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State of the Industry Report: Fermentation

Long used to produce foods like cheese, fermentation is emerging as the third pillar for alternative proteins. New applications are transforming the industry, improving taste and texture. This first-of-its-kind report introduces the versatile uses of fermentation and covers the competitive landscape, innovation opportunities, product and ingredient applications, investment trends, regulatory status, and more.

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44fermentation companies are focused exclusively or predominantly on alternative proteins.
$837min venture capital has been invested in dedicated alternative protein fermentation companies.
$435mwas invested in fermentation companies in the first seven months of 2020 alone—more than the totality of capital raised for fermentation in 2019.

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This report dives into the primary ways fermentation is used in alternative proteins, the competitive landscape, ingredient applications, investment trends, opportunities for innovation, regulatory considerations and more.

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Fermentation mind map that shows the landscape of fermentation within alternative proteins.
Graph of the rise of dedicated companies involved in fermentation for alternative protein applications from 2013 to 2020.
Graph of the rise of venture capital investment in alternative proteins across plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated companies.
Graph of geographical distribution of fermentation companies in alternative proteins.

Watch our on-demand webinar

Join GFI director of science and technology Dr. Liz Specht for highlights from our Fermentation State of the Industry Report. Learn about the three primary ways that fermentation can be used for alt proteins: traditional, biomass, and precision.

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Learn about the emerging role of microbial fermentation in building the next generation of alternative protein products. 

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