24-Year-Old Berkeley Grad Develops Vegan Bacon, Lobster, and Chicken

New vegan brand Prime Roots is set to launch its first three “superprotein” products in 2020 and is asking for input from consumers on which products to roll out first. Developed in 2017 when Kim Le (daughter of renowned Vietnamese chef Chi Le) was attending the University of California, Berkeley’s Alternative Meat Lab (a program funded by nonprofit The Good Food Institute to help students develop the future of protein from plant-based alternatives), Prime Roots has since gained the support of technology incubator IndieBio and raised $4 million in investment capital. The company focuses on fermentation science and the use of various fungi to create “superprotein” bases for vegan products such as chicken tenders, bacon, lobster, tuna chunks, crab cakes, and savory dips. Consumers can vote on which three products they’d like to see on shelves first through the company’s website.