Fundraising Fox

Big Idea Ventures

Accelerator

New York · Pre-Seed–Seed · 14 people tracked

Find your way into Big Idea Ventures

11,327 people in our graph share verified history with the Big Idea Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Paul Kwanunlockedknows Caroline Mak · together at Stanford University (overlapped)
×5knows the team · via Stanford University
×5knows the team · via Harvard Business School
knows the team · via IBM
Fox Verdict
Sign up to see your fit

Investment thesis

Big Idea Ventures supports entrepreneurs and innovators addressing global challenges, with a specific focus on food system transformation. The firm provides both capital and deep operational support through its accelerator program, combining $125K in cash and $75K in in-kind services (such as mentorship from food scientists and scaling experts) to help alternative protein and food tech companies overcome early-stage hurdles in product development, production scaling, distribution, and fundraising.

Source: firm website, verified Aug 5, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Seed
Check
$125K – $2.5M
HQ
New York, NJ, US
Leads rounds
Follows
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2020
Portfolio companies
181

Team · 14 people

from the firm's website & public directories

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Big Idea Ventures went on to found or lead other companies.

What they invest in

from 88 of 181 portfolio companies

FoodTech ×74Biotech ×45Climate Tech ×25Consumer ×21New Materials ×14Direct to Consumer ×12Advanced Manufacturing ×9Circular Economy ×9

HQs:United States×20United Kingdom×7Singapore×7France×3India×3Spain×2

Who they back

founder profiles across 19 portfolio companies
63%
solo founders
12 of 19 mapped founding teams
67%
repeat founders
of 15 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×122 founders×64+ founders×1

Where their founders worked beforefrom 15 founders with career history

Evo Foods ×2SourceGreenPackaging.com ×2Sustainable Food Ventures ×2Wild Earth Inc ×2

Portfolio companies · 181 tracked

alumni founders can tell you what the program is really like

By year:2025 · 12023 · 12022 · 12021 · 42020 · 22018 · 110 dated

Bioblendsbioblends.bioin✓ verified

BioBlends develops biopreservation products that use volatile organic compounds from beneficial bacteria, combined with bioinformatics and experimental validation, to control preservative-resistant microorganisms and fungal contamination in food.

BiotechCleantechFoodTech

Co-investorsGRIDX

Biobond Adhesivesbiobondadhesives.comin𝕏✓ verified

BioBond is a materials technology company developing plant-based, low-VOC adhesives and protective coatings for industries including packaging, construction, automotive, textiles, furniture, marine, and aerospace.

Advanced ManufacturingCleantechNew Materials

Co-investorsGeneration Food Rural Partners

Biocloakbiocloak.com✓ verified

BioCloak develops fully biodegradable bio-based encapsulation and coating technologies to replace petroleum-based polymers used for the controlled release of pesticides, fertilizers, and nutrients.

AgTechBiotechNew Materials

Paul Bially(CEO)

Co-investorsGeneration Food Rural Partners

Cultivated Xcultivated-x.comin✓ verified

Saku Biosciences develops screening tools for biomanufacturing that test microbial strains under realistic fermentation conditions to improve unit economics for alternative proteins and biotech producers.

AgTechBiotechFoodTechMedia & EntertainmentLos Angeles, US

Mark van Zee(Co-Founder & CEO)in

Plantsustainplantsustain.com✓ verified

PlantSustain develops biological crop inputs using naturally symbiotic bacteria and fungi to replace chemical fertilizers and pesticides, aiming to improve plant health, resilience, and nutrient uptake for farmers.

AgTechBiotechFoodTech

Simon Hill(CEO)in

Co-investorsGeneration Food Rural Partners

Pullulo.Compullulo.com.sgin✓ verified

Pullulo upcycles agricultural waste into plant-based ingredients and natural biomaterials using proprietary technology platforms, targeting applications in beauty, nutrition, and health.

Circular EconomyFoodTechNew Materials

Jonathan Cheng(Founder)

Shockenfoodsshockenfoods.com✓ verified

Shocken Foods makes plant-based charcuterie and meat alternatives, including vegan pepperoni that withstands pizza-oven heat, foie gras, chorizo, bresaola, porchetta, 'nduja, and allergen-free meatballs.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechLondon, GB

Emma(Founder)

01 Evolved Colour Black
01 HD PerfatTech RGB black 2
03
2
230915 CIRCLE RED 1
4 3 3
actual veggiesactualveggies.comin𝕏

Actual Veggies makes plant-based veggie burger patties from whole vegetables and clean ingredients, sold directly to consumers online.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Co-investorsAzure Ventures Group

Alana PleeseLogoTM Kobi Regev
Alcheme 01
Alt Atlas
Angies Tempehangiestempeh.com

An artisanal tempeh maker in Singapore producing fermented plant-based protein products from soybeans, legumes, and grains for retail, food service, and direct-to-consumer sales.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceFoodTechSingapore, SG

Angie

Animal-free milk ingredientsnutropy.comin

Nutropy develops precision-fermented milk proteins for industrial cheese production without animal inputs.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTechÉvry, FR

NathalieMaya

Co-investorsBeast VenturesBig Pi Ventures

Anotherfoodanotherfood.coin

Another Food develops cell-cultured coffee, producing coffee from cultivated coffee plant cells in a lab rather than growing beans on farms.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTech

Stéphane Chéen(CEO)

Co-investorsSustainable Food Ventures

AQUA CulturedFoods Lockup horizontal black 1
AquaCultured Foodsaquaculturedfoods.com

Creates whole-muscle cut seafood alternatives including calamari, shrimp, scallops, and tuna.

Chicago, US

Anne Palermo(Executive Officer, Director)Brittany Chibe(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJohnny Ream(Director)in

Co-investorsKickstart InnovationService Provider CapitalStray Dog CapitalSustainable Food VenturesAera VCHyde Park Angels+1 more

BayouBest Color
Bayoubestfoodsbayoubestfoods.comin

Bayou Best Foods makes a plant-based shrimp alternative that is vegan, shellfish-free, and free from the top 9 allergens, designed to match the taste and texture of ocean shrimp.

ConsumerFoodTech

Berrywellmeberrywellme.com
Biftekbiftek.coin𝕏

Biftek develops a microorganism-based growth medium supplement for cultured meat production, offering a lower-cost alternative to fetal bovine serum.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTech

Co-investorsStartersHub

BioCloak color
Bitebackbiobitebackbio.com
Black Sheep Foodsblacksheepfoods.comin

Black Sheep Foods develops protein substrates and ingredients for hybrid and plant-based food products, sold to food manufacturers, meat processors, retailers, and plant-based brands as private-label and white-label solutions.

AgTechFoodTechSan Francisco, US

Sunny Kumar(Executive Officer, Director)Ismael Montanez(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardRobert Leclerc(Director)in

Co-investorsBessemer Venture PartnersJuniperPortfoliaSiddhi CapitalSprint VcUnovis Asset Management+1 more

Blue name 300 DPI 1
Bright Biotechbrightbiotech.co.ukin

Bright Biotech produces recombinant proteins, including growth factors, by expressing them in plant chloroplasts.

BiotechLongevityNew Materials

Co-investorsFoodLabsCPT Capital

BSloganTB
Caromeatscaromeats.com

Co-investorsGarage Capital

Cassieaircassie.com

Aircassie develops air filtration technology for indoor air quality using light-based methods.

CleantechClimate TechHardwareIoTVirginia Beach, US

Co-investorsLighthouse Network Ventures LlcTechstars

Cellcraftcellcraft.comin

Cellcraft develops cultivated meat technology and bio-manufacturing systems that use AI and bioreactors to produce meat locally without animals.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningBiotechClimate TechFoodTechCambridge, GB

Yash(Co-founder)Clarisse(Co-founder)

CF Foods Groupcffoodsgroup.com

Redondo Beach, US

Alison Fagan(Executive Officer, Director)

Cocuuscocuus.comin𝕏

Cocuus develops production technology for the food industry, with a focus on meat processing, to create nutritious and sustainable food products.

Advanced ManufacturingBiotechDeep TechFoodTechHardwareNavarra, ES

Confettisnacksconfettisnacks.comin𝕏

Confetti Fine Foods is a Singapore-based snack maker producing vegetable-based crunchy snacks with flavors like teriyaki BBQ.

Circular EconomyConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechImpact & Social GoodSingapore, SG

Cultimate sliced Cultimate color
Cultimatefoodscultimatefoods.com

Cultimate Foods develops CultiSense, a natural meat flavor ingredient produced through cellular agriculture for use in food manufacturing.

BiotechFoodTech

George Zheleznyi(CEO & Co-Founder)Eugenia Sagué(CEO & Co-Founder)Dr. Jordi Morales-Dalmau(CTO & Co-Founder)

Cultivatedcultivated.bioin

Cultivated develops Cosaic Neo, a multipurpose food ingredient that combines texture, nutrition, and clean-label properties for beverage and food manufacturers.

BiotechFoodTech

Co-investorsBlue Horizon CorporationSustainable Food VenturesAgronomicsInvest-NLKickfund

Cultivated Biosciences
De Novo Foodlabsdenovofoodlabs.com

De Novo Food Labs produces nature-identical bovine lactoferrin (branded NanoFerrin) using precision fermentation instead of dairy extraction, offering customizable iron saturation, purity, and sequence identity per batch.

BiotechFoodTechNew MaterialsDurham, US

Jean Louwrens(Founder)in

Co-investorsSiddhi CapitalSustainable Food VenturesUM6P VenturesJoyful Ventures

Dissolvesdissolves.com
Dynacytedynacyte.com
Eatkaranaeatkarana.comin

KARANA makes plant-forward food products from regeneratively farmed jackfruit, including neutrally flavored minced/ground jackfruit that can be used as a plant-based alternative in ground meat dishes.

AgTechFoodTechSingapore, SG

Blair D S Crichton(Founder)in

Co-investorsUntroD Capital

Esencia
Evoevofoods.inJun 2018

Advanced ManufacturingTualatin, US

ROBERT SHINGLER(Director)STEVE R HUNT(Director)ROBERT TOWNSEND(Director)SCOTT HEIM(Executive Officer, Director)SCADDEN JOHN(Executive Officer)W LOWELL MORSE(Director)

Co-investorsBetter CapitalSustainable Food VenturesEast VenturesTechOperators Venture Capital

evoo 1
Extracellularextracellular.comin

Extracellular is a biomanufacturing company that helps cell-based product developers in cultivated meat, plant cell culture, and bioactives accelerate discovery, overcome production challenges, and commercialize their products.

Advanced ManufacturingBiotechFoodTechNew Materials

Will Milligan(CEO & Founder)in

Co-investorsFFFNewland SyndicateUnruly CapitalFuture Food Fund

Fattastic Technologiesfattastic.techin

Fattastic Technologies, founded in 2022, develops plant-based fat ingredients for use in food and other applications.

BiotechCircular EconomyFoodTechNew MaterialsBengaluru, IN

Satnam Singh(Cofounder)in

Co-investorsBetter Bite VenturesEntrepreneur First

Fisheroofisheroo.co

Fisheroo develops cell-cultivated fish meat grown from animal-free nutrient media, aiming to provide a sustainable, contaminant-free seafood alternative for consumers.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTech

Foodsquaredfoodsquared.earthin

Food² is a B2B food tech company developing plant-based shellfish products, starting with plant-based shrimp.

Climate TechFoodTechImpact & Social Good

Fybraworkfybrawork.comin

Fybraworks Foods develops technology to produce synthetic (cultured) meat aimed at more sustainable and humane food production.

BiotechFoodTech

Fybraworks FoodsSep 2020

Advanced ManufacturingMinneapolis, US

Chenfeng Lu(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Wenjie Liu(Director, Promoter)Huan Xia(Director, Promoter)

Gathered Foodsgatheredfoods.com

Gathered Foods makes plant-based food products, positioning its brands around vegan eating, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningConsumerFoodTechImpact & Social GoodHeath, US

William Chris Kerr(Executive Officer, Director)Chad Sarno(Director)Mark Langley(Executive Officer)Christine A. Mei(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardCourtney Reum(Director)Charles Laue(Director)in

Co-investorsBlue Horizon CorporationSiddhi CapitalStray Dog CapitalUnovis Asset ManagementCPT CapitalNew Crop Capital+2 more

Geneseagenesea.net

Genesea develops a zero-waste, low-energy biorefinery supply chain that produces food ingredients such as proteins from offshore-cultivated marine macroalgae (seaweed), aiming to provide a sustainable alternative to soy-based ingredients for the food industry.

CleantechFoodTechNew Materials

Alexander Golberg(Professor / Co-founder)

Genuine Tastegenuinetaste.co

Genuine Taste develops ingredients and processes to lower the cost and improve the scalability of industrial cell culture, serving biomanufacturing across pharma, food, and chemicals.

BiotechDeep TechFoodTech

Goodpulsegoodpulse.coin
Gourmeygourmey.comin𝕏

Gourmey produces cultivated meat, with its first product being a lab-grown foie gras aimed at fine-dining chefs and restaurants.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTech

Co-investorsAir Street CapitalEmblemJoyance PartnersKeen Venture PartnersPoint NineHeartcore Capital

Exits · 2

IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolio

MeliBioacq. by FoodYoung LabsSIMULATEacq. by Ahimsa Capital

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Big Idea Ventures made?
Big Idea Ventures has 113 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Big Idea Ventures invest at?
Big Idea Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What is Big Idea Ventures's typical check size?
Big Idea Ventures typically writes checks of $125K – $2.5M.
What sectors does Big Idea Ventures focus on?
Big Idea Ventures focuses on AgTech, Biotech, Climate Tech, Direct to Consumer, FoodTech, New Materials.
Where is Big Idea Ventures located?
Big Idea Ventures is headquartered in New York, US.
Does Big Idea Ventures lead rounds?
Big Idea Ventures typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Who does Big Idea Ventures co-invest with?
Big Idea Ventures most often shares deals with Sustainable Food Ventures, Blue Horizon Corporation, Evolution VC Partners, among 46 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

Tom Mastrobuoni of Big Idea Ventures

Elysabeth Alfano · Tom Mastrobuoni

Tom Mastrobuoni of Big Idea Ventures on A Shifting Food Supply System

Elysabeth Alfano · Tom Mastrobuoni

Andrew D. Ive of BIV Interviews Sofia Bonilla from Alt-Pro Advantage on Pet Food Program Experience

Big Idea Ventures

Episode #46 Ben Blum-Boukozba speaks with Andrew about plant-based dairy alternatives

Big Idea Ventures

Episode #54: SoundEats: making advancements in cultivated seafood!

Big Idea Ventures

Episode #45: Leaf Protein Co's mission to tap into Earth's abundant and sustainable protein source!

Big Idea Ventures

Co-investors · 25

Blue Horizon Corporation

Blue Horizon Corporation is an investment firm focused on accelerating the transition to a sustainable food system, aiming to deliver strong returns for people and the planet.

At One Ventures

At One Ventures is a venture capital firm backing technical founders building hardware and physical-technology businesses aimed at displacing existing industries.

$100K – $5M
Evolution VC Partners

Evolution VC Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in and supports companies across all stages, focusing on 'culture-tech' businesses that shape and define contemporary culture.

Both backed · 2
Wild EarthNEW WAVE
Beast Ventures

Beast invests in early-stage engineering and applied science technology companies across the UK and Continental Europe, with a focus on deep frontier technologies that address health, climate, or societal impact.

Both backed · 2
Animal-free milk ingredientsNutropy
New Enterprise Associates (NEA)

New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a venture capital firm that invests in and provides long-term support to founders building new companies.

Both backed · 1
NEW WAVE
$200K – $40M
SOSV

SOSV is a deep tech venture capital firm that makes first-check pre-seed investments and follow-on rounds in startups focused on human and planetary health, providing lab space and hands-on support at its US locations.

Both backed · 1
$30K – $550K
Point Nine

Point Nine is an early-stage venture capital firm that has operated for nearly 15 years, emphasizing focus over scale.

Both backed · 1
$1M – $10M
Social Starts

Social Starts is a group of early-stage venture funds that applies a data-driven, analytics-based methodology to identify and back promising companies in high-potential segments. Its current fund, Social Starts Health and Happiness, targets startups focused on helping people live longer and better.

Both backed · 1
Novel Farms
Heartcore Capital

Heartcore Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm backing European founders from inception. It invests in startups from inception through Series A, and also invests in web3 protocols from idea to liquid tokens.

Both backed · 1
Collaborative Fund

Collaborative Fund is a venture capital firm that backs entrepreneurs building category- and culture-defining brands, products, and services across consumer, health, energy, and access-to-capital themes.

Both backed · 1
$500K – $1M
Astanor Ventures

Astanor Ventures is an impact-focused investment firm dedicated to transforming the agrifood system by backing innovation across the value chain from 'soil and sea to gut'.

Both backed · 1
Credo Ventures

Credo Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund focused on backing founders from the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region and its global diaspora, active since 2009.

Both backed · 1
$1M – $5M
13 more co-investors

Better CapitalAir Street CapitalBabel VenturesMandi VenturesAlumni VenturesEverywhere VenturesMayfield FundPartech VenturesPioneerAwesome People VenturesPeak XV PartnersMakers FundByld Ventures

Firms observed investing alongside Big Idea Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Big Idea Ventures's recorded portfolio.

Similar investors

Featured in lists