Chipotle invests in aquatic plant-based product providers
The Chipotle Mexican Grill venture fund is backing start-ups that develop sustainable proteins and feed derived from aquatic plants.
Introduced by Chipotle in 2022, Cultivate Next makes early-stage investments into strategically aligned companies that focus on increasing technology and innovation in restaurant operations and align with the fast-casual restaurant giant’s stated mission to “Cultivate a Better World.”
The fund was launched with an initial size of $50 million has now reached $100 million and is financed solely by Chipotle.
[READ MORE: Chipotle launches $50 million venture fund to foster innovation]
The two latest companies Chipotle is investing in are:
Plantible
Founded in 2018, Plantible has developed a vertically integrated manufacturing platform to produce its proprietary Rubi Protein product from lemna, more commonly known as duckweed.
Rubi Protein is a natural, plant-based protein designed to mimic the quality, taste, and texture of animal-based proteins and replace synthetic emulsifiers and binders. By leveraging Rubi's functional and nutritional profile,
Plantible’s manufacturing technology limits fresh water usage through recirculation and minimizes carbon emissions due to an efficient growing process.
"Plantible's vertically integrated and traceable supply chain aligns with our commitment to ingredient transparency and Food with Integrity standards," said Curt Garner, chief customer and technology officer at Chipotle. "Investing in a like-minded venture that strives to transform the global food supply could help the entire industry unlock new opportunities for plant-based menu offerings."
CH4 Global
CH4 Global seeks to deliver gigaton-scale emissions reductions during the next decade using whole, dried asparagopsis seaweed to reduce livestock methane. The company's flagship product, Methane Tamer, is a feed additive that leverages asparagopsis with a goal of reducing methane emissions in cattle by up to 90%.
Chipotle's investment will help CH4 Global scale production of Methane Tamer to meet burgeoning global demand for natural solutions to mitigate methane emissions from the world's 1.5 billion cattle.
"As we all work toward the goal of minimizing global greenhouse gas emissions, it's vital for us to invest in companies like CH4 Global that are engineering scalable solutions to reduce harmful global emissions," said Christian Gammill, Cultivate Next fund manager. "Our investment in CH4 Global will help the team scale production of Methane Tamer to meet its current outstripped demand."
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. operated more than 3,600 restaurants as of September 30, 2024, in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany and Kuwait; and it is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North America and Europe.