Tyson Sets Up $150 Million Fund for Meat Alternatives

Meat company Tyson Foods recently created Tyson New Ventures (TNV)—an investment fund worth $150 million. The purpose of TNV will be to invest in new companies working on meat alternatives, food waste solutions, and global food innovators. “This fund is about broadening our exposure to innovative, new forms of protein and ways of producing food,” TNV Vice President Mary Kay James says. After a group of investors with over $1 trillion in holdings pressured food companies to diversify their products to include plant-based protein, Tyson invested an undisclosed amount in vegan company Beyond Meat. Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said the investment will be used to bring the company’s vegan Beyond Burger to a wider demographic—a promise Brown has kept as the company’s burger is now available at 22 Veggie Grill locations and 144 Whole Foods Markets nationwide.