Alternative Protein Solutions Database
Discover ideas for new startups, commercial ventures and products, research projects, ecosystem support, and investment opportunities for plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived proteins.
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
| Opportunity | Production platform | Value chain segment | Technology sector | End product focus | Relevant actor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
B2B growth factors for proliferation
There is a need for a supplier of low-cost growth factors produced without the use of animals to support the proliferation phase of cultivated meat production. The cost of growth… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
|
Production R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Bioprocess design Cell culture media | Seafood-relevant Species-agnostic | Academics Industry Startups |
|
Affordable animal-free omega-3 ingredients for alternative seafood and other alternative protein applications
In order to appeal to health-conscious consumers, alternative seafood products should contain similar omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA, content to conventional seafood. Animal-free omega-3 ingredients can be expensive… |
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
Investment Production R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Bioprocess design Crop development Host strain development Ingredient optimization Target molecule selection | Seafood | Industry Investors Startups |
|
Novel methods for long-chain omega-3 fatty acid production
As the alternative seafood industry scales up, a low-cost and abundant source of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids will become necessary. Several means of producing these compounds have been investigated… |
Fermentation
|
R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Bioprocess design Host strain development Ingredient optimization Target molecule selection | Seafood | Academics Industry Startups |
|
Preventing oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids before and after addition to alternative seafood products
Deeper fundamental knowledge of the causes and prevention of oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids before, during, and after addition to alternative seafood products is needed to improve their nutritional and… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
End Products Investment Production R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Bioprocess design Crop development End product formulation & manufacturing Host strain development Ingredient optimization Target molecule selection | Seafood | Academics Industry Investors Startups |
|
Build alternative protein sessions into scientific conferences
Elevating the visibility and credibility of the field at scientific conferences will expand the technical talent pipeline and amplify collaboration and funding efforts. |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
R&D | Species-agnostic | Academics GFI | |
|
Building interdisciplinary university research centers of excellence
Interdisciplinary research is essential for tackling many of the complex problems facing today’s world. Though the number of research projects advancing alternative protein science has increased in recent years, this… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
R&D Workforce | Species-agnostic | Academics Donors Industry NGO’s Policymakers Startups | |
|
Building alternative protein programs and majors at universities
To ensure a strong talent pipeline, there is a need to launch robust university programming, ranging from certificate programs to short multi-course modules, centered around alternative protein. Full majors would… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
R&D Workforce | Species-agnostic | Academics GFI | |
|
Increasing the number, quality, and diversity of alternative protein-relevant university courses
There is a significant and urgent need to launch and support university and online courses in order to build and extend the talent pipeline of students going into the alternative… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
R&D Workforce | Species-agnostic | Academics GFI | |
|
Coordination among investors with alternative protein industry-specific expertise
Investors specializing in alternative proteins should be leveraged to educate the broader investment community through coalitions, syndicated deals, and co-investments with industry-agnostic investors, and spearhead efforts to facilitate later-stage funding… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
Investment | Species-agnostic | GFI Investors Startups | |
|
Establishing student groups at key universities
Universities are epicenters for creative problem-solving and cutting-edge research advancements, and they can serve as engines for interdisciplinary innovation. However, this potential is not being tapped fully by the alternative… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
Demand Generation R&D Workforce | Species-agnostic | Academics Donors GFI NGO’s |
Get involved
If you’d like to fund a research project, work on any of these solutions, share information about related efforts that are already underway, or elevate new ideas for advancing the alternative protein industry, we’d love to hear from you!
Explore key innovation priorities
Review commercial whitespaces, research gaps, technological needs, and investment priorities at each stage of the alternative protein value chain.
How we built this
Full report
Delve into the full report on the motivation, methodology, rationale, and key findings and recommendations of the Solutions initiative.
Futures wheels analysis
Explore our framework for uncovering second-order or third-order consequences and implications of hypothetical future scenarios to support better decision-making in the present.
Future-proofing
Discover key findings from GFI’s premortem analysis of potential threats to the widespread adoption of alternative proteins, including strategies to avoid or mitigate the most pressing risks.
