Finally Foods, an Israeli AgTech startup that utilizes AI for plant-based protein production, has secured pre-seed funding from The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and the Israeli Innovation Authority.

The newly acquired funds will be used to enhance the production of casein proteins for animal-free cheese by leveraging an AI-based plant molecular farming platform. 

Finally Foods, founded in 2024, leverages plant molecular technology developed by Evogene to convert potatoes into bioreactors that grow sustainable proteins. The company will initially focus on casein production for animal-free cheese, with sustainable milk and meat alternatives in the pipeline.

Analyst QuickTake: Potatoes, which may seem like an unlikely ingredient for animal-free protein production, have garnered interest recently in the sustainable proteins space, both in terms of an ingredient and a bioreactor for plant molecular farming. Animal-free dairy startup Veg of Lund uses potatoes to develop dairy-free milk, while PoLoPo uses metabolic engineering to convert potato plants into protein-producing micro-biofactories.