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Planetarians is a technology company.
Planetarians develops affordable, plant-based protein products as meat alternatives. It uses a patented upcycling process, converting high-protein byproducts like brewer's spent yeast and oilcakes into nutritious ingredients. This technology significantly reduces protein production's carbon footprint, offering a sustainable alternative to animal proteins.
Co-founder and CEO/CTO Aleh Manchuliantsau started the company's journey in 2013. He recognized protein-rich oilcakes, typically animal feed, as an underutilized human food source. This insight drove his mission for a venture benefiting people and the planet, alongside chef Max Barnthouse and chief protein chemist Jin-Shan Shie.
Planetarians targets foodservice, schools, and private label markets, offering protein solutions at price parity with conventional meats. Its vision is to sustainably feed a growing global population by maximizing resource efficiency. This minimizes environmental impact, notably reducing greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture.
Planetarians has raised $6.8M across 2 funding rounds.
Planetarians has raised $6.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
# Planetarians: A Climate/FoodTech Company
Planetarians is a climate and food technology company that develops sustainable, plant-based meat alternatives from upcycled ingredients—primarily spent brewer's yeast and oil cake byproducts from vegetable oil extraction.[1][4] The company addresses a critical problem in the alternative protein market: creating affordable, allergen-free, clean-label meat substitutes without the high costs and environmental footprint of conventional plant-based proteins.
The company serves foodservice operators, institutional buyers (schools, universities), and food manufacturers seeking sustainable protein solutions. Its products—including BBQ-style strips, meaty tips, and chef's cut tenders—are designed as ready-to-eat or par-cooked options that can be integrated directly into existing meal programs.[5] Planetarians' core innovation lies in its patented manufacturing process that converts food industry waste streams into high-protein ingredients with umami-like flavor profiles, achieving a carbon footprint reportedly 50 times better than animal meat and 10 times better than other plant-based alternatives.[3]
Aleh Manchuliantsau, the company's co-founder and CEO/CTO, is an inventor with seven granted patents and a track record as a serial entrepreneur who previously founded 100%FOOD, Usarium, and MOBYS.[2] He launched Planetarians with an explicit mission: "to show my kids that a venture that's healthy for people, good for the planet, and rewarding for all collaborators is possible."[3]
The company's evolution reflects iterative product development. Beginning in 2015 with sunflower chips from upcycled oilcake, the team pivoted through multiple iterations—high-protein pasta with Barilla (2017), solid-state fermentation applications (2019), and finally to spent brewer's yeast-based proteins (2021).[3] Early validation came through academic partnerships: Planetarians' process was tested at the University of Minnesota, leading to investment from manufacturing partner Cereal Docks and recognition with the AgFunder Innovation Award 2019.[2] The company secured backing from Barilla's venture arm Blue1877 and Amadori, and later raised a $6 million seed round in 2023 led by Mindrock, with support from Techstars, SOSV, and ZX Ventures (AB InBev's corporate venture arm).[4] In 2022, the company achieved patent awards and launched its first commercial facility with AB InBev's support.[3]
Planetarians operates at the intersection of three converging trends: the alternative protein market's maturation, the circular economy movement, and corporate sustainability commitments. The company's reliance on brewery and oil extraction byproducts addresses a genuine supply chain inefficiency—these waste streams are abundant and currently underutilized. AB InBev's involvement signals that legacy food and beverage corporations recognize the strategic value of ingredient innovation for sustainability goals.
The company also represents a shift in how alternative protein companies approach market entry: rather than competing on taste alone (a crowded space), Planetarians emphasizes cost reduction and environmental impact through process innovation. This positions it within a broader ecosystem of companies solving the "affordability problem" that has constrained plant-based meat adoption in foodservice and institutional settings.
As of August 2025, Planetarians entered a strategic transition phase, auctioning its IP and assets to settle outstanding debts while actively seeking acquirers to develop the technology further.[4] The company's founder positioned this not as failure but as a pivot toward licensing its patented process and SpyGlass AI platform—which can optimize any CPG product using byproducts—to larger food manufacturers.[4]
The real opportunity may extend beyond plant-based meat into broader food reformulation: the company's technology could enable major food companies to create healthier, lower-cost versions of existing products (chocolate bars with less sugar, ramen with more protein) using waste-stream ingredients. This positions Planetarians' intellectual property as a potential acquisition target for established food conglomerates seeking rapid innovation in sustainability and nutritional optimization. The company's success will ultimately depend on whether its technology can be scaled and integrated into existing manufacturing infrastructure by buyers with distribution networks and capital resources that Planetarians itself lacked.
Planetarians has raised $6.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Planetarians's investors include Ulvi Rashid, SOSV, Y Combinator, Peter Bodenheimer, AB InBev, Shawn Broderick, Techstars, Traction Fund, ARCH Venture Partners, Broadway Angels, Foundry Group, High Alpha.
Planetarians has raised $6.8M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Seed in February 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2023 | $6.0M Seed | Ulvi Rashid | SOSV, Y Combinator, Peter Bodenheimer, AB InBev, Shawn Broderick, Techstars, Traction Fund |
| Mar 1, 2019 | $750K Seed | ARCH Venture Partners, Broadway Angels, Foundry Group, High Alpha, LOI Venture, Menlo Ventures, SOSV, Y Combinator, Chris Smoak, Peter Bodenheimer, Rudy Gadre, Barilla Group, Techstars, The Yield Lab |