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Paleo
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Paleo

https://www.paleo-taste.com/
Last activity: 31.10.2024
Probably Closed
Categories: AgriTechAlternativeEnvironmentalFoodTechHealthTechITMarketProductProductionWaterTech
Conventional meat production has an immense environmental cost, from its production of greenhouse gases, energy and land use, to its heavy reliance on antibiotics, hormones, and water. Meat consumption accounts for ~15% of global GHG emissions and is the biggest single contributor to biodiversity loss.
Though there are many sustainable plant-based meat and fish alternatives on the market, taste and nutrition remain the largest roadblocks. Lab-grown meat is also in the process of being rapidly developed, but it’s unlikely to be widely available on the market by 2030. As such, researchers and companies are searching for alternative, scalable methods of producing animal proteins.
Paleo develops new functional ingredients to improve plant-based meat and fish alternatives. Through precision fermentation, Paleo produces meat and fish proteins which are 100% bio-identical to animal proteins and 100% GMO-free. Precision fermentation is a proven, versatile and scalable technology that uses micro-organisms, such as yeasts, to produce selected target proteins. Most importantly, compared to conventional farming of animals, precision fermentation has a significantly lower environmental impact.
Paleo focuses on replicating myoglobin, a protein present in animal muscle tissue. By using myoglobin, they create a flavor profile that is closer to that of real meat, while also delivering important nutrients such as iron. Their portfolio currently includes myoglobin proteins from six animals: beef, chicken, pork, lamb, tuna, and even mammoth! Paleo plans to sell their product to businesses offering plant-based meat and fish alternatives, which can then be added to their products prior to distribution.
Tapping into a vast cost-effective climate opportunity:
Recent analysis points out that investing in the alternative protein segment has the highest CO2e savings per dollar of invested capital of any sector, including transportation or buildings. Due to the scalability of precision fermentation, Paleo anticipates being able to bring emissions down quicker than other market alternatives by producing essential ingredients cost-effectively and sustainably.
Cracking “real taste” and driving new demand:
Research predicts that if plant-based products advance in taste, texture and price they could replace 11%-22% of all meat, seafood, eggs and dairy consumption around the globe by 2035. Paleo is working to make that happen: Adding myoglobin to plant-based meat alternatives is a game changer that brings the experience to that of ‘real’ meat. You can smell it, you can taste it, and you can see it. It will make alternatives an attractive option for even the most skeptical consumers, significantly reducing meat consumption across the board.
Early mover in Europe:
The European alternative food market is growing rapidly, and Paleo is in the advantageous position of being an early mover in animal protein development. Analysts predict that technology-driven B2B companies providing innovative ingredients with elevated performance and low costs will be the ultimate winners.
Our scientific assessment shows that changing the protein source from one conventional meat protein to an alternative results in net GHG savings ranging from 21 to 296 kg CO2-eq. per kg of protein. Paleo addresses important barriers hindering the transition towards more sustainable diets and is likely to contribute and accelerate the shift from a meat-based diet to a more plant-based diet. The reduction in meat consumption will result in a substantial reduction in GHG emission, less deforestation and more sustainable agricultural systems (e.g. less nutrients oversupply, less water use, etc.).
See LCA here
Mentions
26

Overview

Location
Belgium, Flemish Brabant, Leuven
Total raised
$15.05M

Investors 4

DateNameWebsite
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Mar 14, 2023DSM Venturingventuring.dsm.com
SFPIMsfpim.be
Feb 23, 2023GIMVgimv.com

Funding Rounds 2

DateSeriesAmountInvestors
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Dec 1, 2021Seed round$2.27M

Mentions in press and media 26

DateTitleDescription
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Oct 31, 2024Revo Foods & Paleo Unveil €2.2M EU-Backed Project for Salmon Alternatives with Animal-Free HemeTwo alternative protein startups, Austria’s Revo Foods, a manufacturer of 3D-printed vegan seafood, and Belgium’s Paleo, a precision fermentation startup developing animal-free heme, have joined forces to advance sustainable and realistic s...
Jun 13, 2024Belgium: Nurturing tech talent and entrepreneurship in the heart of EuropeStrategically located in the heart of Europe, Belgium leverages its multilingual and highly educated workforce to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. The nation's tech scene boasts a robust mix of startups, scale-ups, and established co...
Mar 29, 2024Миф о «Парке Юрского периода»: почему воскрешение динозавров остаётся недостижимой мечтойПервый «Парк Юрского периода» вышел в 1993 году. В фильме Стивена Спилберга был показан мир, в котором ученые нашли ДНК динозавров в доисторическом янтаре и клонировали их в лаборатории. В результате древние существа оказались на Земле рядо...
Feb 1, 2024Paleo Opens New Facility in Belgium for Animal-Free Heme, Reveals Expansion Plans for 2024On the back of its successful €12 million funding round last year, biotech company Paleo has opened a new pilot-scale facility in Leven, Belgium, at the Bio-Incubator Leuven. The company, which specializes in developing proteins via precisi...
Feb 1, 2024 Paleo Opens New Facility in Belgium for Animal-Free Heme, Reveals Expansion Plans for 2024
Jan 22, 2024Bridging the Flavor Gap: 7 Solutions to Enhance the Taste of Plant-Based Meat for Maximum Consumer SatisfactionToday, we are looking into the companies and latest research trying to bridge the flavor gap between plant-based and animal meat with different solutions, including fermented onions, yeasts, chlorella, fermented ingredients, and heme protei...
Dec 14, 2023 Bleeding Burgers for Vegan Dogs? Paleo Files World’s First Patent for Animal-Free Heme for Pet Food
Jul 25, 2023Molecular farming: IngredientWerks grows heme protein in corn at ‘unprecedented low cost’Molecular farming startup IngredientWerks has genetically engineered corn crops to express high levels of bovine myoglobin in a process it claims can scale at a fraction of the cost of precision fermentation. A heme-binding protein found in...
Apr 7, 2023A company says it added mammoth DNA to plant-based burgers and that they tasted much more 'intense' and 'meatier' than the cow versionPaleo uses precise fermentation to produce myoglobin, a protein found in meat. Paleo; Andreas Arnold/picture alliance/Getty Images Redeem now A Belgian startup says it added woolly mammoth DNA to a plant-based burger. The mammoth myoglobin ...
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FAQ about Paleo

How much funding has Paleo raised?

Paleo has raised $15.05M in total across 2 funding rounds.

What funding rounds has Paleo raised?

Parsers VC lists 2 funding rounds of Paleo, among them a seed round of $2.27M on Dec 1, 2021.

Who has invested in Paleo?

Parsers VC lists 4 investors of Paleo, among them DSM Venturing, GIMV and SFPIM.

What has the press written about Paleo?

Parsers VC has collected 26 articles mentioning Paleo, among them “Revo Foods & Paleo Unveil €2.2M EU-Backed Project for Salmon Alternatives with Animal-Free Heme” (Oct 31, 2024) and “Belgium: Nurturing tech talent and entrepreneurship in the heart of Europe” (Jun 13, 2024).

Is Paleo still active?

Paleo is probably closed: its latest activity on Parsers VC dates from Oct 31, 2024.