Boarding PassDay 8 taps into “the holy grail of proteins” to enhance agriculture efficiency
Boarding Pass
Day 8 taps into “the holy grail of proteins” to enhance agriculture efficiency
The company has raised a total of $750,000 for its taste-neutral plant-based proteins
“The food industry wants to reduce its environmental footprint and its dependence on animal-based protein, however, it is limited by the ingredients that are available on the market today, primarily pea and soy protein,” explained Day 8. “[Our] technology enables the upcycling of discarded leaves to extract a highly functional and taste-neutral protein craved by the food industry.”
Day 8 was founded in 2023 and its product is based on the Rubisco protein, considered to be “the holy grail” of plant-based proteins. Unlike other plant-based protein sources, it is extracted from the leaves and not from the seed. This means that Day 8 produces what it says is the most taste-neutral protein available today.
“The alternative protein market, currently valued at $18 billion and projected to reach $40 billion in the next five years, underlines the global demand for protein-rich food. However, the industry faces challenges in consumer adoption due to taste and price concerns. To move towards mass adoption, manufacturers need plant-based proteins that are cost-effective and taste-neutral,” the company added.
You can learn more about the company below.
Company Name: Day 8
Sector: AgriFood Tech
Product/Service description:
Day 8’s product is based on Rubisco protein, which is widely acknowledged as the holy grail of plant-based proteins. Although Rubisco is the most abundant protein on earth, it has not been available commercially due to its high production costs. Economic efficiency is resolved by Day 8’s revolutionary approach of using discarded crop leaves as its raw material. Furthermore, the company's unique extraction process results in a completely taste-neutral product that the company believes will drive the mass adoption of high-quality plant-based products.
Founder Bios:
Day 8’s co-founders are Dana Marom, CTO, and Daniel Rejzner, CEO. Dana boasts over 20 years of international industry expertise, including an executive role at a leading soy protein manufacturer and an IPO in the medical cannabis sector. Daniel is a seasoned serial entrepreneur in the CPG space. Notably, Daniel led a retail tech company to four years of double-digit revenue growth across 15 global markets and sales to tier 1 CPGs.
Year of Founding: 2023
Last Investment Round: $750,000
Last Investment Stage: Pre-seed
Date of Last Investment: July 2023
Total investment to date: $750,000
Investor: The Kitchen Hub by Strauss-Group
Current number of employees: 5
Open positions: N/A
How was the idea born?
A few things came together to make Day 8 come true when the company was founded at The Kitchen Hub By Strauss-Group:
- Interest in climate action and identifying the opportunity to enhance the efficiency of the agricultural industry, which uses most of the land on the planet.
- The gap between the massive consumer demand for protein-rich foods and the difficulties of food manufacturers producing plant-based products that match that demand.
- Identifying Rubisco as the most promising candidate to propel the food industry's next generation of products and identifying a scientific process that is up to the challenge of extracting it in a cost-efficient manner.
What is the need for the product?
The massive $13 trillion agriculture industry has inherent inefficiency. Only a fraction of the biomass grown—fruits and vegetables—is used. The rest is typically discarded, 42% (2.7 trillion tons) of the biomass are leaves that are discarded.
The food industry wants to reduce its environmental footprint and its dependence on animal-based protein, however, it is limited by the ingredients that are available on the market today, primarily pea and soy protein.
Day 8’s technology enables the upcycling of discarded leaves to extract a highly functional and taste-neutral protein craved by the food industry.
How is it changing the market?
We are enhancing the efficiency of one of the largest industries in the world, agriculture, while providing the food industry with an essential sustainable ingredient.
Day 8’s technology enables the upcycling of discarded leaves to extract the fiber and taste-neutral protein the food industry craves.
Rubisco protein stands out among plant-based proteins due to its unparalleled functionality for food applications. Unlike other plant-based protein sources, it is extracted from the leaves and not from the seed. Day 8’s unique technology produces the most taste-neutral protein available today. Furthermore, upcycling discarded leaves from existing agricultural crops eliminates the cost associated with growing raw materials. In the long run, Day 8’s product cost will be such that it will be positioned to replace soy protein entirely.
How big is the market for the product and who are its main customers?
The market is massive: Upcycling leaf residue can significantly increase the efficiency of the $13T agriculture industry, generate an incremental income of $120B for growers, and lower the environmental footprint.
Does the product exist already? If not - at what stage is it and when is it expected to hit the market?
Day 8’s product is in the R&D phase. We have a strong business and R&D plan, including global collaboration with key players in the Ag industry, for bringing Day8’s recycled proteins and fibres to the market at 2025.
Who are the main competitors in this sector and how big are they?
Day8’s competitors are mostly startups aiming to extract Rubisco protein from leaves.
What is the added value that the founders bring to the company and the product?
The Co-founders of Day8 bring to the company the desired combination of business expertise, deep scientific knowledge, and a ‘doing good’ agenda.
What will the money coming in from the round be used for?
Pilot scale production and working with our deep pipeline of clients to enhance their food applications.
In the "Startup Boarding Pass" section, CTech will cover the (relatively) small investments made in companies during the early stages of their existence - and the entrepreneurs and startups who have not yet had the opportunity to reveal their stories to the world. Please use the linked form and fill it out according to the guidelines. This form is intended for startups raising between $500,000 and $3 million from venture capital funds, angels, or official grants from Israeli and foreign institutions. If relevant, someone at CTech will be in touch for follow-up questions.
