San Francisco-based meat alternatives maker, Black Sheep Foods, has raised $12.3 million in Series A funding.

The round – which was led by Unovis, alongside Bessemer Venture Partners, AgFunder and KBW Ventures – brings total investment in the company to date to $18.05 million.

Black Sheep Foods is a food tech start-up that uses analytical chemistry to replicate the flavours of meat, with an initial focus on lamb.

The company’s patent pending technology allows it to isolate the molecules that give any animal meat its distinctive flavour and then replicate the taste by identifying the same molecules in plants.

“Our minds associate meat with a shape, a texture and a flavour,” said Sunny Kumar, CEO and co-founder of Black Sheep Foods.

“While texture has been the focus of meat innovation, flavour is a white space. Our debut lamb made from plants has more depth of flavour, richness and appetising aromatics than other meats, full stop. We’re in the business of giving consumers access to the most delicious meat variety, using plants instead of animals.”

Black Sheep plans to use the funds to scale up the production of its plant-based lamb – which it launched late last year in restaurants across California – for national distribution.

Dan Altschuler, managing partner at Unovis, said: “Black Sheep Foods is set up to deliver the best-tasting meats that just happen to be made from plants. Animal-free and environmentally sound. We’re thrilled to partner with them on their journey.”

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