This week in plants: big funding, permanent fast food menu items, a vegan food hall in LA, and dim sum that proves plant-based eating went gourmet.
NotCo raises $150M Series E, now valued at $1.5B
Chilean AI-powered food tech startup NotCo closed a $150 million Series E round, pushing its valuation to $1.5 billion. The company uses machine learning to reverse-engineer animal products from plants and counts Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz, and Burger King among its partners.
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McDonald's McPlant now permanent in 2,500+ US locations
After two years of trials, McDonald's confirmed the McPlant burger — made with Beyond Meat — is now a permanent menu item at over 2,500 US restaurants, the chain's biggest plant-based commitment to date.
Plantopia — LA's first fully vegan food hall opens in Silver Lake
Silver Lake's new Plantopia food hall brings eight all-vegan vendors under one roof, from Nashville hot 'chicken' to Japanese milk bread. It's the first entirely plant-based food hall in Los Angeles.
Beyond Meat posts first profitable quarter, revenue up 18% YoY
Beyond Meat reported its first-ever profitable quarter with revenue climbing 18% year-over-year, driven by foodservice partnerships and international expansion. The company's stock surged 12% on the news.
Yauatcha vegan dim sum pop-up in London Shoreditch — sold out
Michelin-starred Yauatcha's fully vegan dim sum pop-up in London's Shoreditch sold out within hours, featuring har gow, siu mai, and char siu bao reimagined entirely from plants. A second run is planned for August.
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