Lever VC Managing Partner Nick Cooney and Partner Lawrence Chu have been investing in the alternative protein sector since 2015, and were investors in Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Memphis Meats, JUST, Aleph Farms, Kite Hill and other leading plant-based and cultivated meat and dairy companies. Lawrence Chu has also deployed over $450 million USD in private equity investments in conventional animal protein companies. Nick Cooney co-founded the Good Food Institute, the world’s largest alternative protein industry NGO, and has worked with major food groups in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia for 15 years.

“We decided to invest in alternative protein in 2018, and started approaching a few VCs,” said Benny Pei, Lever VC Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Lever VC GP DFP Capital. “We were most impressed with the Lever VC founders’ long investment experience and track record in this exciting field, so we joined them to start strategically deploying assets in this fast-growing global sector.”

Lever VC will continue to identify investment opportunities in early stage alternative protein companies, and remains open to additional investors until reaching final close. The Fund is confident the alternative protein sector will continue to grow quickly due to increasing consumer interest in health, food safety and sustainability, and Lever VC is uniquely positioned to capture the enormous opportunities ahead.

About Lever VC

Lever VC is a venture capital fund making early stage investments in alternative protein companies: fast-growing plant-based meat and dairy brands and high-tech startups creating real animal protein from cells instead of live animals. Lever VC was formed by a team of investors in Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Memphis Meats, and other category leaders. The Fund’s alternative protein experts have a combined 25+ years of experience investing, launching companies, and selling and marketing alternative protein products, and have deployed over $1.5 billion USD in venture capital and private equity investments, including over 40 early stage alternative protein deals. For more information, please visit www.LeverVC.com^[1].