Work Here?
Tender Food
Work Here?
Harvard-backed direct-to-consumer plant-based meat substitutes
Tender Food
Work Here?
Harvard-backed direct-to-consumer plant-based meat substitutes
Overview
Tender Food creates plant-based meat substitutes using scientific expertise from Harvard University to offer sustainable, tasty alternatives to animal meat. Its products are made from plant-based ingredients designed to mimic the taste and texture of meat, and are sold directly to consumers online and through select retail partners, with potential future partnerships with food service providers. Unlike many competitors, Tender Food emphasizes collaborating with Harvard-backed science to deliver high-quality meat alternatives and markets directly to environmentally conscious and health-focused buyers. The company’s goal is to reshape how people eat by providing planet-friendly meat options without compromising flavor or texture.
About Tender Food
Industries
Food & Agriculture
Biotechnology
Consumer Goods
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Early VC
Total Funding
$29.8M
Headquarters
Somerville, Massachusetts
Founded
2020
Get referred to Tender Food
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Lasso raised $6.5 million in October 2025 after its $11.5 million Series A.
- Froobies and CronchClub launched in February 2026, opening new snack revenue streams.
- Partnership talks for manufacturing and licensing can turn SpinTech into recurring platform revenue.
What critics are saying
- Lasso abandoned standalone plant-based meat after Messersmith said 2025 capital was unavailable.
- Clover foodservice traction stays niche; no national grocery scale exists by August 7, 2026.
- If snacks fail, Lasso becomes a tooling story with no consumer brand moat.
What makes Tender Food unique
- Harvard-born SpinTech uses centrifugal force to spin proteins into meatlike fibers.
- Mike Messersmith rebranded Tender as Lasso in October 2025, broadening beyond alt-meat.
- Lasso keeps Tender as one brand while licensing SpinTech across snacks and pet food.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Funding
Total Funding
$29.8M
Above
Industry Average
Funded Over
4 Rounds
Benefits
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
401(k) Company Match
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Paid Parental Leave
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Company News
Tender Food has rebranded as Lasso and raised $6.5 million to expand its fiber spinning technology, Lasso SpinTech, beyond alt-meat into new categories like fruit snacks and pet food. The funding, led by Rhapsody Venture Partners, follows a $11.5 million Series A in summer 2024. Lasso's tech, developed at Harvard, uses centrifugal force to create fibrous materials and is more cost-effective than traditional methods. CEO Mike Messersmith aims to transform Lasso into a multi-category tech platform.
Rhapsody Venture Partners invests in early stage, hard-tech innovations -- things like new materials, engineering innovations, chemistries, food tech -- helping bring them from the lab to market.
National Science Foundation 2415 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
Tender Food, a food technology startup based in Somerville, MA, has closed over $11 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Rhapsody Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors Lowercarbon Capital and Safar Partners, and new investors Claridge Partners and Nor'easter Ventures.
Tender Foods Inc. raised $11 million in its initial funding round, led by Rhapsody Venture Partners, Lowercarbon Capital, Cladridge Partners, Nor’easter Ventures, and Safar Partners. The funds will be used to scale up production and commercialize plant-based meat products. CEO Christophe Chantre highlighted the need for better-tasting, affordable plant-based meats. Additionally, Tender Foods announced a partnership with Clover Food Lab to bring its products to all Clover locations in the US by 2025.
There are no jobs for Tender Food right now.
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today
About Tender Food
Industries
Food & Agriculture
Biotechnology
Consumer Goods
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Early VC
Total Funding
$29.8M
Headquarters
Somerville, Massachusetts
Founded
2020
There are no jobs for Tender Food right now.
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today