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According to CNN, vegan company Beyond Meat has filed for a $100 million initial public
offering (IPO). Yes, you read that right: $100 million.
After filing documents last Friday,
the plant-based meat producer said it had applied to list its common stock on
the Nasdaq under “BYND.” It’s reported that Beyond Meat’s net revenue for the nine months
ending September 29, 2018, was $56.4 million. That’s a 167 percent increase
from the same period last year.
In the filing, the company said, “Going
forward, we intend to continue to invest in innovation, supply chain
capabilities, manufacturing and marketing initiatives.”
Beyond Meat is making history by becoming the
first publicly traded, 100 percent plant-based meat company. J.P. Morgan,
Goldman Sachs, and Credit Suisse will lead the IPO.
Over the past few years, Beyond Meat has made
headlines with delicious plant-based products, including the Beyond Burger,
Beyond Sausage, and Beyond Chicken grilled strips.
All the buzz has caught the attention of some
high-profile investors, such as billionaire Bill Gates; actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio; business
experts Jack and Suzy Welch; venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins; and America’s largest meat producer, Tyson Foods.
Consumers worldwide are wild about Beyond
Meat’s products. To keep up with demand, the company recently opened a second production facility and hired hundreds of employees in Missouri. The
new state-of-the-art facility has high-efficiency lighting and new water
recirculation, reducing water consumption by nearly 80 percent.
The facility will allow the company to test new products and expand its line,
increasing Beyond Meat’s manufacturing footprint more than threefold, from
30,000 to 100,000 square feet.
The Beyond Burger debuted next to its meat-based counterparts
in 2016 and is sold at thousands of restaurants and grocers. Beyond Meat
recently announced a partnership with A&W Canada, which
frequently sells out of the burger.
And A&W isn’t the only company to partner
with Beyond Meat. Chains like Veggie Grill and TGI Fridays serve Beyond Meat products, and
the company plans to distribute the Beyond Burger in 50 countries across six continents. Right
now, Beyond Meat
products are all the rage in Hong Kong, where sales have quadrupled since this past April.
Beyond Meat’s rapid growth reflects the rising
demand for vegan food. According to GlobalData, there were six times as many vegans in America in 2017 as in 2014,
and Allied Market Research predicts that the meat substitute market will grow 8.4 percent from 2015,
potentially reaching $5.2 billion globally by 2020.
More people enjoying vegan food is great news
for the billions of animals who suffer horribly at factory farms. Cows, pigs,
and chickens raised and killed for food are subjected to unthinkable cruelties: tiny,
filthy cages; burns and amputations; and merciless slaughter.
Beyond Meat’s IPO launch gives the public a
unique opportunity to invest financially in a compassionate and sustainable
future.
But you don’t have to wait for the company to
go public to help create a kinder world. Help protect farmed animals and the
planet by switching to a vegan diet. Order your FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide today. And check out our Pinterest
page for thousands of recipe ideas!