 | |
| Product type | Plant-based foods |
|---|---|
| Country | Chile |
| Introduced | 2015 |
| Markets | International |
| Website | Official website |
NotCo is a unicorn Chilean food-tech company producing plant-based alternatives to animal-based food products. NotCo was founded in 2015 by Matias Muchnick, Karim Pichara and Pablo Zamora, and utilizes machine learning to replicate dairy products in plant-based forms. NotCo is Latin America's fastest growing food company. [1]
NotCo was founded in Chile in 2015 by three technologists; Matias Muchnick (CEO), Karim Pichara (CTO), and Pablo Zamora. [2] [3] NotCo is now part-owned by The Craftory, Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions and others. [4] [5]
NotCo was created with the view of using artificial intelligence. Its algorithm, Giuseppe, whose first version was created by Karim Pichara, which was patented in 2021, utilizes lists of plant ingredients to find the ideal combinations to recreate specific food attributes. [6] This aims to replicate various food tastes, textures and cooking behaviors. Its NotMilk includes both pineapple and cabbage, allowing it to cook in the same way as cow's milk. [7]
NotCo's current product line includes NotMayo, NotMilk (1%, 2% and whole), NotIceCream and NotBurger. [8] [9] As NotCo expanded from Chile to Brazil and the rest of Latin America, it brought these products to new markets. As of 2021, the US market only holds NotMilk, retailed at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Wegmans and others. [10]
As of 2021, 'NotMeat' is being used across Chile supplying both Burger King and Papa John's pizzerias' vegan options. [11] [12]
On Mar 27, 2024, NotCo posted a video on YouTube titled, "MayoHaters". This video depicts "MayoHaters", people who hate the taste of mayonnaise. NotCo told them to taste NotMayo, their vegan mayonnaise. The purpose of the video was to highlight how MayoHaters found the vegan mayonnaise to taste just like the real mayonnaise that they despise, highlighting the taste NotCo is attempting to mimic. [13]
In September 2020, NotCo raised $85m in a Series C funding round. Its investors include challenger brand VC fund The Craftory, Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions and others. [14] This funding has likely been used to fund NotCo's US debut in November 2020. [15]
In 2021, NotCo was announced among Fast Company 's "World’s Most Innovative Companies". [16]
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan.
Mayonnaise, colloquially referred to as "mayo", is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar sauce, fry sauce, remoulade, salsa golf, ranch dressing, and rouille.
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