Food tech startup Equii raises $6 million in seed
Summary
SAN FRANCISCO Food technology startup Equii, formerly Cella Farms, has raised $6 million in seed funding from Khosla Ventures, an early backer of Impossible Foods.Founded in 2021, Equii has developed a proprietary approach to discovering highly nutritious sources of microbial proteins that are used to ferment grains and produce high-protein grain flour. Equii is redefining the natural nutrients of our diet starting with bread to make healthy nutrition more accessible, and were excited to support them on their journey.Monica Bhatia, PhD, co-founder and CEO, has 15 years of experience in biomanufacturing and marketing of sustainable products, including food, fuels and chemicals. Baljit Ghotra, Ph.D., co-founder and chief technology officer, has held research and development positions at Ingredion, Mondelez International, Cargill, ADM, and Natures Fynd.In a recent interview, Dr. Bhatia described the element of sacrifice consumers are aware of when choosing nutritious foods. Our ingredient range is pretty much, other than protein, and we add a little bit of natural preservatives.Equii has raised a total of $8 million in funding to date. Equii also aims to provide high-protein grain flour to manufacturers of grain-based staples.Bread, a basic household food, is our number one product, said Dr. Ghutra.