Who We Are
Our Mission
Our mission is to transform the global food system to one that is more sustainable from the perspectives of the environment, food scarcity, health, and animal protection.
Our Belief
We believe market forces, food technology, and entrepreneurship can facilitate sustainable behavioral change around the world.
“As an entrepreneur, I am not looking for an investor but rather for a partner.
Unovis is an ideal partner, first because they have been in my shoes and understand what a founder is dealing with, and they are there, by my side, to help build the business with their experience and deep connections in the food industry. we couldn’t ask for a better investor that on top of that, share our “plant-based” vision.”
Our Approach
WE SEEK companies innovating along the alternative protein production value chain centered around novel and/or efficient, animal-free proteins.
WE FOCUS on high-impact opportunities with potential to reach mass markets.
WE EVALUATE opportunities based on our Food PACT – Price, Awareness, Convenience & Taste.
WE DEPLOY worldwide, with a presence across the United States and Europe, permitting us a global view to better understand opportunities.
WE INVEST in direct replacements of animal protein food products including meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, and seafood – and the underlying technologies facilitating these replacements.
WE FUND early in a company’s lifecycle, from Pre-Seed through Series B, with the potential to follow on.
WE PARTNER with those that share our beliefs in the value of collaboration, diversity of thought, and breadth of expertise and experience.
WE ADD VALUE through a hands-on approach and a robust network of partner enablers that includes chefs, food conglomerates, distributors, foodservice outlets, food manufacturers and industry associations.
Our Team
We’re a team of Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Operators with food industry experience and a single focus, which provides deep knowledge about an untapped, rapidly emerging, and expanding space.
Dan is a lifelong entrepreneur with a passion for food, startups, and sustainability. He heads the firm’s investments in the Americas & Israel, strategizing with entrepreneurs to tackle the challenges they face on their journey toward success ranging from R&D and Manufacturing to Distribution, Marketing, and International Growth. Dan is a Director of Black Sheep Foods, Nova Meat, Alpha Foods, and Zero Egg and mentors aspiring entrepreneurs.
Shelley is a proven business administrator with a long and varied career. She has great knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the startup landscape & experience in large corporations & government agencies. The consummate multi-tasker who values connections and networks and always puts people at the center. Hailing from New Zealand her “Kiwi” mantra has always been to ensure everything is done with the mindset of what is good for the world.
Kara is a lifelong activist who believes that harm reduction is core to every decision. After 30 years in organizations, corporations, and small businesses, Kara is heartened by the pace and creativity with which environmental, social, and governance improvements are now defined and implemented. She’s also not mad at the strides ethical food has made since her first packaged 1980s eggless donut.
Kirsti oversees Unovis’s sustainability policies and initiatives on social, animal, governmental and environmental issues. She brings 25 years of experience as an activist to her role, from grassroots organizing to legislation and lobbying work on local, state and federal levels. Being part of Unovis’s efforts to feed the world delicious food while protecting Earth and all her species is deeply fulfilling.
As Principal of New Crop Capital Trust, Jay oversees the portfolio of the trust. In addition, Jay is a founder and Investment Committee member of Ahimsa VC, a fund focused on investing in animal product alternatives in India. Previously, he worked at hedge funds in the US and in Japan. Jay graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in Operations Research and Financial Engineering. Jay is a director of Wild Earth and a board observer of Gathered Foods and JUST.
Chris has 30+ years of leadership experience with start-ups and venture investing. Since 1996 he’s focused on impact investing and since 2007 has concentrated on food markets and plant-based foods. As CIO, Chris manages portfolio strategy, leads the global coalition building efforts, and advises portfolio companies. Chris serves as chair of Gathered Foods and is a director of Wicked Foods, BlueNalu and NUMU.
Mark has worked as an engineer, analyst, economic consultant, and as an advisor to plant-based start-ups. He has more than a decade of experience on Wall Street where he analyzed special-situation and high-tech companies. He has contributed to several books, been interviewed for television and radio programs, and has been quoted in a variety of leading publications. As Portfolio Manager, Mark works on deal flow, and performs asset and market level analyses.
Daniel is a senior finance and risk management professional with more than 20 years of senior management experience within the financial industry. He has worked at larger and smaller firms (financial institutions, asset managers, family offices, and hedge funds) each in a different phase of their business cycle. Daniel holds a Masters’s degree in Business Economics from the University of Tilburg, is Dutch, and is based with his family in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Kim is a committed impact investor and curious consumer of all foods plant-based. His sense of urgency around the impact of rapid global development, and the need for a more sustainable global food system, comes from more than 25 years of residing and investing in emerging economies throughout Southeast Asia. From Amsterdam, Kim oversees the firm’s operations in Europe and Asia; and serves as Chair of Green Pro International, and Directorships in The Protein Brewery, Heura Foods, and Green Rebel Foods.
DG is passionate about working with innovative and mission-driven business leaders to achieve impact at scale. Previously, DG conducted ESG research and financial analysis at Harvard Business School after completing the year-long management program at M&T Bank. DG earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Asian Studies from Williams College. Conversationally fluent in English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, DG aspires to be a global business leader who delivers concrete solutions to improve people’s quality of life.
Based in the Netherlands, Bas is the Operations Manager at Unovis Asset Management, focusing on portfolio and risk management, processes, and performance measurement. Bas holds a master’s degree in economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, and after working ten years at PGGM, a large Dutch pension fund, Bas gained valuable experience in private equity (back, mid, and front office). Driven by the need for a more sustainable world and being an enthusiastic consumer of alternative protein foods, Bas finds great satisfaction in contributing to Unovis’ mission.
Careers
There are no openings at Unovis at this time. Please also check the websites of our portfolio companies, many of which are hiring.