XFactor, Area VC and Peak State Ventures. New investors The W Fund, SALT, and Veronorte also participated, bringing Shiru's total funding to date to more than $20 million.
Shiru discovers and creates novel plant-based ingredients so food companies can make delicious, nutritious, and sustainable foods. Shiru develops ingredients expected to meet or exceed their animal analogs on taste, texture, versatility, and cost at scale. The company's patent-pending discovery platform combines machine-learning algorithms and a precision biofermentation process. The result is a spectrum of novel plant-based ingredients that require a small fraction of the land, energy, and water footprint of animal-derived eggs, meat, milk and gelatins.