Manchester United footballer Chris Smalling is among the numerous investors investing £ 3.5m in the plant-based meat company THIS.
Advertisers revealed a I that Smalling, 30, who spent last season on loan to Italian Rome, injected a six-figure figure into the London brand, which produces vegan protein products for supermarkets and restaurants.
Venture capital firms Backed, Five Seasons Ventures, Idinvest Partners, Seedcamp and Manta Ray have also put their trust in the start-up after it launched a Seedrs fundraising campaign this month.
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Plant-based foods
THIS was founded by Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman, who left the Chosen Bun burger chain to move to the vegan food market.
The two describe their products, consisting mostly of pea and soy protein, as “the most realistic chicken and bacon alternatives in the world.”
Supermarkets like Tesco and Waitrose sell parts of the THIS range, while restaurant groups including Honest, Mama’s Coco and Chick ‘n’ Sours use plant-based meat in their vegan dishes.
‘Building momentum’
Shovel said THIS food “mimics meat in taste, texture, appearance and smell, but without the ethical or environmental impact” and said of his latest fundraising campaign: “Pete and I can a hardly believe how quickly the Seedrs campaign has built momentum.
“I haven’t clicked ‘Update’ often since my online dating days. We are truly honored that so many people have deemed THIS worthy of their investment; we will continue to overwork and age abnormally fast, in the hopes of making them a huge comeback. “
Smalling said: “I was really impressed with what Andy & Pete have achieved in such a short time. They have created a killer brand with fantastic products. Excited to be part of their journey “.
Andre de Haes, the founder of Backed, added: “THIS is capitalizing on the most important trend in nutrition: high demand for tasty plant-based meat alternatives, for all those who are increasingly aware of harmful health, climate change and animal welfare. impacts of mass meat production. “
