Alumni Ventures

Ummino is a company that specializes in precision fermentation technology aimed at the fortified food and beverage sectors. Founded in 2019 and based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ummino has developed a method that allows clients to convert common ingredients into high-value functional foods. By unlocking rare compounds found in nature, the company's technology enhances both taste and nutritional value, providing innovative solutions for the food industry.

Gooder Foods is a manufacturer of processed food products. The company offers veggie-boosted, protein-packed, mac and cheese, helping customers have healthy options in packaged food products.

Hyfé is a feedstock processing company focused on transforming food waste into valuable chemicals and materials, thereby promoting sustainability in various industries. By utilizing fungal fermentation, Hyfé upcycles waste generated during food manufacturing, enabling the production of cost-competitive essential goods. This innovative approach not only maximizes profits for food manufacturers but also contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of the food industry. Through its commitment to creating sustainable chemicals, materials, fuels, and foods, Hyfé aims to unlock the full value of every crop while providing alternatives to petroleum-based products.

Gooder Foods is a manufacturer of processed food products. The company offers veggie-boosted, protein-packed, mac and cheese, helping customers have healthy options in packaged food products.

Picnic, founded in 2016 and based in Seattle, Washington, specializes in food production technology and robotics solutions for the food service and hospitality industries. Formerly known as Vivid Robotics Inc., the company has assembled a team of experienced professionals from both food and technology sectors. Picnic's flagship product, the Pizza Production System, represents a significant innovation in automated food preparation, enabling commercial kitchens to produce hundreds of custom pizzas per hour using chef-selected ingredients and recipes. The company's application facilitates seamless interactions and ordering processes for food companies, enhancing operational efficiency in the industry.

PathSpot Technologies, Inc., established in 2017 and headquartered in New York City, specializes in food safety solutions. The company develops and manufactures a unique system that uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze fluorescent light, enabling it to scan employees' hands and detect pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses. This technology helps restaurants and their customers mitigate the risk of food-borne illnesses by providing instant, invisible signs of harmful bacteria and viruses.

Mozza is a Los Angeles-based company founded in 2018 that specializes in the development of plant-based cheese products. The company aims to create cheese derived from plants that closely replicates the taste and texture of traditional dairy cheese. By utilizing bovine milk proteins, Mozza produces cheese that exhibits the same characteristics as its animal-derived counterparts, including melt, stretch, and flavor. This innovation provides consumers with a viable alternative to dairy cheese, catering to the growing demand for plant-based food options.

SCiFi Foods is a food technology company focused on developing a sustainable and ethical alternative to conventional meat through the production of cultivated meat. By combining lab-grown meat cells with plant-based ingredients, the company aims to create burgers that closely replicate the taste and sensory experience of traditional beef. SCiFi Foods has achieved significant milestones, including the successful growth of beef cells in suspension, which has the potential to dramatically reduce production costs. Co-founded by CEO Joshua March and CTO Kasia Gora, PhD, the company leverages advanced bioengineering techniques to provide a nutritious and animal-free meat experience. With a commitment to transforming the food landscape, SCiFi Foods has attracted substantial investment from prominent venture capital firms.

FarmWise, established in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in developing and manufacturing robotic machinery for agriculture. The company's primary product is a mechanical weeder, designed to track and remove weeds in vegetable crops, enhancing farm efficiency and reducing herbicide usage. FarmWise also offers comprehensive training and support to ensure optimal use of its technology.

Here Holdings, LLC is a company based in Chicago, Illinois, that specializes in producing cold press juices, dips, and spreads. Its product lineup features a variety of juices made from ingredients such as pineapple, celery, apple, turmeric, and kale, among others. In addition to juices, Here Holdings offers a selection of dips, including black bean tomato, edamame pea sesame, and spinach mushroom. The company emphasizes the use of Midwest produce, reflecting its commitment to quality and local sourcing. Here Holdings aims to foster trust and transparency while serving the community through its food and beverage offerings.

Oshi is a company focused on creating plant-based, boneless fish fillets through innovative culinary research and advanced additive manufacturing technology. By developing whole-cut fish products made entirely from plants, Oshi aims to provide nutritious and delicious alternatives to traditional seafood. The company's mission is to promote sustainability by reducing reliance on marine animals and contributing to ocean conservation. Oshi's approach not only seeks to offer a safer option for consumers but also strives for cost-effectiveness and scalability in its production processes, making it a significant player in the plant-based food industry.

Zordi is an innovative company specializing in autonomous modular greenhouse technology that integrates robotics and artificial intelligence. It focuses on enhancing agricultural operations by automating various processes, including pest management, harvesting, and packing. By utilizing proprietary AI and robotics, Zordi aims to improve the efficiency and reliability of greenhouse farming, particularly for distributed farms located near urban centers. This approach enables consumers to access fresh, high-quality produce while also offering a promising return on investment for operators. Through its advanced technology, Zordi is redefining the landscape of modern agriculture.

Gooder Foods is a manufacturer of processed food products. The company offers veggie-boosted, protein-packed, mac and cheese, helping customers have healthy options in packaged food products.

Picnic, founded in 2016 and based in Seattle, Washington, specializes in food production technology and robotics solutions for the food service and hospitality industries. Formerly known as Vivid Robotics Inc., the company has assembled a team of experienced professionals from both food and technology sectors. Picnic's flagship product, the Pizza Production System, represents a significant innovation in automated food preparation, enabling commercial kitchens to produce hundreds of custom pizzas per hour using chef-selected ingredients and recipes. The company's application facilitates seamless interactions and ordering processes for food companies, enhancing operational efficiency in the industry.

Spero Foods, Inc. is a company that specializes in producing and selling alternative dairy products, focusing primarily on cream cheese. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Oakland, California, Spero employs innovative food science and process engineering to create mainstream plant-based dairy alternatives. The company aims to provide healthy food options for all individuals, positioning itself as a disruptor in the traditional dairy market. Spero Foods' products are available through various channels, including wholesalers, retail stores, and online platforms across the United States. The company has gained recognition for its innovative approach and has received awards from notable organizations such as Fast Company, NEXTY, and The Food Network. Its products can be found in over 3,500 authorized locations, including major retailers like Kroger, Whole Foods, Publix, and Sprouts.

Medipresso is a company that specializes in the production of coffee and tea capsule machines. It focuses on creating medicinal herbal teas by combining traditional medicines with natural ingredients. The company is engaged in research to enhance the capsule business, aiming to simplify the consumption of herbal tea ingredients that have historically been challenging to enjoy. By employing a careful blending process overseen by a tea sommelier and utilizing high-pressure extraction methods in its capsule machines, Medipresso enables customers to access the medicinal benefits of herbal teas while enjoying a convenient beverage experience.

Thistle, established in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in delivering ready-to-eat, plant-based meals, snacks, and cold-pressed juices directly to customers. Its offerings are nutritious, gourmet, and sourced locally and organically, making healthy eating convenient and accessible.

Spero Foods, Inc. is a company that specializes in producing and selling alternative dairy products, focusing primarily on cream cheese. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Oakland, California, Spero employs innovative food science and process engineering to create mainstream plant-based dairy alternatives. The company aims to provide healthy food options for all individuals, positioning itself as a disruptor in the traditional dairy market. Spero Foods' products are available through various channels, including wholesalers, retail stores, and online platforms across the United States. The company has gained recognition for its innovative approach and has received awards from notable organizations such as Fast Company, NEXTY, and The Food Network. Its products can be found in over 3,500 authorized locations, including major retailers like Kroger, Whole Foods, Publix, and Sprouts.

SCiFi Foods is a food technology company focused on developing a sustainable and ethical alternative to conventional meat through the production of cultivated meat. By combining lab-grown meat cells with plant-based ingredients, the company aims to create burgers that closely replicate the taste and sensory experience of traditional beef. SCiFi Foods has achieved significant milestones, including the successful growth of beef cells in suspension, which has the potential to dramatically reduce production costs. Co-founded by CEO Joshua March and CTO Kasia Gora, PhD, the company leverages advanced bioengineering techniques to provide a nutritious and animal-free meat experience. With a commitment to transforming the food landscape, SCiFi Foods has attracted substantial investment from prominent venture capital firms.

Dexai Robotics, Inc. is a company based in Somerville, Massachusetts, focused on designing and developing artificial intelligence-driven robotics for the automation of commercial kitchens and the broader food industry. Founded in 2018, Dexai specializes in creating customized robots that simplify operations in quick-serve restaurants and other food service environments. The company's robots leverage advanced technologies such as machine vision and machine learning to automate food assembly tasks. This includes the precise use of utensils to scoop or pick ingredients, allowing for the preparation of salads and other dishes without altering recipes. By streamlining these processes, Dexai Robotics enables restaurant businesses to operate more efficiently in their daily activities.

FarmWise, established in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in developing and manufacturing robotic machinery for agriculture. The company's primary product is a mechanical weeder, designed to track and remove weeds in vegetable crops, enhancing farm efficiency and reducing herbicide usage. FarmWise also offers comprehensive training and support to ensure optimal use of its technology.

Motif FoodWorks, Inc. is a bio-organism engineering company based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in developing innovative food ingredients. The company focuses on producing animal-free proteins, including meat alternatives and dairy-free proteins, catering to the growing demand for plant-based food solutions. By utilizing fermentation technology, Motif creates essential proteins and nutrients that enhance both nutrition and flavor in food products. The company collaborates with chefs, health experts, and food innovators to develop new ingredient solutions aimed at transforming the food industry and promoting sustainability. Established in 2018 and originally known as Motif Ingredients, Motif FoodWorks rebranded in 2019 to reflect its commitment to advancing the next generation of healthy and plant-based foods.

Ceradis B.V. is a company that specializes in the development and marketing of environmentally friendly solutions for plant nutrition and crop protection products. Founded in 2005 and based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, with an additional office in Bogotá, Colombia, Ceradis also offers crop formulation services. The company's products feature patented formulations that ensure optimal activity of ingredients and provide excellent handling characteristics for users. Ceradis serves the agricultural industry both in the Netherlands and on an international scale.

Clear Labs, Inc. is a food analytics company based in Menlo Park, California, founded in 2013. The company specializes in providing a comprehensive food analytics platform that utilizes next-generation sequencing and data analytics to enhance food safety and quality control. Its offerings include Clear Dx™ and Clear Safety™, which facilitate the rapid identification of pathogens and support public health initiatives. Clear Labs' platform delivers critical insights into the molecular composition of foods and ingredients, testing for authenticity, contaminants, allergens, and other safety parameters. By offering transparency across supply chains, the company serves food manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and safety through detailed analytics and reporting.

PastureMap, Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in developing software for grazing and ranching, founded in 2014. The company's platform assists ranchers and farmers in enhancing their operations by promoting healthy grassland management. Through its innovative software, PastureMap provides tools that integrate mobile records with aerial imaging, soil maps, and rainfall data, facilitating improved grazing practices and land optimization. This technology enables users to effectively map and subdivide pastures, track herd information, manage animal weights, and plan water and infrastructure needs. By focusing on regenerative agriculture, PastureMap aims to restore soil health, sequester carbon, and contribute to sustainable food production while supporting local communities.

Consumer Physics Inc. is a Tel Aviv-based company that develops and distributes molecular sensors, primarily marketed under the SCiO brand. Founded in 2011, the company aims to empower consumers and businesses to analyze the composition of materials in real-time using its compact near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer. The SCiO device integrates with smartphone applications and connects to a cloud-based database that stores material fingerprints. This technology is particularly beneficial for industries such as food and agriculture, as it enables users to make informed decisions, reduce waste, and enhance profitability. Consumer Physics also provides a platform for businesses and third-party developers to create their own molecular sensing models and mobile applications, supported by tools like the SCiO Lab development platform and Mobile SDK.

Clear Labs, Inc. is a food analytics company based in Menlo Park, California, founded in 2013. The company specializes in providing a comprehensive food analytics platform that utilizes next-generation sequencing and data analytics to enhance food safety and quality control. Its offerings include Clear Dx™ and Clear Safety™, which facilitate the rapid identification of pathogens and support public health initiatives. Clear Labs' platform delivers critical insights into the molecular composition of foods and ingredients, testing for authenticity, contaminants, allergens, and other safety parameters. By offering transparency across supply chains, the company serves food manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and safety through detailed analytics and reporting.