Ahimsa Companies—a holding company seeking “to catalyze the transition to a plant-based food system”—is pumping $12 million into the manufacturing plant in Heath, Ohio, it acquired from Gathered Foods last year as it “ramps up with some big partners for Q1, 2026 production,” says CEO Matthew Tullman.
“We are still tracking to spend eight-digits on capex projects in Ohio alongside some large plant-based partners,” Tullman told AgFunderNews. “I can’t disclose specific co-manufacturing partners or the products we are manufacturing there due to confidentiality.
“We’ve formed a new contract manufacturing entity, Plant Plant… which operates out of the Ohio facility. We’re producing for our own brands and in collaboration with other plant-based brands. We’re on track to be producing tens of millions of pounds of plant-based foods out of that facility in 2026.”
He added: “We’re doing extensive renovation to put us in a better position to serve one of our bigger partners. So the production capabilities enable us to go from powdered protein through extrusion, all the way to forming, frying, packaging and shipping. I can’t say too much now, but we’re also adding on entirely new capabilities on top of that.”
Industry consolidator?
Meanwhile, Ahimsa—which pitched itself last year as “leading an industry-wide consolidation effort generating opportunities for vertical integration and scale”— is still looking for interesting brands, distressed or otherwise, in the alt meat space, said Tullman.
“Ahimsa continues to be highly motivated to support brands that are driving positive change in our eating habits. In practice, we’re continuing to invest in portfolio companies; to look at acquisitions to ‘bolt-on’ to existing businesses; and, within our portfolio, we’re focused on consolidating our smaller brands into larger platforms.”
He added: “Ahimsa Companies is supported by the Ahimsa Foundation, which has meaningfully invested in quite a few prominent brands in the plant-based space. Our current strategy across both entities is predicated on the importance of consolidation to create efficiencies and build sustainable businesses.”
Asked about other investors in Ahimsa Companies, he said: “For privacy reasons, we don’t disclose our investors.”
So how is Ahimsa Companies’ portfolio performing?
Ahimsa acquired Wicked Kitchen (plant-based products across multiple categories) in summer 2024, Simulate/Nuggs (alt chicken) in October 2024, and Blackbird Foods (plant-based pizza, wings, seitan) in early 2025.
According to Tullman: “The Good Catch and Current Foods [plant-based seafood] brands were owned by Wicked when we acquired the business, but they were no longer on-shelf anywhere at that time and we did not seek to bring any of those products back.”
“Since acquiring certain assets of Wicked Kitchen, we’ve focused our efforts on the UK market, where we found an opportunity to run a profitable business,” added Tullman. “In the near term we’ll probably look at an operating partner for companies [such as Wicked] operating fully in the UK, that could help drive performance there. With us being based in the US… the synergies don’t really exist with a UK brand.”
Simulate, meanwhile, has “shifted its focus from the original Nuggs product line to developing technology for fiber-spun whole-cut plant-based chicken–a process designed to create texture and structure closer to conventional chicken breast than anything currently on the market,” explained Tullman. “The company has built valuable IP, which we plan to retain and leverage at the right time to help bring this next-generation product to market.”
He added: “The Simulate acquisition was really based around that [spinning] technology, which is really, really compelling. So we’ll probably look to roll it out in some commercial effort in partnership with another brand, because obviously, given the state of the market, building a standalone chicken brand in light of the other investments we’ve made just doesn’t make sense.”
Blackbird ‘actively growing’
On the other hand, he said, “Blackbird has been actively growing in the market. The brand is now in over 4,000 doors with its pizza and seitan products. It recently secured nationwide distribution with Whole Foods Market, launching in mid-August with two new mini pizza SKUs geared toward families. This launch aligns perfectly with the back-to-school season.
“Blackbird’s seitan wings remain a top performer at Wegmans and are a great example of a product meeting consumer health and taste demands. Many people don’t realize that seitan packs 22 grams of protein per 100g serving, more than firm tofu and comparable to salmon.”
‘The opportunity is still here. It just may take longer than people originally expected’
But what gives Ahimsa confidence to invest in a category that in the US at least, has been in steady decline since late 2021 in retail? And isn’t this a case of throwing good money after bad?
According to Tullman: “The category is undergoing a reset after a period of hype-driven growth, but our confidence comes from the long-term fundamentals and the belief we’re on the right side of history.
“Alternatives to animal agriculture aren’t optional; they’re essential if we’re serious about addressing downward human health trends and climate change, given the outsized role animal agriculture plays in both. Again, we’re on the right side of history, which makes it hard to view this as throwing good money after bad.”
He added: “It’s encouraging to see more mainstream voices, like Michael Grunwald with his new book We Are Eating the Earth, highlighting this connection. That’s why we’re focused on practical steps such as consolidating resources that create value today while positioning the category for the future.”
Asked what he thought about TiNDLE cofounder Andre Menezes’ contention that, “The fundamental issue is that there is no real underlying consumer demand to shift away from meat,” Tullman said: “There’s a little truth to what he said. Most consumers aren’t abandoning meat entirely, and we haven’t yet delivered plant-based products that consistently win on taste, price, convenience, and health. That’s the real challenge, and it’s what we’re focused on solving.”
He added: “We believe there’s a large flexitarian market that wants options, but products need to improve to earn their place in their basket. We’re already seeing steps in that direction: Beyond Meat, for example, switching to avocado oil and simplifying ingredients, while others are experimenting with blended meat approaches.
“The opportunity is still here. It just may take longer than people originally expected. As products improve on the fundamentals and we keep marching towards a climate crisis, demand will follow. We’re long-term investors. If you’re looking to play a trend look for a quick turnaround, is not likely the market for you.”
Further reading:
From record Series A to market reset: Where TiNDLE Foods—and plant-based meat—go next
The post Ahimsa Companies pumps $12m into Ohio plant, takes long view on alt meat: ‘We’re on the right side of history’ appeared first on AgFunderNews.
