Plant-based startup Tender secures deal with fast food chain

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Dive Brief:

• Four-year-old food tech startup Tender is making its way to the food service arena after the Somerville, Massachusetts-based company secured a deal with Boston food chain Clover Food Labs. 
• Tender was founded in 2020 and produces alternative proteins including beef short rib, pulled pork, chicken breast and crab. The company’s technology involves a process similar to that of the creation of cotton candy, where plant protein fibers, including soy proteins, are spun to create structured cuts of meat, according to CEO Christophe Chantre. 
• Tender received $11 million in Series A funding led by Rhapsody Venture Partners and existing investors like Chris Sacca’s Lower Carbon Capital and Safar Partners. The company will use the funds to meet the demand of restaurant customers and to innovate with new products.

Dive Insight:

Tender claims that it “leapfrogs” the plant-based pioneers Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat with their patented spin technology, which creates a “hyper-realistic, nutritious, affordable, products with simple ingredients, in any format.” 

From products like seafood to steak, Tender is looking to become the “manufacturing platform for the industry,” according to a press release.

Its latest funding round will be used to help the company scale capacity at its new Massachusetts facility to produce millions of pounds of product. 

“Consumers are largely disappointed with plant-based meat products in the market — they’re too expensive, they don’t taste good, and are mostly limited to burgers and sausages with long, unrecognizable ingredient lists. We need new technologies to address these challenges and drive meaningful adoption in this category, which is crucial for decarbonizing our food system,” said Chantre in a statement.

The company already features its early products of beef short rib, pulled pork, chicken breast, and crab, at a wide range of restaurants and universities in the Boston area. Its latest partnership with Clover Food Lab brings its entire product line to all locations.