USA | Plant-based cheese company, Plonts has made its debut in the restaurant sector, appearing in New York and San Francisco.
Plonts has debuted its first product, an aged plant-based cheddar, at select restaurants in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. This launch comes after Plonts raised a USD $12 million seed round and opened a pilot plant in Oakland, California.
Plonts is making a new category of plant-based foods using an ancient biotechnology: fermentation. They use the same process that turns milk into cheese to turn plants into cheese, but they start with soy milk instead of cow's milk. A specially developed blend of cultures and enzymes create tangy, cheesy flavours as the cheese ages. The result is a bold cheddar that slices, shreds, and melts.
Plonts was founded in 2019 by Nathaniel Chu and Josh Moser. After completing his PhD at MIT studying the human gut microbiome, Chu wanted to apply his love for microbes to creating fermented foods from sustainable, nutritious, and affordable plants. Plonts was born in the corner of a pizza restaurant, where he began experimenting with making his own plant-based cheeses. Moser has spent his career as an operator and investor in early-stage climate and sustainability startups.
Now out of stealth, Plonts has opened a pilot plant and announced a previously undisclosed USD $12 million seed round. This round was led by Lowercarbon Capital, a ClimateTech venture capital fund with >USD $2 billion in assets under management. Plonts secured additional investment from Peter Rahal's Litani Ventures, Accelr8, Pillar, Ponderosa Ventures, and a number of angel investors.
"As a chef, I believe it is increasingly important to understand how and when meat and dairy alternatives can supplement your menu," said Brandon Jew, Moongate Lounge & Mister Jiu's Founder and Executive Chef.
"There is already a rich history in Chinese cuisine that leans heavily into the creativity of using soy milk. Plonts is a new product with old world sensibilities, providing yet another way to enjoy soy milk. It maintains the cheesy, melty properties of a cheddar and compels you to consider it in place of dairy cheese. I believe in the product and now serve it on our Moongate Lounge menu."
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