Bond Pet Foods, the US-based company working with biotechnology to make animal-free and protein-rich pet food, has been awarded US $250,000 in funding as part of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT)’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program.
A total of 37 Colorado startups were given grants of various amounts, for the first grant cycle of 2021 for Proof-of-Concept and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants that support Colorado’s advanced industries.
Founded by CEO Rich Kelleman and CTO Pernilla Audibert, Bond’s first consumer product launched in May – its Protein-Packed Dog Treat Bar made with a pure nutritional yeast.
In August, the company announced the creation of the world’s first animal-free, cultured chicken meat protein for pet food applications. The prototype is a big step on its way to scale-up and commercial production.
The startup’s seed round in December 2019 was led by Lever VC and included Agronomics, KBW Ventures, Plug and Play Ventures, and Andante Asset Management. KBW Ventures also committed to a second investment in Bond with follow-on funding in August of this year.
