Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat, Inc., branded as Beyond, is a producer of plant-based meat alternatives founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown. The company's products were first launched in the United States in 2012.

Beyond Meat's signature product is its plant-based beef 'Beyond Burger'. It also makes plant-based chicken and pork products.

As of December 2024, the company's products were available at 27,000 retail outlets in the United States, 38,000 retail outlets internationally, 38,000 foodservice outlets in the United States, and 26,000 foodservice outlets internationally. The company's products are available in 65 countries worldwide. The company's largest customer is Dot Foods, accounting for 12% of revenue in 2024. The company's products do not contain GMOs, added hormones or antibiotics, or cholesterol and are certified Kosher and Halal. The primary ingredient in the company's products is pea protein, supplied by Roquette Frères.

The company was founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown, who wanted to mitigate climate change. Brown licensed technology from two University of Missouri professors, Fu-hung Hsieh and Harold Huff, who had been developing their meatless protein since the 1980s.

Beyond Meat launched its first product, Beyond Chicken Strips (originally called "Chicken-Free Strips"), at Whole Foods Market in 2012 and expanded nationally in 2013. In 2014, Beyond Meat developed its first plant-based beef product, Beyond Beef Crumbles. That same year, it announced that it had begun development of a new product emulating a beef burger.

Between 2013 and 2016, the company received venture funding from GreatPoint Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Obvious Corporation, Bill Gates, Biz Stone, the Humane Society and Tyson Foods.

Tyson Foods purchased a 5% stake in Beyond Meat in October 2016 for an undisclosed amount, but sold its entire stake in April 2019, ahead of the company's initial public offering.

By 2018, Beyond Meat had raised US$72 million in venture financing.