Prime Roots

Last updated
Prime Roots
Company typePrivately held company
Industry Plant-based meat
Founded2017
Founder
  • Joshua Nixon
  • Kimberlie Le
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California,
United States
Area served
United States
Products
  • Koji-Meat
  • Koji-Charcuteri
  • Koji-Bacon
Website www.primeroots.com

Prime Roots (also known as Terramino Foods) [1] is an American koji-based meat-producing company focusing on deli and charcuterie products. [2]

Contents

History

Prime Roots was founded in 2017 by Joshua Nixon and Kimberlie Le. It produces non-GMO meat alternatives, and meat-free alternative seafood products, from a protein-rich and nutrient-dense fungi. [3] [4] It uses Aspergillus oryzae , or kōji mold, which has historically been used to ferment soy sauce, miso, sake and douchi. Kōji is also used as an imitation meat in haute cuisine. [5] The fungus is a whole protein, [6] with a filamentous structure that is texturally similar to muscle fiber. [7]

In December 2017, Terramino Foods (now known as Prime Roots) [1] closed their first seed funding round raising $250,000 in capital and raising $4.25 million in second seed funding in July 2018 from IndieBio and SOSV respectively. [8] [9] In May 2023, it raised $30 million in series B funding to expand its operations US-wide. [10] [11]

In June 2023, it announced a partnership with UK-based mycoprotein product manufacturer Quorn, [3] and in January 2024, Prime Roots was featured in You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment , a Netflix vegan documentary. [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Prime Roots makes major commitment to plant-based seafood analogs". www.seafoodsource.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  2. ↑ "How far can you go with lab-made food substitutes? This reporter found out". The New York Times. 22 February 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Axworthy, Nicole. "Prime Roots Plots 'Disruptive Innovation' In the Deli Case With Novel Vegan Meat". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  4. ↑ Brodwin, Erin. "The startup behind the Bill Gates-backed veggie burger that 'bleeds' is part of a transition to animal-free meat — here are the other frontrunners". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  5. ↑ Lobo, Christabel. "Faux Fish Is The Next Big Plant-Based Thing—Here's What's In It". Cooking Light. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  6. ↑ Wall, Alix (2020-11-10). "Koji is the secret ingredient in this Berkeley-made, plant-based bacon". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  7. ↑ "%Alt: Meat Lab". UC Berkeley Alternative Meats Lab. 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  8. ↑ "Fungi-based meat alternative start-up raises $4.25 million | 2018-07-25 | Food Business News". www.foodbusinessnews.net. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  9. ↑ Brodwin, Erin. "A 23-year-old dropped out of college to make meatless burgers using fungus — and got $100,000 from Peter Thiel". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  10. ↑ Peluso, Olivia. "Prime Roots Raises $30 Million To Ramp Up Its Plant-Based Deli Meat Production". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  11. ↑ Marston, Jennifer (2023-05-18). "The Week in AgriFoodTech: GoodLeaf Farms snags $78m, Prime Roots raises $30m, Miso Robotics gets new investment". AgFunderNews. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  12. ↑ Mridul, Anay (2024-01-02). "Better Sex, Longer Life: Netflix's New Doc on Vegan Diets". Green Queen. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
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