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The plant-based food and drink category has grown and evolved tremendously in recent years. We now have plant-based chicken, beef, sausages, cheeses, milks, chocolates, eggs, you name it there’s a plant-based alternative for it.
But have you ever heard of plant-based tuna?
In episode 64 of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I (virtually) sat down with BettaF!sh co-founder and co-CEO, Deniz Ficicioglu to learn how her startup is making waves across Europe with their ‘tu-nah’ product that looks, tastes and feels exactly like canned tuna, but is made from seaweed - a product that’s farming practices is regenerative, and a sustainable alternative to fishing. What started as a mission to conserve our oceans, has become a brand with products selling across seven European countries by building an entire new industry of ‘impact-enhanced’ foods made from seaweed.
BettaF!sh’s story is truly inspiring, and in this episode you’ll hear about their early-stage scale journey, as well as:
🐟 How they positioned their product and brand by learning what consumers want from plant-based products.
🐟 How they pitched and won investment, and the kind of investment they initially looked for.
🐟 How they work with their investors.
🐟 How they grew their business by tapping into well-connected networks.
🐟 Current gaps in the market for plant-based products.
🐟 How plant-based has evolved and where it’s going.
LINKS & RESOURCES
- BettaF!sh
- #36 How Doughlicious founder, Kathryn Bricken, wins retail accounts
- Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula Coaching Program
- Foodpreneurs Festival - your opportunity to apply to pitch your products to retail buyers
- Buy tickets to Foodpreneurs Festival
- Your Free Pitch Plan
If you haven’t listened to episode 62 (19 mins) and episode 63 (23 mins), ‘‘11 Strategies to Grow Your Brand: Part 1 & 2 !’ Listen now.
Season 14
Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.
For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.
Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.
Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.
This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.
Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.
Click this link to see how you can be part of it.