The Animal-Free Cheese Brand Taps CEO of Hu Ahead of Product Launch
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. (January 24, 2023) – New Culture, a pioneering animal-free dairy company, announced today the appointment of purpose-driven leader Mark Ramadan to its Board of Directors. Ramadan is the CEO of Hu, the leading better-for-you chocolate brand in the U.S. He first made his mark on the food world as co-founder and CEO of Sir Kensington’s, a Certified B Corporation that produces globally-inspired condiments that bring integrity and charm to ordinary and overlooked food.
“I’ve spent the past 12 years building brands and businesses that aim to improve the world through food, and I couldn’t be more energized by New Culture’s approach to doing just this,” said Ramadan. “My experience in food has taught me that the best way to help people make better choices for themselves and the planet is to ask for no sacrifice in the actual tasting experience. What New Culture is doing – making cow cheese without the cow – seems to be the best possible solution for giving all of us the delicious, melty cheese we want, while creating significantly less impact to our planet.”
The appointment marks the next step in New Culture’s mission to launch products that are better for us, our planet and our food systems. Using precision fermentation, the company is making animal-free dairy products that are indistinguishable from conventional products in taste, texture, function and nutritional content, while also radically reducing water, land, energy and greenhouse gas emissions. New Culture is slated to start public tastings this year, beginning with its animal-free mozzarella, and launch in pizzerias in early 2024.
“Mark’s experience in successfully launching and building iconic and mission-driven food companies makes him a perfect fit for our board, especially since we’re now gearing up for our own launch,” said Matt Gibson, co-founder and CEO of New Culture. “Our mission is to lead the global change to an animal-free dairy future and it is a testament to the team and what we have achieved so far that Mark is joining us to accelerate this mission.”
New Culture’s board includes members Michael Berolzheimer, founder and managing partner of Bee Partners; David Delfassy, investor at Ahren Innovation Capital; Vince Garlati of Evolv Ventures backed by Kraft Heinz; Arvind Gupta, founder of IndieBio and partner at Mayfield fund; and Harry Kalms of CPT Capital.
“Mark has a proven track record as a founder and entrepreneur, having scaled multiple innovative food businesses through to successful exits to global food enterprises,” said Delfassy at Ahren Innovation Capital. “Mark brings excellent experience in company building, early-stage financing, and commercialization through both foodservice and retail. I am delighted that Mark is joining the New Culture Board of Directors and I look forward to his contributions.”
New Culture announced a $25 million Series A investment round in November 2021. The company’s investors include global food companies Kraft Heinz (Evolv Ventures) and ADM (ADM Ventures); leading venture capital firms Mayfield, Future Ventures, Ahren Innovation Capital, and SOSV; and leading food tech VCs S2G, CPT Capital, and Be8 Ventures. Since then, they have received investments from Korean conglomerate, CJ CheilJedang, and others to aid in efficiently and scalably using precision fermentation to produce casein protein and animal-free cheese.
For more information about New Culture, please visit: www.newculture.com.
About New Culture
New Culture is leading the global movement to an animal-free dairy future. We make animal-free dairy products that stretch, melt, and taste like the real deal. By combining traditional cheese-making methods with innovative food science, New Culture offers cheese that’s kinder on animals, the planet, and human health. With New Culture’s groundbreaking science, any cheese is possible and can be made completely animal-free. In other words: cow cheese without the cow. The future of dairy is here—and it’s delicious. For more information, visit www.newculture.com.
