This agreement presents The Live Green Group with the chance to tackle the fundamental issue that has driven its mission from the start: substituting synthetic, processed, unsustainable, and unhealthy ingredients with more natural alternatives. Given the rising popularity of the clean label movement and the recent consumer pushback against lab-derived components, this shift is likely to attract many manufacturers. Live Green was established to create a platform that replaces animal-based and highly processed ingredients with those derived from the plant kingdom. The company originated in Chile and collaborated with four international accelerator programs. It introduced plant-based ice cream and burger and drink mixes in Chile to demonstrate the capabilities of the Charaka algorithm.
Through this partnership, Live Green is entering the ingredient sector, which has always been its aspiration. Founder Priyanka Srinivas mentioned in an email that the company will leverage Charaka to assist manufacturers in discovering less processed plant-based substitutes for synthetic ingredients. Sigma, in turn, will work to make these solutions globally affordable.
This marks another significant advancement for Live Green in a transformative year. The company successfully closed a $7 million Pre-Series A funding round in January, using the capital to relocate to Boston, enhance the Charaka algorithm’s capabilities, and pursue partnerships. In March, Live Green integrated five Chilean vegan food startups into its operations: Terrarium, focused on lupines; Regional Food, a South American distributor; Aztlan, a sugar reduction company; Gitbit, a producer of protein-rich foods; and EcoKetrawe, a maker of green and locally sourced food products.
Food manufacturers have invested considerable time and resources into reformulating their products to eliminate ingredients that sound overly chemical. For instance, methylcellulose, a common emulsifier, has increasingly faced scrutiny from activists highlighting less-than-natural components in plant-based offerings. A lawsuit against Beyond Meat specifically cites this ingredient as an example of what it claims is the brand’s not-quite-all-natural status. Reformulation can be challenging, but with its consumer packaged goods demonstration products, Live Green has proven its capability. This partnership could ease the process for other companies looking to clean up their labels, especially as they explore alternatives like algae calcium vs calcium citrate for healthier formulations.