Lever VC
Venture capitalActively deployingNew York · Pre-Seed–Series A · 16 people tracked
Also known as LEVER VC FUND II TECHNICAL ADVISORS LLC
Investment thesis
Lever VC invests in the transformation of food and agriculture, driven by consumer trends toward health and sustainability and a growing, more affluent population increasing demand for efficient, sustainable food production. The firm believes technological breakthroughs, expanding government support, and a focus on resource allocation are disrupting traditional agriculture. It backs entrepreneurs building the future of food and agriculture, spanning areas such as crop genetics, animal health analytics, plant-based proteins, and fermentation-based ingredient production.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 16 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 12 of 52 portfolio companiesFoodTech ×11Consumer ×5AgTech ×2Biotech ×2Circular Economy ×2Cleantech ×2Climate Tech ×2Direct to Consumer ×2
HQs:United States×13United Kingdom×1
Investments · 52 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathLong Island City, US
Board seatNick Cooney· per SEC Form D · $1M raise · filed Dec 2023
Boulder, US
Board seatNick Cooney· per SEC Form D · $19.6M raise · filed Jun 2022
Champaign, US
Michael Tai(Executive Officer, Director)Ted Netland(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatJames Caffyn· per SEC Form D
Chicago, US
PAUL BURRIDGE(Executive Officer, Director)STEPHANIE HARRISON(Executive Officer)NICHOLAS RANGOS(Executive Officer)JAMES CAFFYN(Director)VIRGINIA RANGOS(Executive Officer, Director)RUSSELL THOMAS(Executive Officer)
Board seatJames Caffyn· per SEC Form D · $8M raise · filed Nov 2025
THIS manufactures consumer products positioned as environmentally and socially responsible, with B Corp certification validating both product and business practices.
Circular EconomyConsumerFoodTech
Long Island City, US
Yaqi Gao Grover(Director)Emanuel Storch(Executive Officer, Director)Nick Cooney(Director)Craig Cochran(Director)Mark Mebus(Director)
Produces real meat proteins from precision fermentation as ingredients for the pet food sector.
Produces plant-based cheese products including shreds, slices, wheels, and cream cheese.
GOOD PLANeT Foods makes plant-based cheese made with olive oil, offering products with minimal saturated fat and good melt as an alternative to dairy cheese for consumers.
Advanced ManufacturingConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechBellevue, US
Joe Essa(Director)Michael Frey(Director)Dan Gross(Director)David Israel(Founder)Josh Wand(Director)Keith Kravcik(Director)
Harken Sweets produces plant-based candy bars made from date fruit, containing 14g of prebiotic fiber and no added sugar at 150 calories per bar.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechWellness & Fitness
A digital animal health and analytics company that reduces farm mortality and disease through advanced data analytics.
HerdDogg develops technology solutions for the agriculture industry, focusing on livestock management and monitoring.
AgTechHardwareIoTSeward, US
Andrew Uden(Executive Officer, Director)THOMAS TRONE(Director)MELISSA BRANDAO(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Michael Peck(Executive Chair)Jonathan Moyes(VP of Engineering)
BoardJason Wrone(Director)
Mission Barns produces cultivated meat products, primarily pork-based items like meatballs, bacon, and sausages, combining lab-grown pork fat with plant protein for consumers seeking sustainable alternatives to conventional meat.
Climate TechFoodTechBerkeley, US
Ilan Eitan Fischer(Executive Officer, Director)David Bowman(Director)
Chicago, US
Ashley Thompson(Executive Officer, Director)Sam McBride(Director)Joanna Dutta(Executive Officer)Guillermo Freile(Executive Officer)
Produces plant-based protein bars, plant protein supplements, and related products.
NuCicer develops improved crop varieties through selective breeding, starting with high-protein chickpeas designed for better nutrition.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningFoodTechDavis, US
Paimun Amini(Director)inKathryn Cook(Executive Officer, Director)inDouglas Cook(Executive Officer, Director)
Smash Kitchen makes pantry food products formulated without GMOs, artificial flavors, sweeteners, dyes, high fructose corn syrup, or hydrogenated oils.
ConsumerFoodTech
Produces novel fermented mycelium protein as an ingredient for meat alternatives and hybrid meat products.
Produces flavorings via multi-stage fermentation as ingredients for plant-based foods.
Leading high-quality plant-based meat brand in Brazil producing beef, chicken, and fish products.
UK-based plant-based meat company producing chicken, beef, and bacon stocked at leading retailers.
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Lever VC invest at?
- Lever VC invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Lever VC's typical check size?
- Lever VC typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
- What sectors does Lever VC focus on?
- Lever VC focuses on AgTech, Biotech, FoodTech.
- Where is Lever VC located?
- Lever VC is headquartered in New York, US.
- Does Lever VC lead rounds?
- Yes, Lever VC leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamMBS585- The Future of Food: Investing in Alternative Protein with Nick Cooney of Lever VC
Matt Brown Show · Nick Cooney
Nick Cooney of Lever VC
Cultured Meat and Future Food Show · Nick Cooney
Images
Co-investors · 5
Better Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm backing mission-driven technology companies working to build a better world across climate, health, and workforce sectors.
BITKRAFT Ventures is a global investment platform focused on gaming, interactive media, and related technologies, investing at the intersection of physical and digital worlds it calls 'Synthetic Reality.'
BGF provides minority growth capital and support to entrepreneurial small and medium-sized businesses across the UK and Ireland, from university spinouts to established brands.
Firms observed investing alongside Lever VC, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Lever VC's recorded portfolio.
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