Plant-based fish substitutes are the newest trend in the sustainability culture, and an Israeli startup is leading the charge.
A group of food scientists came together with a vision to keep the fishes where they belong – in the oceans – and created a substitute for fish eaters and that’s how Plantish was born. Plantish is an Israeli innovative food tech startup founded in early 2021, by a group of food scientists driven by sustainability and dedicated to saving the Planet.
With a diverse group of bioengineers, entrepreneurs, and chemists with Ph.Ds, CEO Ofek Ron leads the team of Plantish along with Dr. Hila Elimelech, a chemistry PhD and expert in additive manufacturing technology,(also recognised as 3D printing technology), serves as the R&D Head, while Dr. Ariel Szklanny, a bioengineering PhD, serves as CTO, and Dr. Ron Sicsic serves as chief scientific officer. Plantish strives to maintain a net-zero emissions workplace and believes in building a transparent food system.
No fishy business
With the introduction of its 100 per cent plant-based whole-cut salmon fillet, Plantish cemented its reputation as a forerunner in the field of seafood alternatives. Dr Hila explains, “The Plantish Salmon is a fully structured boneless salmon that perfectly replicates the taste, appearance, and texture of cooked salmon without the exception of causing any harm to the fish. This vegan fish fillet can be baked, roasted, grilled, and prepared in any way like traditional salmon.”
Plantish’s vegan salmon is prepared with a proprietary blend of plant proteins and patent-pending technologies. It is also high in protein (sourced from the best molecules) and contains Omega-3s (obtained from algae extractions), Omega-6s, and B vitamins, and has the similar nutritional benefits as conventional fish. Moreover, it is free from the contaminants which are commonly found in ordinary fillets and fish from the ocean, such as mercury, microplastics, hormones, and antibiotics. These fillets will be available for tasting later this year in pop-up sites before being released to the general public in 2024.
The vast majority of fish is eaten whole-cut (approximately 70 per cent ). Despite this, due to technical limits, the majority of substitute seafood items are made to look like pulverised fish. Plantish created a whole-cut fillet that can be prepared in the same way as regular salmon to address this void.
Funds in the net
In June 2021, the startup raised US$ 2 million in venture funding to fund its aim, with investors including Michelin-starred chef José Andrés and Nas Daily content creator Nuseir Yassin.
Plantish was able to raise US$ 12 million in its most recent seed round, and this new investment will be used to expand the workforce and do additional product development R&D. Pitango Health Tech, New York-based alternative protein-focused VC Unovis, and TechAviv Founder Partners SmartAgro, E2JDJ, Alumni Ventures, and OurCrowd participated in the US$ 12.5 million round, which was led by Israeli venture capital firm State Of Mind Ventures.
Fish belong in the ocean, not on our plates. The team’s unified vision is also responsible for the company’s significant rapid growth. “At Plantish we are doing more than making a product, we are building a community,” says Ofek.
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