Plant-based cheese maker raises $12 million seed round

Plonts has raised $12 million in seed funding and opened a pilot plant in Oakland, Calif., enabling the company to launch its first product — an aged plant-based cheddar. The company said its product will launch at select restaurants in New York City and the San Francisco Bay area.

The company said it also underwent a previously undisclosed $12 million seed financing round in 2022, led by Lowercarbon Capital. It also received additional investment from Peter Rahal’s Litani Ventures, Acceler8, Pillar, Ponderosa Ventures and other angel investors, according to the company.

Plonts was founded in 2019 by Nathaniel Chu and Josh Moser, an operator and investor in early-stage climate and sustainability startups.

Chu used his doctorate degree from MIT, which involved studying the human gut microbiome, to use microbes to create fermented foods from plants.

After experimenting with his own plant-based cheese in a pizza restaurant, Chu created Plonts.

To produce its aged plant-based cheddar, the company uses fermentation by turning plants into cheese with soy milk. Plonts said its blend of cultures and enzymes creates a tangy, cheesy flavor as the cheese ages.

Plonts said it plans to introduce additional products and launch in additional markets and retail in the future. 

Food Business