A Movement of Change-makers
Sentient Ventures is more than a fund. Our mission is to enable the innovators and change-makers to accelerate the removal of farmed animals from our food production systems, allowing our planet to heal and thrive. By supporting the best companies, we target a 3-5x return on your investment (MOIC).
About
Our £30M UK-domiciled, tax-transparent, early growth-stage fund will invest in the best international companies that are developing superior successors to animal products.
No More Bull
We are living with a food system that pollutes, destroys habitats, drives climate breakdown, decimates wildlife, uses too much land, wastes too much water, raises pandemic potential, drives antibiotic- resistance, and condemns billions of sentient creatures to slaughter.
But…positive change is happening, and it is accelerating. The surge in plant-based eating is a global phenomenon, driven by the multiple crises and supported by the exciting growth and availability of vegan foods. The meat, fish, dairy and egg alternatives sectors are already developing at an unprecedented rate and are poised for explosive growth over the next decade.
The second agricultural revolution is coming.
Animal Sentience
Farmed animals are treated as commodities rather than thinking, feeling, sentient beings, who experience complex emotions, including joy, fear, pleasure and pain. The scale of suffering that each individual endures in production systems is difficult to comprehend, confined and robbed of the ability to express their natural behaviours, to the terror of slaughter on the killing floor.
The historian Yuval Noah Harari rightly states that “industrial farming is one of the worst crimes in history”. Future sociologists and anthropologists will likely puzzle over how as a society we allowed industrial animal agriculture to exist.
We believe that the commoditisation of animals will soon be relegated to the history books, like many barbaric practices from the past, and Sentient Ventures exists to accelerate this process.
True Blue Planet
Studies show fish are intelligent, sentient beings who experience rich and complex emotional lives. Yet, estimates suggest up to 3 trillion (three thousand billion) fish are killed each year, often left to asphyxiate, literally drowning in air.
The oceans play a major role in tackling climate change as the planet’s largest carbon sinks, absorbing up to a third of GHG emissions, and up to 90% of the excess heat generated by emissions. Destruction of the oceans exacerbates global warming by destroying their ability to sequester carbon.
Protection and restoration of ocean life will provide existential benefits to all life on Earth. Sentient Ventures will invest in the companies developing the best seafood alternatives so that our oceans can heal.
Our Vision
A future where animals are no longer commoditised.
Our landscape is currently dominated by raising animals and growing their feed. The freeing up of agricultural land, which currently represents over 70% of land in the UK alone, will allow habitats to thrive, enabling a new understanding that goes beyond co-existing, letting us flourish with the natural world.
Our own wellbeing is deeply entwined with the wellbeing of animals, nature and the planet, which means the switch from eating animal-based to vegan foods can have a wide- reaching impact. When we remove farmed animals from production, GHG emissions drop, land becomes free, forests regenerate, wild populations recover, our health improves, oceans heal, pandemic risk drops, jobs are created, and extinctions dramatically slow.
This is the future we believe in.
Of crisis comes opportunity
Cost of living, war, pandemics, trade disputes, and the climate emergency are all disrupting our food supply. Yet out of crisis comes opportunity. An opportunity to rebuild a sustainable, resilient, equitable and humane food system.
What’s more, it’s a prime time to invest. Lower valuations, less competition and our access to the best scale-ups working on the most vital food solutions gives you a market leading opportunity to be part of the solution.
Some of the greatest companies in history arose from recession. Join us in supporting tomorrow’s food innovators and heroes.
Our Visionaries
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Manish Karani
Founder & Principal
Manish brings over 11 years’ experience within private equity, investment banking and finance at large institutions such as Royal Bank of Scotland and Credit Suisse Investment Bank, creating new investment structures, raising funds, and investing over USD 1B AUM. In 2015, he set up MVK Group, a multi- family office impact fund.
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Matthew Glover
Founder & Investor
Matthew is an activist and an entrepreneur dedicated to removing animals from the food system. Having co-founded the global phenomenon Veganuary, and then the US-based NGO Million Dollar Vegan, Matthew launched Veg Capital and more recently, he co-founded VFC, a vegan fried chick*n brand which marries activism with business.
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Alexandra Clark
Founder & Principal
Alexandra spent over a decade leading the EU advocacy for a policy and regulatory landscape to support a shift to plant-based diets at high-level international bodies, including the EU institutions, while Head of Office to the Vice President of the European Parliament and a lobbyist for an international animal protection organisation before joining Veg Capital.
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Tom Chapman
Head of Food Systems Impact
Tom is an ESG Impact Measurement Expert with over seven years of experience. For the UK government, he has led large-scale market reform programmes to improve livelihoods and mitigate the impact of climate change across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Europe. Tom has deep experience delivering ESG frameworks.
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Suzanne van der Maarel
Portfolio Manager
After over a decade in global commercial roles based in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Suzanne decided to follow her passion and utilise her skill set to change our food systems by guiding capital towards investments and projects with a positive impact, focusing on connecting the corporate world with innovative companies.
Our Disruptors
The superior successors to animal products
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Plant-based
Hyper-realistic alternatives to animal products that are based on diverse plant proteins that mimic the taste, texture and overall sensory experience. Juicy burgers, crispy bacon, creamy puddings and gooey cheese can all be made from plants.
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Fermentation-based
Age-old fermentation techniques used by the food industry to produce enzymes are now being used to produce functional animal proteins, such as casein from cow’s milk, and mycelium which mimics the texture of meat. Allows the functionality of animal products, without requiring animals in the production.
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Enablers
Studies show that recurring plant-based sales drop by 75% after the first month due to not meeting consumer expectations on taste and nutrition1. Cleaner label B2B ingredients and technologies can address this by improving the functionality, sensory experience, nutritional profile, and affordability of animal alternatives. Due to the current macro-economy, B2B also decreases portfolio risk, reducing exposure to volatile consumer trends.
1 Cuffey et al, 2022. AAEA
Our Investment Strategy
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We screen all investment opportunities with our in-house Impact Measurement Tool to ensure we only invest in companies that can spare the most animal lives.
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We perform a comprehensive due diligence assessment on the market, consumer trends, business model and financial plan, traction, unit economics and exit strategy.
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We provide tailored support to our portfolio companies from branding and hires to manufacturing and distribution.
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We offer guidance and connections for a successful exit within the specified timeframe.
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We align our investments with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Join our movement.
Invest with us.
Please get in touch to discuss how you can support our mission and invest in the best vegan companies on track to deliver the greatest returns.