Building Better Food from the Plant Up/Tony Martens - Alternative Meat, Texas, Superfoods ~ Spark of Ages Ep 23

Spark of Ages

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Can the future of our food systems be saved by a humble aquatic plant? Join us as we sit down with Tony Martens, co-founder of Plantible Foods, who believes it can. Plantible's innovative plant protein, Ruby, derived from the sustainable Lemna plant, may hold the key to revolutionizing agriculture and food production. Tony shines a spotlight on the pressing environmental issues of our current food systems, from greenhouse gas emissions to water consumption and biodiversity loss.
Discover the fascinating journey of Rubisco protein, a nutritional powerhouse found in leafy greens, which Plantible has harnessed to outperform traditional animal proteins. Tony shares their pivot to a focus on sustainable food production, unveiling the health benefits and their innovative extraction process of Rubisco. We also explore the transition from traditional agricultural methods to more efficient crops like Lemna, alongside broader market trends demanding better labeling and ingredient transparency in plant-based foods.
Scaling a startup is no small feat, and Tony's story is packed with entrepreneurial grit. From early days in a small R&D facility to navigating the pandemic's hurdles and securing significant commercial agreements, Tony's experiences offer invaluable lessons.
Tony Martens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonydmartens/
Plantible Foods: https://www.plantiblefoods.com/
Producer: Anand Shah & Sandeep Parikh
Technical Director & Sound Designer: Sandeep Parikh, Omar Najam
Executive Producers: Sandeep Parikh & Anand Shah
Associate Producers: Taryn Talley
Editor: Sean Meagher & Aidan McGarvey

Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/
Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/
Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/

Email us with any feedback for the show: [e-mail]

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1. Spark of Ages Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Meet Tony Martins and Plantible Foods (00:00:08)

3. Key Takeaways from this Episode (00:00:30)

4. World Food Supply is Ripe for Disruption (00:02:10)

5. The Vision Behind Plantible Foods (00:05:27)

6. Can Duckweed Solve your Grocery Bill? (00:06:30)

7. What Sparked Plantible Foods? (00:07:49)

8. What is so special about Rubisco? (00:10:15)

9. How Plantible discovered Duckweed's properties (00:11:58)

10. Why Lemna is the New Superfood (00:12:45)

11. From Ag Trader to Duckweed Farmer (00:14:02)

12. Size of US Protein Market (00:16:45)

13. Why "Alternative Meat" has Cooled Off (00:17:46)

14. Product Labels Matter (00:18:42)

15. Why "Alternative Meat" has Cooled Off (cont.) (00:20:11)

16. CPG Food companies need real feedback (00:23:29)

17. What Plantible Does (00:24:40)

18. Scaling Plantible Foods (00:26:27)

19. Scaling the Company: From Pilot to Commercial (00:30:50)

20. El Dorado, TX: Community Involvement and Local Support (00:32:00)

21. Impacting a small community (00:34:12)

22. Challenges and Opportunities in a Changing Economy (00:35:53)

23. Plantible's Go-To-Market Strategy (00:36:13)

24. Overcoming Barriers to Entry (00:40:15)

25. The Spark Tank: Superfoods (00:41:55)

26. Round 1: Unlikely Superfoods: Aloe Vera, Radishes, or Beet Root? (00:43:01)

27. Round 2: Chia Seeds, Kombucha or Cinnamon? (00:44:38)

28. Round 3: Strange But True Superfoods: Casu Marzu, Swiftlet, Kopi Luwak? (00:46:40)

29. Tony Marten's Spark is Rural Communities (00:50:01)

30. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family (00:53:18)

31. The Future of Plantible Foods (00:54:28)

32. Advice for Entrepreneurs (00:56:07)

33. Conclusion and Final Thoughts (00:58:47)

34. Please let us know what you think!!! (01:01:01)

35. Credits (01:01:11)