NotCo is leading the way in the food sector when it comes to plant-based alternatives to animal products.
A food-tech startup based in Chile that was founded in 2015 by three technologists, Karim Pichara, Pablo Zamora, and Matias Muchnick, with the purpose of reinventing the food sector without harming the environment.
As a unicorn, NotCo has established itself as a pioneer in meat alternative products and is Latin America’s fastest growing startup.
Machine Learning, Software Engineers, Designers, Research Chefs, Food Scientists, and Analytical Scientists make up the team, which also includes experts tasked with transmitting technology and scientific discoveries to the rest of the company and external partners.
A genius AI
The company’s first-of-its-kind patent AI programme has contributed significantly to its success. Named as Giuseppe, the AI presently has the most advanced and comprehensive patent portfolio in the field of food science.
Giuseppe works on the idea of knowing the molecular structure of animal-based substances and looking for similar components in the over 300,000 edible plants available.
Giuseppe’s approach is also simple,it takes an animal-based product’s recipe, analyses its structure at the molecular,physical and chemical levels (for instance, how each molecule interacts with one another to produce the precise flavour, texture, and odour), and then replaces it with a plant-based substitute by providing formulae that can be replicated in their laboratories.
After which the team and chefs at NotCo try the recipes and give their feedback to Giuseppe, so it can learn and improve in the next iteration.
With over 100 recipes evaluated in the programme every month, Guiseppe does not approach a task with preset ideas, but rather adapts to change. It optimises formulations for texture and usefulness, and suggests taste compounds that are similar to those found in animals.
This machine learning allows the AI to constantly improve and give precise results over time, allowing the company to produce products faster, more efficiently, more accurately than before, which is another significant component in the company’s success.
Karim Pichara designed the first version of Giuseppe.
Product praises
NotCo’s initial product, NotMayo, was launched in Chile in 2017, it substitutes eggs with chickpea and other vegan ingredients. The product became an instant hit, leading to the company’s expansion into Argentina and Brazil.
NotMilk, which was developed after 18 months of experimentation with Giuseppe, quickly became a star player in the plant-based industry.
Water, sunflower oil, pea protein, less than 2% sugar, pineapple and cabbage juice concentrate, and other vitamins are used to make it. It accurately simulates the flavour and texture of dairy, assisting the team in meeting their goal of customer satisfaction.
It also opened the doors for their products in US markets by November 2020.
Today, with the expansion of their products in overseas markets, the company has partnered with Wegmans and other retailers.
Furthermore, NotMilk was also recently introduced at a number of Starbucks locations across Columbia.
NotMilk was also launched in Canada, leading to the company’s expansion in the country. Now, the company has retail and foodservice operations in eight countries.
In Chile, NotCo’s other meat alternatives can be found in Papa John’s vegan pizza and Burger King’s rebel chopper.
In several markets, their NotBurger and NotIceCream are also popular. The three-month prediction for NotBurgers was sold out in three weeks.
NotCo is now considered Latin America’s leading food-tech company, with investors including Bezos Expeditions, Roger Federer’s Team8, Tiger Global, L Catterton, Future Positive Kaszek Ventures, and EHI.
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