Food tech startup Tender Food Inc. is a four-year-old startup making its way into a market already filled with well-known brands. The company is doing so well that it has already secured a contract with fast-food chain Clover Food Lab in the Boston area.
The Somerville, Massachusetts-based company, formerly known as Boston Meats, develops plant-based alternative meats, including prime rib, pulled pork, chicken breast and crab.
Its technology involves spinning plant protein fibers, including soy proteins, in the same way cotton candy is made, to create structured cuts of meat, the company’s co-founder and CEO told TechCrunch. company, Christophe Chantre. The Berlin-based Eaden Project also uses fiber spinning technology to make alternative proteins.
Chantre believes Tender’s technology outperforms existing plant-based meat products, like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat, in terms of taste, texture, nutrition and cost. These four elements have traditionally been barriers to widespread adoption within the food tech industry.
“Consumers have been largely disappointed with what’s out there in the market,” he said. “We are focused on investing in technology so we can create better products. It was the hardest thing so far.
Since the launch of Tender Food in 2020, the market has grown a lot. During this period, his business evolved and matured. Two years ago, he would have described Tender Food as a technology company primarily focused on R&D. Although it is still a technology company, its goal is now to go commercial.
“We’re just starting to market, so revenue wasn’t a priority, but it will be now,” Chantre said.
Some of Tender’s products have been used in Boston-area restaurants and universities, and a new partnership now allows Tender products to be found in more than a dozen Clover Food Lab locations in the region.
“We’re a popular vegetarian chain, so, as you can imagine, we’re trying a lot of new plant-based products,” Chris Anderson, senior vice president of Clover, said in a statement. “Tender stood out from the start: it’s innovative, flavorful and a great addition to our grain bowls and salads. »
The move is supported by a new cash infusion of $11 million in Series A funding. Rhapsody Venture Partners led the round and was joined by existing investors such as Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital and Safar Partners and new investors Claridge Partners and Nor’easter Ventures. In 2022, the company raised $12 million in seed funding.
In addition to meeting the demand of its new restaurant client, the financing will be used to continue product development. It will also expand co-manufacturing with other companies to millions of pounds of products, Chantre said.
The company continues to market test its products, including with catering companies and large food manufacturing companies. Long term, Chantre also sees Tender Food as a technology enabler for the entire food tech sector, working with a multitude of different players across the value chain and possibly licensing its technologies.
Meanwhile, Tender Food recently added Mike Messersmith, former North American president of Oatly, to its board of directors. After joining Oatly in 2017, Messersmith pioneered the company’s launch in the United States. Chantre said he met Messersmith through one of his investors.
“As we’re transitioning from being a technology company to being a technology and business company, we’re recruiting builders and operators like Mike who have that experience,” he said. “In our opinion, this is really valuable in this next stage of our growth.”
