Jun 23, 2021

Pioneering investor in vegan, cruelty-free and animal-replacing products and services Beyond Impact (part of the larger Beyond Investing vegan investment platform) is making its expertise in the selection of high potential and impactful companies available to a wider audience of investors with the launch of its Vegan Diversity Fund, available on the Angellist platform as a Rolling Fund with first close on July 1st 2021. Beyond Impact has been an active investor in this sector since 2017, participating in the earliest rounds of cellular agriculture companies, like Mosa Meat and Blue Nalu, deeptech alternative protein producers, such as Geltor and Clara Foods, and plant-based brands, such has Meatless Farm and Plant Veda. Since its initial seed investments, companies in its portfolio have gone on to raise 100s of millions of dollars, bring innovative animal-free products to market and expand globally. We had the opportunity to sit down with Claire Smith, CIO of Beyond Impact and CEO of Beyond Investing, to find out more about the new fund. Claire, tell us about the name of the fund, firstly why “vegan” ? The primary purpose of this program, and indeed all of the Beyond Investing investment products, is to accelerate the transition towards a kinder, cleaner, healthier world, for the benefit of people, animals, and the planet. In its latest definition of veganism, the Vegan Society promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives, and the Vegan Diversity Fund will seed and support with further investment those companies whose products replace the ...