Fundraising Fox

Lever VC

Venture capitalActively deployingoperating company · company profile

New York · Pre-Seed–Series A · 17 people tracked

Also known as LEVER VC FUND II TECHNICAL ADVISORS LLC

Find your way into Lever VC

1,235 people in our graph share verified history with the Lever VC team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Ken Chenaultunlockedknows Felipe Krelling · together at IBM (overlapped)
×4knows the team · via University of Pennsylvania
×2knows the team · via HEC Paris
knows the team · via The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
knows the team · via UBS Warburg
knows the team · via TRIUM Global Executive MBA
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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 Sep 15, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Series A
Check
$100K – $5M
HQ
New York, US
Leads rounds
Leads
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2018
Last 12 months
4 investments
Tracked investments
52

Team · 17 people

from the firm's website & public directories
Ulric Yuk Lun Leung· General Partner
Xiao Jia Huang· General Partner
Clémence Landeau· Venture Partner
Thomas Chen· Associate

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Lever VC went on to found or lead other companies.

What they invest in

from 42 of 52 portfolio companies

FoodTech ×36Consumer ×19Direct to Consumer ×17Biotech ×12Climate Tech ×7AgTech ×5AI & Machine Learning ×5Wellness & Fitness ×4

HQs:United States×15United Kingdom×4Brazil×1China×1Spain×1France×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 23 portfolio companies
83%
solo founders
19 of 23 mapped founding teams
50%
repeat founders
of 22 founders with career history
~3 yrs
old at investment
median across 8 dated deals

Founding team size:solo founder×192 founders×13 founders×3

Where their founders studiedfrom 16 founders with education data

University of Pennsylvania ×3The University of Hong Kong ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 19 founders with field-of-study data

Life Sciences ×5Business & Management ×4Engineering ×4Economics ×3Finance & Accounting ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 22 founders with career history

Chalmers University of Technology ×3Goldman Sachs ×2Unreasonable ×2

5 founders hold a PhD · 2 hold an MBA (of 21 with degree data)

Investments · 52 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 32025 · 12024 · 22023 · 32022 · 42021 · 12020 · 12018 · 12015 · 117 dated

Clever Carnivoreclevercarnivore.comin𝕏Seed · Nov 2025 · $7M✓ verified

Clever Carnivore develops cultivated meat — beef, pork, and chicken grown from animal tissue samples in a food production facility — as an alternative to industrial farm-raised meat.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTechChicago, US

BURRIDGE PAUL(Founder & CSO)RANGOS VIRGINIA(Executive Officer, Director)inVirginia Rangos(Founder & CEO)inSTEPHANIE HARRISON(Executive Officer)inNICHOLAS RANGOS(Executive Officer)RUSSELL THOMAS(Chief Product Officer)in

Board seatJames Caffyn· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsNewfund CapitalStray Dog CapitalValo VenturesMcWin Capital Partners

Blackbird Foodsblackbirdfoods.cominDec 2023

Blackbird Foods makes plant-based foods including seitan, crispy tofu, battered wings, and frozen pizza, sold direct to consumers via shipping.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechLong Island City, US

Emanuel Storch(Executive Officer, Director)inYaqi Gao Grover(Director)Craig Cochran(Director)Mark Mebus(Director)

Board seatNick Cooney· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsSustainable Food VenturesWefunder

Bond Pet FoodsinJun 2022

Produces real meat proteins from precision fermentation as ingredients for the pet food sector.

Boulder, US

Rich Kelleman(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardTony Day(Director)inDave Summa(Director)

Board seatNick Cooney· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsAgronomicsArgonautic VenturesCavallo VenturesiSelect FundADM VenturesGenoa Ventures

Boston Bioprocessbostonbioprocess.cominJul 2024

Boston Bioprocess provides fermentation and bioprocess development services—including scale-up across 1.5L to 1,500L vessels, downstream process development, regulatory guidance, and tech transfer to CMOs—for companies bringing biomanufactured products to production.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechSaaSChampaign, US

Michael Tai(Executive Officer, Director)Ted Netland(Executive Officer, Director)

Board seatJames Caffyn· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsClear Current CapitalFTW VenturesSiddhi Capital

A Dozen Cousinsadozencousins.comin

A Dozen Cousins makes ready-to-eat packaged foods—including seasoned beans, bone broth rice, and seasoning sauces—inspired by Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American recipes.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Ibraheem Basir(Founder)in

Co-investorsECP GrowthRCV Frontline

Avantavantmeats.comin𝕏Oct 2015

Avant develops cultivated animal protein as an alternative to wild-caught fish, aiming to produce seafood protein without contaminants such as heavy metals, microplastics, and parasites.

BiotechFoodTechChicago, US

Carrie ChaninMario Chin(Biotech Expert / Co-founder)inAlbert Goldstein(Executive Officer, Director)Robert Levy(Executive Officer)Siddharth Mehta(Director)Adam Hughes(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsAlwyn CapitalBrincParticle

Bettermeatbettermeat.coin𝕏

The Better Meat Co. develops fermentation-based technology to produce alternative protein ingredients, aiming to build a more sustainable food system.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTechNew Materials

Paul Shapiro(CEO & Board Member)in

Co-investorsEvolution VC PartnersGreen Circle Foodtech VenturesFuture Ventures

Birdmanbirdmanlife.com

Birdman produces plant-based protein and creatine supplements designed for fitness and nutrition.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechWellness & Fitness

Bluubluu.bioin

BLUU develops marine cell-based ingredients derived from cultured fish cells for personal care, health, and food applications.

BiotechDeep TechFoodTech

Dr. Sebastian Rakers(Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer)in

Co-investorsLBBW Venture Capital GmbHManta Ray VenturesNorrsken VC

Bondpetsbondpets.comin𝕏

Bond Pets develops brewed meat proteins using precision fermentation for pet food products that are marketed as better for pets, farm animals, and the planet.

BiotechFoodTechBoulder, US

Rich Kelleman(CEO & Founder)in

Co-investorsAgronomicsCavallo VenturesGenoa VenturesiSelect Fund

CellXcellx.techMay 2022

CellX offers a self-service operations management platform that automates repetitive tasks such as 24/7 order intake, multi-channel order and message handling, order status tracking, and after-sales ticket workflows.

E-commerceEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

Ziliang Yang(Founder)in

Co-investorsBetter Bite VenturesAgronomicsSALT

Floxflox.aiin

FLOX provides an automated intelligence system for poultry producers that replaces manual weighing and delayed reporting with continuous flock tracking, instant alerts, and a daily dashboard.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningFoodTech

Co-investorsIlluminate Financial

Gavangavan.bioin

Gavan develops advanced fat technologies from natural ingredients for food companies to create healthier and more sustainable products.

Circular EconomyCleantechFoodTech

Co-investorsMoreVC

Good Planet Foodsgoodplanetfoods.comin𝕏Jan 2023

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

David Israel(Founder)inJoe Essa(Director)Michael Frey(Director)Dan Gross(Director)Josh Wand(Director)Jay Bauer(Director)

Co-investorsCleveland AvenueGreatPoint VenturesStray Dog Capital

Groundedgrounded.co.ukin

A dairy-free plant-based protein shake brand that sells nutritional beverages for consumers seeking plant-based alternatives to traditional protein products.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechWellness & Fitness

Co-investorsBig Idea VenturesKale UnitedNucleus CapitalPresight CapitalRoute 66 VenturesStray Dog Capital

Harkensweetsharkensweets.comin

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

Katie Lefkowitz(Founder)in

Co-investorsMelitas Ventures LlcSelva VenturesTaste Tomorrow Ventures

HerdDogg, Inc.herddogg.comin

HerdDogg makes Bluetooth-enabled smart ear tags and solar-powered transmitters that continuously monitor cattle movement and temperature, using AI to generate real-time health and estrus alerts.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningHardwareIoTSeward, US

MELISSA BRANDAO(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inAndrew Uden(Executive Officer, Director)inMichael Peck(Executive Chair)inJonathan Moyes(VP of Engineering)inTHOMAS TRONE(Director)

BoardJason Wrone(Director)

Co-investorsInnova Memphis, Inc.Invest NebraskaiSelect FundPortland Seed FundSerra Ventures

Heuraheurafoods.com𝕏

Heura Foods makes plant-based meat alternatives — including burgers, chunks, fillets, cold cuts, nuggets, sausages, and mince — using ingredients such as soy and pea protein and extra virgin olive oil.

Climate TechConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Co-investorsUnovis Asset Management

Incaptoincapto.comin𝕏

INCAPTO sells specialty whole-bean coffee that is freshly roasted daily in small batches, sourced with full traceability from farm to cup.

Direct to ConsumerFoodTech

Co-investorsBStartupBynd Venture CapitalCardumen CapitalMcWin Capital PartnersP101 Ventures

Lyrolyro.comin𝕏

Lyro Robotics builds machine vision and robotic automation systems for food production and supply chain operations, using proprietary Variability Intelligence to handle products that vary in size, shape, and quality.

AI & Machine LearningFoodTechRobotics

Co-investorsStray Dog Capital

Marvelous Foodsmarvelousfoods.cominPre-Seed · Jan 2022 · $1M

Marvelous Foods makes Yeyo, a coconut-based yogurt brand marketed as China's first coconut yogurt, along with related granola, super-food powders, and coconut frozen desserts.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Athena Zhu(Founder)in

Co-investorsNew Climate Ventures

Melt&Marblemeltandmarble.comin

Melt&Marble uses precision fermentation, microbial metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology to produce fats and ingredients aimed at creating more sustainable food products.

BiotechClimate TechConsumerFoodTechNew MaterialsGothenburg, SE

Anastasia Krivoruchko(Co-founder & CEO)inFlorian David(Co-founder & CSO)inJens Nielsen(Co-founder & Chairman of the Board)inThomas Cresswell(Chief Business Officer)inTue Holdal(Chief Technology Officer)in

Co-investorsBeiersdorf Innovation FundCatalyze CapitalChalmers Ventures ABIndustrifondenNordic Foodtech VC

Mezclaeatmezcla.comin

Mezcla makes plant-based snack bars with a light, crispy texture, offering flavors such as Matcha Vanilla and Peanut Butter Chocolate with plant protein and fiber.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Griffin Spolansky(Founder)in

Co-investorsBluestein VenturesHabitat PartnersTONIC VENTURES

MFLmed-food-lab.com

The Mediterranean Food Lab (MFL) uses proprietary solid-state fermentation to turn grains, legumes, and vegetables into additive-free culinary flavor ingredients that replicate the depth of meat- and bone-based dishes.

BiotechFoodTech

Co-investorsPeakBridge VC

Mission Barnsmissionbarns.comin𝕏Series A · Nov 2018 · $24M

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)

BoardDavid Bowman(Director)

Co-investorsAir Street CapitalBabel VenturesBetter Ventures Central LlcBloom8Blue Ledge CapitalJoyance Partners+6 more

Mozzamozzafoods.comin𝕏Mar 2024

Mozza Foods develops casein protein grown in soybeans as an ingredient for the dairy industry, aiming to replace cow-dependent supply chains using existing agricultural infrastructure.

AgTechBiotechFoodTechLos Angeles, US

Adam Tarshis(Founder)inNatasha Sharma(Director)

BoardRose Eva Wardle(Director)

Co-investorsStray Dog CapitalSynthesis Capital

Mush Foodsmush-foods.comin

Mush Foods produces 50CUT, a line of mushroom root (mycelium) and mushroom products designed to be mixed with ground meat or poultry to reduce emissions and add nutrition.

AgTechClimate TechFoodTechChicago, US

Ashley Thompson(Executive Officer, Director)inJoanna Dutta(Executive Officer)Guillermo Freile(Executive Officer)in

BoardSam McBride(Director)

Co-investorsViola VenturesSiddhi Capital

New School Foodsnewschoolfoods.coinSeed · Feb 2023 · $12M

New School Foods makes plant-based salmon designed to match the appearance, cooking behavior, flavor, and flaky texture of real fish.

ConsumerFoodTech

Co-investorsAlwyn CapitalBlue Horizon CorporationBlue Revolution Investments G.P.Clear Current CapitalClimate CapitalGood Startup+3 more

No Cownocow.comin

NoCow makes plant-based protein bars that are dairy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, soy-free, and vegan.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Daniel Katz(Founder)in

Co-investorsAssembled BrandsSun Mountain CapitalValor Equity Partners

NuCicernucicer.cominSeed · Oct 2022 · $5M

NuCicer develops improved crop varieties through selective breeding, starting with high-protein chickpeas designed for better nutrition.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningFoodTechDavis, US

Kathryn Cook(Executive Officer, Director)inDouglas Cook(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardPaimun Amini(Director)inJerry Steiner(Director)inCarsten Boers(Director)in

Co-investorsBetter Ventures Central LlcBlue Horizon CorporationIllumina VenturesRhapsody Venture PartnersStray Dog Capital

Nudeheynude.com.brin

Nude is a Brazilian food brand that produces plant-based condensed oat milk and other food products, marketed as environmentally conscious alternatives to conventional dairy and food items.

Circular EconomyConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Co-investorsCapria Ventures

Offbeastoffbeast.comin

Offbeast manufactures plant-based whole-cut steaks using a proprietary fiber-alignment technology to achieve texture comparable to conventional meat products.

Climate TechConsumerFoodTechNew York City, US

Insa Mohr(Founder)in

Co-investorsGlobal BrainY CombinatorCollaborative Fund

Offbeastmoojimeats.com

Mooji Meats develops a proprietary Cross-Fiber Assembly platform that adds meaty whole-cut textures to plant-based and real-meat proteins at scale, with a flagship line of plant-based filet mignons.

BiotechDirect to ConsumerFoodTechBaltimore, US

Insa(Founder)

Co-investorsY CombinatorClear Current CapitalSiddhi Capital

Omniomni.pet

Omni is a UK-based pet food company that makes novel protein, allergy-friendly food for pets, aimed at improving pet health while reducing environmental impact.

ConsumerDigital HealthDirect to ConsumerE-commerceFoodTechHealthtech

Guy Sandelowsky(Co-Founder)Shiv Sivakumar(Founder)

Co-investorsArtesianBrincCompanion FundIW CapitalMiroma VenturesCraft Ventures+1 more

Omniomni.communityinJun 2026 · $14.5M

Omni makes electric scooter attachments that connect to wheelchairs, letting wheelchair users travel on urban and off-road terrain; the company states 95% of wheelchairs are compatible with its devices.

HardwareHealthtechMobility & Transportation

Co-investors50 PartnersCraft VenturesDigitalis VenturesFirst Round CapitalGV (Google Ventures)ICONIQ+6 more

Omniomni.appin𝕏Jun 2026 · $14.5M

Omni is a non-custodial multi-chain crypto wallet that lets users store, bridge, and swap tokens across multiple blockchains, import wallets from MetaMask, Keplr, and Phantom, build custom portfolios, and buy crypto with a credit card.

Crypto & Web3

Serafin Lion Engel(Founder)

Co-investorsFigmentCraft VenturesDigitalis VenturesEmerge VenturesFirst Round CapitalGV (Google Ventures)+9 more

Omnisteakwallet.fiin𝕏Jun 2026 · $14.5M

Omni (formerly Steakwallet) is a non-custodial multi-chain crypto wallet that lets users store, swap, and bridge tokens across multiple blockchains, import existing wallets (MetaMask, Keplr, Phantom), earn yields, and buy crypto with a credit card.

Crypto & Web3Fintech

Co-investorsFlori VenturesCraft VenturesDigitalis VenturesEmerge VenturesFirst Round CapitalGV (Google Ventures)+9 more

Ooblioobli.comin

Oobli develops sweet proteins derived from equatorial fruits and berries, using a fermentation process to produce a sugar alternative that is thousands of times sweeter than sugar.

BiotechCleantechFoodTechImpact & Social Good

Jason Ryder(Founder & CTO)in

Co-investorsGlobal BrainPiva CapitalKhosla VenturesPETRONAS Ventures

Smash Kitchensmashkitchen.comin

Smash Kitchen makes clean-label pantry staples including condiments, cooking oils, meal builders, chips, salsas, and sauces, focused on simple ingredients and familiar flavor for everyday home cooks in the United States.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Sameer Mehta(Co-Founder & CEO)inGlen Powell(Co-Founder)Sean Kane(Co-Founder & President)in

Co-investorsAurumCosmic Venture Partners

THISthis.coSeries A · Jun 2021 · $15M

THIS manufactures consumer products positioned as environmentally and socially responsible, with B Corp certification validating both product and business practices.

Circular EconomyConsumerFoodTech

Co-investorsFive Seasons VenturesManta Ray Ventures

Tibatempehtibatempeh.com

Tiba Tempeh makes tempeh products using a slow fermentation method, offering a range that includes a smoky block, marinated pieces, burgers, and mince as plant-based food options.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Turtletreeturtletree.cominPre-Seed · Jan 2020

TurtleTree produces LF+, an animal-free lactoferrin made through precision fermentation, marketed as an ingredient for vitamins and supplements, functional beverages, sports nutrition, skincare, and plant-based products.

BiotechFoodTechWellness & FitnessSacramento, US

Fengru L(Founder)

Co-investorsK2 Global

Welldonewelldone.green𝕏
XOXOdrinkxoxo.com

XOXO makes prebiotic sparkling sodas containing 6g of prebiotic fibre and low sugar, sold in seven fruit flavours as a gut-health-focused alternative to regular soda.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Rory Paterson(Founder)in

Co-investorsGGFGreen Generation FundHeartfelt CapitalSamos Investments

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

Good PlanetNoMooThe Better Meat CoThe Good SpoonThe Mediterranean Food LabThe NewThe New Butchers

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Lever VC made?
Lever VC has 52 tracked investments, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.
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.
Who does Lever VC co-invest with?
Lever VC most often shares deals with Stray Dog Capital, Agronomics, iSelect Fund, among 77 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

MBS585- 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

Lever VC photoLever VC photoLever VC photo

Co-investors · 5

Better Ventures Central Llc

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.

Both backed · 2
$500K – $1.5M
Bitkraft Esports Ventures

BITKRAFT Ventures is a global investment platform focused on gaming, interactive media, and related technologies, backing companies building at the convergence of physical and digital worlds (which it calls Synthetic Reality).

$100K – $5M
Business Growth Fund

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.

$3.8M – $38M

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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