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Diving overview:
- Tender, a 4-year-old food tech startup, is advancing into the restaurant industry.He is based in Somerville, Massachusetts. It signed a deal with Boston food chain Clover Food Labs.
- Tender was established in 2020 and produces alternative proteins. Includes beef ribs, pulled pork, chicken breast, crab and more. According to CEO Christophe Chantre, the company's technology involves a process similar to that used to make cotton candy, spinning plant protein fibers, including soy protein, to create structured pieces of meat.
- Tender received $11 million in Series A funding led by Rhapsody Venture Partners and existing investors such as Chris Sacca's Lower Carbon Capital and Safar Partners. The company will use the funds to meet the needs of its restaurant customers and innovate with new products.
Dive Insights:
Tender claims to “leapfrog” plant-based pioneers Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat with its patented spin technology.“In one form or another, it’s a surreal, nutritious and affordable product made from simple ingredients.”
From seafood to steaks, Tender strives to be “the manufacturing platform for the industry,” according to a press release.
The latest round of financing will be used to expand the company's capacity to produce millions of pounds of product at its new Massachusetts facility.
“Consumers are deeply disappointed with the plant-based meat products on the market. They are too expensive, they don’t taste good, and most are limited to burgers and sausages with long and unrecognizable ingredient lists. We need new technologies to solve these problems. Challenging this category and driving meaningful adoption is critical to decarbonizing our food system,” Chantre said in a statement.
The company is already serving its initial products, including beef ribs, pulled pork, chicken breast and crab, at a variety of restaurants and universities in the Boston area. Our recent partnership with Clover Food Lab brings our full product line to all of our locations.
