The Live Green Co., a startup food tech company from the US, has developed a way to use biotechnology and machine learning (part of AI) to replace animal, synthetic, and ultra-processed foods with plant-based alternatives. This company, founded by Priyanka Srinivas, uses the machine learning platform called Charaka, which analyses data of thousands of plants and finds appropriate plant substitutes for animal-based and artificial ingredients. Phytochemical compounds and bioactive molecules of plants are analysed by Charaka’s algorithms to uncover hidden and non-linear relationships and predict innovative functionalities and uses.  

For example, creating blends of sunflower protein, banana, and flax meal without changing the taste, texture, or mouthfeel of the finished product. Live Green’s platform also identifies more sustainable local alternatives to vegetarian ingredients like avocado. Live Green has already several product lines, such as plant-based and from-of-additives burger mixes, ice creams, baking mixes, frozen burgers, and protein bars. These are also free from common allergens, gluten, cholesterol, and trans fats.  

Live Green believes that its proprietary tech could allow the animal, synthetic, and ultra-processed ingredients in virtually any food to be replaced rapidly and cost-effectively. The company recently closed a $7 million pre-Series A funding round to be used to improve its tech, intellectual property, team, partnerships, and operations. It plans to open a new headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

The vision of Live Green is accelerating the world’s transition to healthy and sustainable food using proprietary technology, and it is doing it by building powerful databases based on the world’s ancestral wisdom of plant nutrition and blending it with the latest biotechnology and machine learning. This computer method has been responsible for creating all the current AI advancements we have seen hyped in the press.

“Originally from Catalonia, but resident in the UK for several decades, Jordi is a vegan zoologist and author, who has been involved in different aspects of animal protection for many years. In addition to scientific research, he has worked mostly as an undercover investigator, animal welfare consultant, and animal protection campaigner. He has been an ethical vegan since 2002, and in 2020 he secured the legal protection of all ethical vegans in Great Britain from discrimination in a landmark employment tribunal case that was discussed all over the world. He is also the author of the book, ‘Ethical Vegan: a personal and political journey to change the world’.