Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat is a Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown.
2009
The company was founded as a California-based startup by Ethan Brown in 2009. The company has received venture funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Obvious Corporation, Bill Gates, Biz Stone, the Humane Society and Tyson Foods. The company began selling its chicken-free mock chicken products in Whole Foods supermarkets across the US in April 2013. In 2014 it developed a beef product.
2014
The company announced in 2014 that it had begun development and testing of a new product called The Beast. The vegetable protein-based burger patties were taste tested by The New York Mets during a pregame event. The vegan and soy-free burger patty The Beast was released in February 2015.
May 2016
In May 2016, the company released the first plant-based burger to be sold alongside beef, poultry and pork in the meat section of the grocery store.
October 2016
Tyson Foods purchased a 5% stake in Beyond Meat in October 2016. It sold its 6.5% stake and exited the investment in April 2019, ahead of the company's initial public offering.
December 2017
In December 2017, a vegan alternative to pork sausage, Beyond Sausage, was announced. The three varieties of "sausage" were called Bratwurst, Hot Italian, and Sweet Italian.
June 2018
In June 2018, the company opened its second production facility in Columbia, Missouri, resulting in a three-fold increase of the company's manufacturing space. The company also claimed to have 27,000 different points of distribution for their products in the United States. In July, the company was rolling out their products to 50 international markets, partnering with Tesco in the UK and A&W in Canada.
March 2019
In March 2019, Don Lee Farms filed a civil suit against Beyond Meat. Don Lee alleges breach of contract, and further charges the company with problems "regarding inadequate food safety protocols."
