What’s Shark Tank Seaweed Bacon: Everything You Need To Know

Shark Tank Seaweed Bacon is trending in the United States. We are going to give you details about what the Californian startup Umaro Foods is all about.

Umaro Foods, formerly Trophic, has raised $3 million in a seed round sponsored by AgFunder to support the introduction of its first product, seaweed-based bacon.

To convert seaweed from ‘plant to protein,’ Umaro has created a proprietary, undisclosed method.

As a result, a red-colored protein ingredient that is said to be exceptionally nutritious and long-lasting has emerged.

Umaro’s seaweed-powered bacon will be available for the first time in Q2 of this year, with restaurant partners being the first to try it.

Alexandria Venture Investments, Impact Science Ventures, Ponderosa Ventures, Clear Current Capital, Ahimsa Foundation, and Sustainable Food Ventures were also part of the seed round.

Umaro is the most recent firm to take on the task of making plant-based bacon. 

Despite the severe competition, Beth Zotter and Dr. Amanda Stiles, the founders, are undeterred.

In a statement, Zotter stated, “Bacon is the holy grail of plant-based food, and our innovative formula is a game-changer in the category.”

The formula is made up of two separate yet intertwined breakthroughs.

The first is Umaro protein, which is isolated in-house from red seaweed species and can be used to substitute heme.

The second is an encapsulating technique that traps plant-based oils in the bacon strips, allowing them to crisp up like real bacon.

According to Umaro, the end result is a viable bacon substitute that also falls into the superfood category.

“Consumers can get excited about eating something that tastes, smells, and performs just like bacon, and we have the first plant-based product with the ability to take market share from animal bacon,” Zotter added.

Umaro has completed the cycle by working entirely with seaweed varieties grown in the ocean.

The company’s previous incarnation aimed to build offshore seaweed farming systems for what it saw as the future of sustainable protein sourcing.

It has now taken on the role of protagonist, aiming to develop a line of branded seaweed protein-based goods in the future.

“Seaweed offers the most sustainable, lowest-impact way to source protein, and the ocean is our biggest protein bioreactor,” Zotter said in a statement.

“It requires no land, no freshwater, and no synthetic fertilizers. In the future, seaweed will supply the majority of our protein needs.”

Umaro, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has formed strategic collaborations to advance seaweed farming in other parts of the world.

The company is collaborating with the University of New Hampshire and Otherlab to improve first-generation offshore farming technologies in the Gulf of Maine, with the goal of supporting the sustainable use of ocean-harvested seaweed.

What is Umaro all about?

Umaro is a plant-based substitute for bacon made of red seaweed.

“We are building a food system that supports a wild and thriving planet. Starting in a surprising place–the ocean. We are developing the most sustainable protein source on the planet: ocean-farmed seaweed. Our growing team is motivated to make a food system that supports a thriving planet and demands the humane treatment of animals.” The brand’s website reads.