Air Protein Selected as Semifinalist for $15M XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion Competition

Air Protein Leads the Future of Meat Exploration - Meat Made from Air

Inspired by carbon transformation technology originating in the NASA Apollo space program, Air Protein has re-imagined a way to make meat representing the future of food sustainability capable of feeding a growing population.

PLEASANTON, Calif.--()--Air Protein, a pioneer in producing meat alternatives made from elements of the air, is pleased to announce that it has been selected out of a field of hundreds of entries as a semifinalist in the prestigious XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion Award and will be in the running for XPRIZE’s $15 million competition.

The XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion competition acknowledges the pressure being put on the planet’s growing population, global warming and other global challenges, to find more sustainable, nutritious

Air Protein has invented the world’s first air meats to feed a growing population sustainably and help the planet renew. By pioneering this new technology Air Protein has created the most sustainable, nutritious new protein source and meat on the planet. Furthermore, the process can be ready - from air to plate in four days versus farm to table in two years. The company has already gained the attention of the industry and has received $32 million in venture funding from its Series A round, led by some of the biggest names in venture capital, including ADM Ventures, Barclays and GV (formerly Google Ventures).

“We at Air Protein are very pleased to be selected among the other semifinalists who have been named in this prestigious competition,” said Dr. Lisa Dyson, Air Protein Founder and CEO. “With the world population set to reach 10 billion people by 2050, we are committed to providing a solution to sustainably feed the future with our air-based meat. Our novel technology uses elements of the air to create the most sustainable meat available, using substantially less land, water and other resources than traditional meat processes. The recognition by XPRIZE further inspires us to continue our work”

As part of the XPRIZE competition, Air Protein will compete to produce a structured chicken breast or fish fillet alternative, which replicates or outperforms conventional chicken or fish. Judging will be based on access, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition and health, and taste and texture.

The competition was developed as part of XPRIZE’s Future of Food Impact Roadmap, an analysis of global food system challenges and radical breakthroughs which could establish greater levels of food security and a more environmentally sustainable world. To date, XPRIZE has granted over $140 million in prizes, all designed to help create industry-changing technology that brings us closer to a more sustainable world. solutions and protein alternatives capable of meeting the emerging demand for high-protein products.

“The future of meat is the next moonshot for XPRIZE with Feed the Next Billion, just like the future of space exploration was for XPRIZE 15 years ago,” said Dr. Dyson. “Our entire team is inspired to advance our technology, as one of the most novel ways to sustainably feed the world’s population, while taking on climate change and biodiversity loss with a carbon-negative technique, delivering meats that are both flavorful and nutritious and highly sustainable. The Ansari XPRIZE for suborbital flight was the first prize from the foundation, and we saw the tremendous results of their work this weekend. Congratulations to Richard Branson and the Virgin Galactic team for their launch into space. We stand on the shoulders of Giants!”

About Air Protein

Air Protein, founded in 2019, makes meat from elements in the air to sustainably feed the future. Based in San Francisco’s Bay Area, Air Protein is a subsidiary of Kiverdi, Inc., a research and technology company working on the science of carbon transformation to create game changing products and systems. Air Protein has been widely recognized in the media and was also recognized as a 2020 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, in WEF’s list of the 100 most promising technology pioneers of 2020.

Dr. Lisa Dyson, founder and CEO of Air Protein, has a PhD in Physics from MIT, was a Fulbright Scholar at University of London where she received an MS in Physics with an emphasis in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces. She has worked with Fortune 100 companies to help solve some of their most complex business challenges, and today is dedicated to her singular mission of solving the world’s food crisis and creating an affordable, sustainable and scalable protein source.

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world’s grandest challenges. Active competitions include the $100 Million XPRIZE Carbon Removal with Elon Musk, $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, $15 Million XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, $10 Million Rainforest XPRIZE, $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE, $5 Million XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling and $1M Digital Learning Challenge. For more information, visit xprize.org.

Contacts

Air Protein Media Contact:
David Schutzman
David@schutzmanpr.com

Release Summary

Air Protein selected as semifinalist for XPRIZE $15M Feed the Next Billion competition

Contacts

Air Protein Media Contact:
David Schutzman
David@schutzmanpr.com