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§ Private Profile · Berkeley, CA, USA
Prime Roots is a technology company.
Prime Roots develops plant-based meat and seafood alternatives, leveraging koji mycelium as its core ingredient. This innovative biotechnology cultivates natural fungi to precisely mimic the taste and texture of traditional animal products. The company provides sustainable, versatile protein options across deli meats and seafood categories.
Co-founded by Kimberlie Le and Josh Nixon, Prime Roots emerged from their shared experience at UC Berkeley. Acknowledging the environmental impact of conventional food systems, Le and Nixon were motivated by an insight to create sustainable protein solutions. Their venture aims to offer delicious, plant-based alternatives to traditional animal products.
Prime Roots targets consumers seeking flavorful and environmentally conscious alternatives to animal proteins. The company's vision is to transform the food system by honoring culinary traditions through sustainable innovation. Prime Roots strives to establish a new standard for deli and seafood products, appealing to a broad audience and contributing to a healthier planet.
Prime Roots has raised $52.3M across 4 funding rounds.
Prime Roots has raised $52.3M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Prime Roots has raised $52.3M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $30.0M Series B in May 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2023 | $30M Series B | Alumni Ventures, Diamond Edge Ventures, Gaingels, Hyphen Capital, Meach Cove Capital, Monde Nissin, Pangaea Ventures, Prosus Ventures, Solasta Ventures, SOSV, The House Fund, TOP Tier Capital Partners, True Ventures | — | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2020 | $14M Series A | — | Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, Bonfire Ventures, BoxGroup, DFJ, Flybridge Capital Partners, Haymaker Ventures, Newfund, Plug & Play Ventures, Recursive Ventures, The General Partnership, The House Fund, TQ Ventures, True Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Seth Goldstein, Stefan Blom | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2018 | $4M Seed | — | BoxGroup, DFJ, Flybridge Capital Partners, Homebrew, Kindred Ventures, Mayfield, Plug & Play Ventures, Tampa BAY Ventures, The General Partnership, TQ Ventures, True Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator, Seth Goldstein, Stefan Blom, Varsha RAO | Announced |
| Dec 1, 2017 | $4.3M Seed | — | Mayfield | Announced |
Prime Roots is a Berkeley, California-based food technology company that produces plant-based meat alternatives, primarily deli meats, using koji mycelium to replicate the taste, texture, and nutrition of animal proteins without environmental drawbacks.[1][3][5][6] It serves flexitarian, vegan, and meat-eating consumers seeking sustainable, clean-label options, solving the problems of high environmental costs, resource intensity, and health concerns in conventional meat production.[1][2][4] The company has raised over $48 million, achieved strong growth momentum with a $30 million Series B in 2023, launched mycelium-based deli products in the US and Canada by 2025, and won blind taste tests against real meat, positioning it as a leader in the alt-protein space.[1][2][3][4]
Prime Roots, formerly Terramino Foods, was founded in 2017 by CEO Kimberlie Le and CTO Joshua Nixon, leveraging their UC Berkeley research in food science, technology, and microbiology.[1][3][4] The idea emerged from using koji—a Japanese mycelium with culinary history—as a scalable, sustainable protein source to reimagine meat and seafood, addressing animal welfare, human health, and environmental unsustainability in traditional farming.[1][4][5] Early traction came via IndieBio acceleration, consumer testing with over 10,000 people, and initial funding of $4.5 million, evolving into broader product lines like whole-cut deli meats backed by investors in Ring and Sweetgreen.[1][3][4]
Prime Roots rides the alt-protein wave, capitalizing on surging demand for sustainable foods amid climate pressures, with mycelium offering scalability over cultivated meat rivals like Believer Meats or SuperMeat.[2][3] Timing aligns with 2025 launches amid flexitarian growth and post-2023 funding boom, fueled by market forces like water scarcity, emissions regulations, and consumer shifts—evidenced by positive taste tests and Canadian expansion.[2][4] It influences the ecosystem by proving fungi-based proteins can disrupt $1T+ meat markets, inspiring biotech innovation and drawing investment to lower-cost, ethical alternatives.[1][3]
Prime Roots is poised for deli category dominance with its mycelium edge, likely expanding production via Series B funds to hit mass retail and international markets. Trends like flexitarian adoption, regulatory tailwinds for alt-proteins, and cost parity with meat will propel growth, potentially evolving its influence toward biomaterials or full protein platforms. This Berkeley innovator, born from koji research, exemplifies how biotech can deliver "better cuts of meat" for a sustainable future.[1][2][6]
Prime Roots has raised $52.3M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Prime Roots's investors include Alumni Ventures, Diamond Edge Ventures, Gaingels, Hyphen Capital, Meach Cove Capital, Monde Nissin, Pangaea Ventures, Prosus Ventures, Solasta Ventures, SOSV, The House Fund, Top Tier Capital Partners.