The global demand for meat and meat-based products continues to grow, leading to increased land and water usage, and a heavy environmental impact that’s only going to get worse as the world’s population surges to 9 billion by 2050. A number of VC-backed companies are catering to consumers who want cruelty-free and environmentally friendly produce – by substituting the use of animals and livestock. These startups use biotechnology to manufacture protein-rich vegetarian meat, lab-grown leather and silk, non-dairy cheese. Khosla Impact, and Horizons Ventures are the most active in this space, even KPCB and Sequoia Capital have also made investments. Bill Gates is an outspoken proponent of lab grown meat, who has written essays trying to convince consumers to make the cultural shift to lab-grown meat, and 3D printed beef. These startups fit well with the values of vegans, environmentalists, and animal rights activists, and also give a glimpse into the future of food, and some of the largest technology-driven bets in the space.
