TurtleTree Raises US$30 Million in First Tranche of Series A Funding
TurtleTree
Expressing her gratitude for the immense support received, TurtleTree CEO, Fengru Lin, said: "We are incredibly touched by the degree of faith all our investors have placed in TurtleTree and our unique vision of food. Amplified by the relentless backing of parties like VERSO Capital, the Series A funds will allow us to scale up our processes and come a huge step closer to creating a new era of sustainable nutrition."
TurtleTree's Chief Strategy Officer, Max Rye, also echoed these sentiments, adding: "The funding received has truly opened up a new world of possibility. We can now set our sights on turning ambitions to reality, starting with our U.S.-based expansion plans and then moving on to the development and manufacture of our first consumer-ready products."
Having just launched its Sacramento R&D facility in September, TurtleTree will now use the funds to continue expanding its portfolio of sustainable, better-for-you food items. Additionally, funds will also be set aside for technology development and talent acquisition, enabling TurtleTree to grow its world-class R&D team.
Together, these initiatives will help TurtleTree scale up its research and production of the highly functional ingredients found in human milk, which offer proven benefits for immune system function, gut health, and cognitive development. One particularly exciting example of these ingredients is lactoferrin, a bioactive protein slated for launch as TurtleTree's first commercial product.
Commenting on the bright prospects ahead, VERSO Capital's Managing Partner, Julien Machot, stated: "At VERSO, we highly value TurtleTree's unique positioning in the industry and its farsighted mission of creating a sustainable and cruelty-free food system. After developing a deep understanding of the company and its team, we are confident in TurtleTree's potential as a cell-based technology platform that will transform the food industry. VERSO Capital will share its wealth of knowledge in corporate finance and operations to help the company validate its unit economics and the overall business plan with its very first key accounts."
Following this round of funding, TurtleTree has now raised over US$40 million to date. Moving forward, the company will expand into a global biotechnology platform with a vision for transforming performance nutrition, food systems, and cellular agriculture. This will ultimately bring scalable solutions to the cell-based food industry, ensuring people everywhere will have access to the nourishing nutrients of mammalian milk in a uniquely sustainable and affordable way.
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