AKUA

Consumers have spoken. And their message is clear: meat is out, plants are in.

Increasingly, consumers are turning away from meat and gravitating toward plant-based meat alternatives. According to Future Market Insights, the meat-alternative market is projected to grow from around fourteen billion dollars today to $230 billion by 2033.

AKUA is targeting this market with its line of plant-based foods. It uses ocean-farmed kelp to make plant-based jerky, pasta, and burgers. Its vision is to create a platform of clean-label meat-alternative products.

Though it launched just four years ago, AKUA has already made significant progress. Its food-creation process was named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2019. And the company was named one of Fast Company’s “World Changing Ideas for Food in 2020.”

The company has raised capital from notable investors including the CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee and venture funds including M13, which is an investor in Lyft, Snapchat, and Ring. AKUA’s products are available in more than forty states and its customers include Sir Richard Branson.

Upon trying its product in 2017, Branson said, “I was prepared to come up with a nice response after eating this, but actually, it’s really rather delightful. It’s incredibly delicious. Well done.”

The shift to plant-based meat alternatives is a major trend. And it’s involved everyone from startups, to professional investors, to the world’s biggest meat companies.

• In spring 2019, JBS, the world’s largest beef producer, unveiled a plant-based version of its burger.

• That summer, Smithfield Foods, another meat producer, launched its own “meat-free” range of items.

• And Nestle acquired Sweet Earth, a plant-based food company, in September 2017. Two years later, it launched the “Incredible Burger,” made from 100% plant-based ingredients.

As mentioned, AKUA creates plant-based meat alternatives with ocean-farmed kelp. According to the company, kelp is the most sustainable source of food on the planet.

Its first product, Kelp Jerky, is made from kelp, shiitake mushrooms, pea protein, and “superfoods.” It comes in four flavors: Sesame & Nori Salt; Rosemary & Maple BBQ; Hibachi Teriyaki; and Spicy Chili & Lime. Each flavor of jerky has ten grams of fiber, ten grams of protein, and seventy percent of a person’s daily requirement of iron.

Recently, though, the company pivoted to a new product, the Kelp Burger. This is a plant-based burger that’s non-GMO, non-processed, and “chews like a meat burger.” According to AKUA, burgers are the fastest-growing segment in the frozen plant-based meat sector.

Additionally, the company has several other meat alternatives, including ground meat, sausage links, and meatballs.

AKUA’s products are sold in more than 800 retail stores and thirty restaurants. The company’s average sales velocity is double the industry average. In fact, AKUA is the second-fastest growing plant-based brand. Total sales have reached nearly one-and-a-half million dollars. And that may soon rise.

In summer 2023, AKUA is launched two new products: Kelp Patties and BBQ Patties. Notably, both products will be launched in partnership with Paramount/Nickelodeon and incorporate the popular cartoon character SpongeBob Squarepants.

AKUA has partnered with PLNT Burger, a restaurant business founded by Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea, to launch its SpongeBob Kelp Patties across sixteen locations for a back-to-school initiative.

Team Background

Courtney Boyd Myers - Co-Founder & CEO

Courtney is an entrepreneur, environmentalist, and journalist. She has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business.”

Prior to starting AKUA, she was an advisor to GreenWave, a supply chain business focused on ocean farming. Before that, she was an advisor at Recent, a technology-focused fund investing in companies in the climate, healthcare, and education industries.

Earlier, she worked for Sustainable Ocean Alliance, a global organization of startups dedicated to protecting the oceans. Prior to that, she was a writer for Thrive Global, a publication geared toward science-based solutions to enhance mental health and well-being. She also wrote freelance pieces for tech- and finance-focused outlets Wired and Forbes.

Courtney earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from James Madison University.

Essi Ljijama - Head of Sales

Essi joined AKUA in March 2023. She has worked with consumer-packaged goods companies for more than a decade.

Early on, she was a business development team leader with Gourmet Guru, a food and beverage company. She then became regional sales manager with Four Sigmatic, a New York-based food and beverage company selling coffee alternatives.

More recently, Essi was Head of Sales with Oddlygood, a food and beverage manufacturing business focused on plant-based products.

She studied Industrial Management and Logistics at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland.

Kalli Gillmer - Head of Marketing

Kalli began her career in Washington DC, working in international politics and advocacy. After that, she moved to Los Angeles and founded her own creative agency that catered to plant-based and climate-friendly brands.

Kalli then became a consultant for AKUA before joining the company full time in 2022. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the American University School of International Service.

Co-Investors