- Plantible is a vertically integrated biology company unlocking
the potential of duckweed to create a plant-based protein that
emulates the characteristics of animal-based proteins
- CH4 Global is scaling up production of Asparagopsis seaweed to
reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle, a key driver of
climate change
NEWPORT
BEACH, Calif., Jan. 15,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:
CMG) today announced it is making minority investments in
Plantible, a company harnessing the power of Lemna, an aquatic
plant, to create what could prove to be the world's most functional
plant-based protein, and CH4 Global, a company aiming to impact
climate change at scale via methane-reducing innovations.
Introduced in 2022, Cultivate Next makes early-stage investments
into strategically aligned companies that further Chipotle's
mission to Cultivate a Better World and help accelerate the
company's longer term growth plans to operate 7,000 restaurants in
North America.
Plantible
Founded in 2018, Plantible has developed a
vertically integrated manufacturing platform to produce Rubi
Protein™ from Lemna, more commonly known as duckweed. Rubi Protein™
is a natural, plant-based protein that can mimic the quality,
taste, and texture of popular animal-based proteins and can replace
synthetic emulsifiers and binders. By leveraging Rubi's functional
and nutritional profile, Plantible aims to fulfill the food
industry's need for a cleaner, healthier, and allergen-friendly
food system currently polluted by unhealthy and unsustainable
ingredients. Its manufacturing technology harnesses the aquatic
growth of Lemna and limits fresh water usage through recirculation
and minimizes carbon emissions due to its highly efficient growing
process.
"Plantible's vertically integrated and traceable supply chain
aligns with our commitment to ingredient transparency and Food with
Integrity standards," said Curt
Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer at Chipotle.
"Investing in a like-minded venture that strives to transform the
global food supply could help the entire industry unlock new
opportunities for plant-based menu offerings."
CH4 Global
CH4 Global is on a mission to
deliver gigaton-scale emissions reductions over the next decade
using whole, dried Asparagopsis seaweed targeting livestock
methane. The company's flagship product, Methane Tamer™, is a feed
additive that leverages Asparagopsis, with a goal of reducing
methane emissions in cattle by up to 90%.
Chipotle's investment will help CH4 Global scale production of
Methane Tamer to meet burgeoning global demand for natural
solutions to mitigate methane emissions from the world's 1.5
billion cattle.
In addition to slashing methane output, Asparagopsis may reduce
the feed energy lost to methane production inside the rumen area of
their stomachs. This means that cattle could get more energy and
nutrition from the same amount of food, which would help them grow
or produce milk more efficiently while reducing their environmental
impact.
"As we all work toward the goal of minimizing global greenhouse
gas emissions, it's vital for us to invest in companies like CH4
Global that are engineering scalable solutions to reduce harmful
global emissions," said Christian
Gammill, Cultivate Next Fund Manager. "Our investment in CH4
Global will help the team scale production of Methane Tamer™ to
meet its current outstripped demand."
Chipotle's Cultivate Next venture fund portfolio includes:
Brassica, CH4 Global, GreenField Robotics, Hyphen, Local Line,
Lumachain, Meati Foods, Nitricity, Plantible, Vebu, and Zero Acre
Farms. Companies interested in collaborating with Chipotle through
the Cultivate Next venture fund can apply by
emailing CultivateNext@Chipotle.com.
About Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better
world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food
with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or
preservatives. There are over 3,600 restaurants as of
September 30, 2024, in the United States, Canada,
the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
and Kuwait and it is the only restaurant company of its
size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North
America and Europe. Chipotle is ranked on the Fortune 500
and is recognized on Fortune's Most Admired Companies 2024 list and
Time Magazine's Most Influential Companies. With over 125,000
employees passionate about providing a great guest experience,
Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry.
Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to
everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose
as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business
practices. For more information or to place an order online,
visit chipotle.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this
press release are forward-looking statements as defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including
statements about the companies that Chipotle's Cultivate Next Fund
invests in and our alignment with and expectations for those
companies. We use words such as "anticipate", "aims", "goal,"
"believe", "could", "should", "may" and similar terms and phrases
to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking
statements in this press release are based on currently available
operating, financial and competitive information available to us as
of the date of this release and we assume no obligation to update
these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those described in the statements, including the
risks described from time to time in our SEC reports, including our
annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, all
of which are available on the investor relations page of our
website at ir.chipotle.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chipotles-cultivate-next-fund-invests-in-aquatic-plant-based-technologies-that-aim-to-emulate-animal-protein-and-scale-more-sustainable-cattle-feed-302351852.html
SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill