RiceBran Technologies (RIBT)

[wow_happens28]

$RIBT Continental Grain that owns about 22% of RIBT is in China investing in animal free dairy with a group. Also in the story "Alternative Proteins – Making News and Attracting Investors" Ribt is into plant proteins.

First I have heard about animal free dairy, but can't see a tie in with RIBT on that front.

http://www.globalaginvesting.com/animal-free-dairy-provider-perfect-day-raises-24-7m-series/

March 1, 2018
Led by Singapore’s state-owned investment company Temasek, animal dairy producer Perfect Day has raised US$24.7 million in funding and received its first patent for the use of animal-free dairy proteins in food applications. The amount sets a new high for the foodtech sector, with Hong Kong-based Horizons Ventures, Continental Grain, Iconiq Capital, Lion Ventures, and Verus International also participating.

According to a press release, the funding will enable the Company to add staff, accelerate scale-up efforts, and initiate commercial ventures partners across the food and dairy sectors. Co-founder and CEO Ryan Pandya said, “This round brings us closer to our goal: to provide dairy for everyone in a sustainable way. Thanks to the commitment and trust of our investors, we are in a better position than ever before to achieve the impact that motivates us.”

The company’s selling point is its patented process for producing protein that is identical to that from animal sources using food-grade yeast. As explained to Food Navigator by Perfect Day Founder Ryan Pandya, it involves adding 3-D printed DNA sequences from dairy cows to the yeast, which are then fermented before being extracted for use in food and beverages.

Alternative Proteins – Making News and Attracting Investors

Food companies are increasingly pushing the boundaries for finding alternatives to meat-based protein as they look to provide sources that can meet dietary restrictions, be more sustainably produced, and expand food options to meet a growing world population.

Recent milestones have been the release of meat alternatives by Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, and Don Lee Farms; the investment by Cargill in pea protein producer PURIS; the $65 million Series C round by Ripple Foods, a producer of dairy alternative beverages and food made from pea protein; and the €45 million raised by Dutch biotech startup, Protix, which breeds insects for sustainable animal feed production, in a round that included Aqua-Spark, Rabobank, BOM, and additional unnamed investors.