Its latest partnership with Clover Food Lab brought Tender products to all Clover locations in May 2024
Tender Food Inc., a food technology startup based in Somerville, Massachusetts, has successfully closed over $11 million in Series A funding. Led by Rhapsody Venture Partners, with existing investors Lowercarbon Capital and Safar Partners and new investors Claridge Partners and Nor’easter Ventures, the additional funding will allow Tender to further its goal of revolutionising the way we produce and consume meat.
Tender leapfrogs incumbent plant-based meat products, like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat. How? Their patented technology spins plant protein fibres like cotton candy to create structured cuts of meat. The result is hyper-realistic, nutritious, affordable, products with simple ingredients, in any format – from pulled pork to chicken breast to seafood to steak.
“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, unrecognisable ingredient lists. We need new technologies to address these challenges and drive meaningful adoption in this category, which is crucial for decarbonising our food system. Our technology allows us to create healthy products that taste great, have the structure and feel of animal meat and are much cheaper to produce.” said Christophe Chantre, co-founder and CEO.
Tender features its early products (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 brought Tender products to all Clover locations in May 2024.
