Duckweed to dollars: Plantible Foods fully operational at Texas RuBisCO plant, eyes tripling capacity

By Agroempresario.com

Plantible Foods, an innovative startup specializing in extracting RuBisCO protein from the fast-growing aquatic plant lemna (duckweed), has announced that its first commercial facility in Eldorado, Texas, is now fully operational. The company, known for pioneering sustainable and highly functional plant-based proteins, is currently seeking additional funding to triple its production capacity at this site.

Having closed a $30 million Series B funding round last year co-led by Piva Capital and Siddhi Capital, Plantible Foods has already installed an upgraded protein filtration system to boost operational efficiency and improve cash flow potential. According to Tony Martens, cofounder and CEO of Plantible Foods, the company recently introduced a proprietary lemna strain that significantly increases protein yield per ton of biomass and per acre of cultivation.

“We focus on two key factors: how much RuBisCO we can derive per ton of biomass and how much biomass we can produce per acre annually,” Martens explained in an interview with AgFunderNews. “To date, we have screened over 400 different strains of lemna, each with varying growth rates and protein compositions. Our new strain improves output substantially, and we have more promising strains lined up for 2026.”

Plantible Foods’ modular expansion strategy, scaling out production capacity with proven technology rather than scaling up, has helped build investor confidence. The company has also secured long-term offtake agreements, reinforcing its growth trajectory.

RuBisCO, a highly abundant protein found in all green leaves, has long been sought after as the “holy grail” of plant proteins due to its nutritional profile and functional properties comparable to animal proteins. Extracted from lemna, a free-floating aquatic plant that doubles in mass every two to three days without pesticides, Plantible’s “Rubi Protein” contains all essential amino acids and scores a perfect 1.0 on the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS), making it nutritionally equivalent to animal protein.

Unlike many other plant proteins, Rubi Protein boasts a neutral taste, color, and odor, allowing it to be labeled simply as “lemna leaf protein” and is self-GRAS (generally recognized as safe) in the United States. This versatility makes it attractive to food manufacturers aiming to formulate clean-label products with superior functional qualities.

Paul Peterson, Global Alternative Proteins Leader at ICL Group, highlighted the significance of Plantible’s protein in replacing chemically derived binders such as methylcellulose. “In partnership with Plantible Foods, we have developed a market-leading binding solution that meets the needs of the most demanding plant-based food consumers,” Peterson stated.

Rubi Protein’s functional applications are broad, ranging from baked goods and confectionery to coatings, dairy (both animal- and plant-based), sauces, and dressings. The protein also offers an effective clean-label alternative for egg replacements and binders in meat alternatives, an area seeing growing demand in the food industry. Martens emphasized the growing importance of allergen removal and clean labels, which are becoming a priority beyond just plant-based food manufacturers.

While Rubi Protein’s nutritional benefits attract interest, current capacity constraints mean Plantible Foods prioritizes functional applications that optimize texture and cost-in-use in their commercial strategy. The company plans to introduce its first retail products by September, expanding beyond foodservice channels.

RuBisCO extraction has posed challenges historically due to cost and scalability issues, with multiple companies worldwide attempting to commercialize it. New Zealand’s Leaft Foods remains one of the front runners, producing RuBisCO concentrate from alfalfa at scale, while others like ProLeafEra, FUDI Ingredients, Day 8, Brevel, Alfa-Ruby, and Leaf Protein Company are also developing technologies in this space.

Plantible Foods’ breakthrough with lemna and its operational plant in Texas mark a significant step toward unlocking RuBisCO’s full potential as a sustainable, high-functionality protein ingredient for the future of food.