According to Forbes, Tyson Foods has started a
venture capital fund to invest in plant-based and sustainable protein options.
On Monday, America’s largest meat producer announced that it
had launched Tyson New Ventures LLC, a $150 million venture capital fund. The
company said the fund will focus on companies that are developing
“breakthrough” technology and business models.
Just last month, the company announced a 5-percent stake in fast-growing
vegan protein company Beyond
Meat.
Tyson’s executive vice president of strategy, Monica McGurk,
stated:
We believe we can accelerate the growth of startups through our capabilities in such areas as food and culinary research and development, sourcing, insights, customer relationships and distribution. By doing so, we hope to materially advance the state of the U.S. and global food system.
Tyson isn’t the first big company to invest in the vegan
movement. Earlier this year, General
Mills created its own VC arm and has since invested in vegan cheese company
Kite Hill.
With an estimated 12
percent of millennials identifying as faithful vegetarians, this is truly a
wise investment in the future. Meat consumption in the U.S. fell 15 percent in
2015, while sales of vegan protein products exploded. In fact, plant-based
proteins are expected to make up a third of the protein market by 2054.
Join the growing number of people who are taking a stand
for animals, the environment, and their own health by transitioning to a plant-based
diet.
Click here to order your FREE Vegetarian
Starter Guide.