Startup Secures $4.25 Million to Debut Vegan Salmon Burgers

This week, California-based vegan startup Terramino Foods closed a $4.25 million seed funding round led by investment firms True Ventures and Collaborative Fund. Founders Kimberlie Le and Joshua Nixon plan to use the funds to expand their team with the goal of continuing to innovate plant-based meat and seafood alternatives. Le and Nixon are graduates of the “Plant-Based Seafood Collider” course at the University of California, Berkeley, where they developed a vegan salmon burger primarily using koji fungus and algae that the duo grew in a lab-setting to mimic the flavor and fibrous texture of salmon meat—without the use of animal cells. “Terramino has identified a protein platform that has massive potential because of its unique texture and ability to substitute for many different animal proteins,” Collaborative Fund partner Lauren Loktev said. “As avid investors in meat alternatives, we were blown away by the taste and texture of Terramino’s salmon burgers and we’re excited to support Kim and Josh as they build a world class team to create a new category in food.” Terramino plans to debut its first products—the innovative salmon burger and a vegan fish filet—by the end of the year.