Boulder, CO-based pet food technology company Bond Pet Foods recently received $1.2 million in seed funding which will support research and development of its animal-free meat proteins for pets. Led by Lever VC, a venture capital fund specializing in alternative protein investments, a number of investors participated in the seed round, including Saudi Arabia’s vegan Prince Khaled Alwaleed bin Talal—chief executive officer of asset management company KBW Ventures. Founded in 2017, Bond Pet Foods employs the same fermentation technology used to produce insulin for diabetics but instead uses it to harvest high-quality meat proteins such as chicken, turkey, beef, and fish without slaughtering the animal. During the process, animal cells are added to a microbe such as yeast and put into a fermentation tank where they are fed simple sugars, vitamins, and minerals. This produces proteins that are nutritionally identical to their meat counterparts that are used as the foundation of Bond’s pet-food recipes. “KBW Ventures joined Bond’s seed round because we see that their proprietary approach to production has far-reaching implications,” Prince Khaled told VegNews. “The technology and science behind Bond products is in line with our values; we want to back ventures that are commercially-promising and that seek sustainable solutions.” This round of funding will support the research and development needed to scale Bond’s production. Bond aims to debut its first consumer product—a protein-packed dog treat bar made with a pure yeast protein—in early 2020.
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