August 19, 2019

By Lynda Kiernan

Motif Ingredients has announced multiple developments that will play roles in the strategic growth of the startup. 

The company revealed that it has decided to rebrand with the new name and brand identity of Motif FoodWorks, and that it has raised $27.5 million in funding led by global growth equity fund,  General Atlantic, with participation from CPT Capital.

Motif is very new on the field, having been launched by Boston-based biotech leader Ginkgo Bioworks only in March of this year as a food tech startup focused on the development of next-generation alternative proteins and ingredients for global companies. 

The spin-off coincides with a high-profile $90 million Series A funding round for Gingko backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a leading investment fund focused on climate issues, and backed by some of the top billionaires in the world, including Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, and Vinod Khosla. Other investors that participated were two of the biggest global food companies -Louis Dreyfus Company and Fonterra – and Viking Global Ventures.

“We started putting Motif together around February or March of 2018,” Jason Kakoyiannis, business development at Ginkgo and a director of Motif, told Tech Crunch in March.“The germination of the business had its inception earlier though, from interacting with companies in the food and beverage scene.”

With this new funding, Motif FoodWorks is pioneering the discovery of better ingredients that align with the animal-free consumer narrative shift for improved human health, and a reduction in the environmental footprint of animal agriculture.

Along with the funding, the company’s newly-adopted brand identity reflects its broad appeal and deep roots in the food industry, which it intends to reshape through science and technology in partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks.

“Since launching the company we’ve seen an incredible response from the industry; it’s clear that the movement towards animal-free is no passing fad,” said Jon McIntyre, CEO of Motif. “Food leaders know that to get it right, however, there can be no compromise between taste and values. Our team of experienced scientists and passionate food lovers are working relentlessly to ensure our products — as well as our brand — deliver on that exciting and critical challenge.”

To realize its goals, and to “extend the realm of what’s possible with animal-free ingredients”, Motif also announced the expansion of its executive and business development team with the addition of three new senior management positions.

Janet Collins has been named to the role of Head of Regulatory, Government and Industry Affairs. Collins brings 30 years experience with food and biotechnology regulation to the position, and will be responsible for leading the startup’s regulatory initiatives as it rolls out new animal-free ingredients on the market. Having previously led agricultural advocacy and regulatory affairs in her former position as executive vice president of CropLife America and president of the Institute of Food Technologists, Collins brings a unique understanding of the U.S. meat and dairy industries. 

Julie Post-Smith, with more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and product development, has been announced as the company’s new Director of Business Development. Prior to joining Motif, Post-Smith was the senior business director of Food Service with Kerry, where she was responsible for the successful development and launch of new products. This history will serve her well in her role with Motif FoodWorks, where she will be responsible for driving business growth and will lead the startup’s go-to-market strategy.

The position of Business Development Manager has been filled by Morgan Keim – the former founder and CEO of plant-based, tech-enabled meat and dairy marketing strategy firm Sprouted Ventures – who will work closely with Post-Smith in managing corporate communications and executive customer acquisition strategies. 

Additionally, Motif announced that Peter Lafer, vice president of life sciences investments with General Atlantic, will join the Motif FoodWorks Board as an observer.

“The momentum at Motif is palpable, and we have an exciting road ahead,” said McIntyre. “Powered with funds, technology and a team of incredibly talented food-lovers, we are moving closer to our mission to develop animal-free and plant-based ingredients that are more nutritious, more accessible and more sustainable for our planet.”

– Lynda Kiernan is Editor with GAI Media and daily contributor to GAI News. If you would like to submit a contribution for consideration, please contact Ms. Kiernan at lkiernan@globalaginvesting.com.