Nature's Fynd facts for kids

Nature's Fynd is a company that makes food using tiny living things called microbes. They create special proteins for things like meat-free burgers and dairy-free milk. This unique protein comes from a fungus first found in hot springs in Yellowstone National Park.

The company started in 2012 in Chicago. Since 2013, it has received money from US government groups like NASA and the National Science Foundation. It also gets funding from big investors, including those backed by people like Bill Gates.

How Nature's Fynd Started and Grew

Discovering the "Fy" Protein

In 2009, a scientist named Mark Kozubal was part of a NASA study. He was looking for life in extreme places, like the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. There, he found a special fungus. This fungus was later named Fusarium strain flavolapis. It produces a protein called "Fy".

The NASA study was actually trying to prepare a space probe. This probe would search for life on other planets. In 2012, Kozubal realized this fungus could be used to make a type of biodiesel. The company was officially started on November 13, 2012. It was first called Sustainable Bioproducts LLC.

Early Funding and New Ideas

In 2013, Sustainable Bioproducts worked with Montana State University. They wanted to understand how their new protein, called MK7, could be used in the market. The company also shares some of its profits with Yellowstone National Park. This is because they have the right to use resources from the park's land.

The company received grants from many US government agencies. These included the National Science Foundation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency. At first, co-founder Thomas Jonas and Mark Kozubal wanted to use "Fy" to make a better biofuel. But they later decided to focus on making food instead.

Growing with New Investments

On February 4, 2019, Sustainable Bioproducts announced a big investment of $33 million. This money came from several investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a fund supported by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. Other investors included ADM and Danone. At this time, the company had 22 employees. They were working out of the University of Chicago. They thought their food products would be ready in about two years.

In March 2020, the company changed its name to Nature's Fynd. They also received another $80 million in funding. This allowed them to move into a large new factory in Chicago. This factory helps them produce their microbe-based food. Their product is very efficient to make and has a lot of protein. It's part of a new trend of fermented foods, like kombucha.

At the time of this new funding, Nature's Fynd had 50 employees. They expected to have 100 by the end of 2020. The Chicago factory was built to make products like animal-free cream cheese, chicken nuggets, and meatless sliders.

In December 2020, the company raised another $45 million. This brought their total funding to $158 million. This money helped them get ready for their product launch in 2021.

First Products Launch

On February 14, 2021, Bill Gates, an investor in Nature's Fynd, talked about the company on the TV show 60 Minutes. The very next day, Nature's Fynd announced its first two products. These were dairy-free cream cheese and meatless breakfast patties. They made these products available for people to order.

Key People at Nature's Fynd

• Thomas Jonas is a co-founder and the chief executive officer (CEO). He is from France and used to be an officer in the French Air Force.
• Mark Kozubal is a co-founder and the chief scientific officer (CSO). He is a scientist who studies tiny life forms in rocks and soil. He also used to do research for NASA.
• Yuval Avniel is a co-founder and Director of Intellectual Property. He is a materials scientist and helps protect the company's new ideas.
• Karuna Rawal is the chief marketing officer. She helps tell people about Nature's Fynd products.
• Eleanore Eckstrom is the director of product design. She used to be a food scientist at Kraft Heinz.

The Science Behind "Fy" Protein

What is "Fy"?

The "Fy" protein comes from a fungus called Fusarium str. yellowstonensis. This fungus was first known for eating algae and producing a type of oil. "Fy" is a complete protein. This means it has all nine important amino acids that humans need to stay healthy.

Unlike many other plant-based proteins, "Fy" is a food itself. It's not just a protein that's added to other ingredients. The fungus grows in a network of tiny threads called mycelial filaments. These threads can form a protein that looks and feels like meat.

How "Fy" is Made

The process of making "Fy" is very efficient. The fungus grows in open trays. It doesn't need a special bioreactor to grow. It uses starches and simple sugars as food. The process is a type of propagation of extremophiles. This means they grow tiny living things that thrive in extreme conditions.

The final product is mostly protein. It also has fibers, oils, and important micronutrients. These include vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, and calcium. The fungus-based protein grows much faster than plant or animal proteins. It doubles its size in just a few hours. This means a single baking sheet can produce as much protein as 30 chickens in a year! Nature's Fynd is even working with NASA. They want to develop a bioreactor that uses the "Fy" microbe for space travel.

See also

• Quorn
• List of meat substitutes
• Protein quality