Prince Khaled’s KBW Ventures invests in ethical pet food brand

KBW Ventures, founded by Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, has joined other investors in a bridge funding round for Bond Pet Foods, a US-based company using biotechnology to make animal-free pet food.

KBW Ventures was joined by fellow seed investor Lever VC, with new funds Stage 1 and Trellis Road participating.

Meanwhile, Bond Pet Foods has announced the creation of an animal-free, cultured chicken meat protein for pet food applications.

To create the prototype, Bond took a one-time blood sample – in this case, from a heritage hen named Inga who is alive and well at a farm in Lindsborg, Kansas – to determine the genetic code for the best types of chicken proteins to nourish dogs and cats.

The genetic code is then coupled with a strain of food-grade yeast. When this yeast is grown in a fermentation tank, it churns out meat proteins that are identical to those typically produced on-farm and field. It’s a similar fermentation process that’s been used for half a century to make enzymes for cheese, but Bond is reassembling the process to harvest high-quality animal proteins.

Bond says its cultured chicken protein, once fully developed, will have the same primary nutrients of conventional chicken meat including its essential amino acids and will meet or exceed AAFCO requirements for both dogs and cats. Its first chicken-based products will debut in 2023.

“A new wave of responsible food production is emerging, working with the best that nature and science have to offer, and our team is leading this wave in Bond Pet Foods,” said Rich Kelleman, co-founder and CEO of Bond Pet Foods. “Our team’s continued developments are laying the foundation to bring high-value meat protein and nutrition to dogs and cats while removing farm animals from the equation.”

Bond’s first consumer product, the Protein-Packed Dog Treat Bar, launched last May – it is made with pure nutritional yeast. While not animal-derived, the yeast protein in the recipe is made through a similar fermentation technique and provides high-quality supplemental nutrition, the company said.

Read: Saudi online grocery startup Nana Direct raises $6.6m in funding