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§ Private Profile · Santa Monica, CA, USA
Yo Egg is a technology company.
Yo Egg develops and produces plant-based egg alternatives meticulously replicating the full sensory experience of conventional eggs. Its core products are vegan eggs featuring a signature runny yolk, available in fried, poached, and sunny-side-up formats. These offerings deliver taste, texture, and culinary functionality, serving as a direct, non-animal substitute.
The company was co-founded in September 2021 by entrepreneur Eran Groner and chef Yosefa Ben Cohen. Their venture stemmed from an insight: a significant market existed for animal-free egg products authentically mimicking traditional egg characteristics, particularly the runny yolk. This propelled their focus on food science to achieve realistic plant-based alternatives.
Yo Egg targets consumers seeking ethical, sustainable, plant-based food options who still desire eggs' familiar attributes. Its products appeal to individuals prioritizing environmental impact and animal welfare. Yo Egg’s vision is to become the leading, most sustainable global egg producer, operating entirely without chickens, transforming the future of the egg industry.
Yo Egg has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Yo Egg has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Yo Egg has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in May 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2022 | $5M Seed | NFX, Johnny Ream | AT ONE Ventures, Cyberstarts VC, Earth And Beyond Ventures, Entrée Capital Ventures, Metaplanet, SOSV, Unusual Ventures, Benny Schnaider, GUY Fighel, GUY Podjarny, Hubert Thieblot, Secret Chord Ventures, Surround Ventures | Announced |
Yo Egg is a Los Angeles-based food tech startup founded in 2021 that produces plant-based eggs mimicking the taste, texture, and functionality of real eggs, including world-first sunny-side-up and poached varieties with runny yolks.[1][2][3] The product, made from soy, chickpea protein, sunflower oil, and an alginate film separating yolk from white, targets foodservice and retail customers seeking cholesterol-free, low-saturated-fat alternatives for vegan, flexitarian, or health-conscious consumers.[1][2] It solves the challenge of replicating whole-egg experiences like frying or boiling, where competitors like Just Egg fall short on form and versatility, while offering comparable nutrition without animal products.[1][4] Backed by $5M in seed funding from investors like NFX and Stray Dog Capital, Yo Egg launched in foodservice in 2023 and debuted in West Coast retail in 2024 at $6.99 per four-pack, with plans to scale pricing to $5.99 and expand nationwide.[1][2][3]
Growth momentum includes partnerships with distributors like Whitestone Natural Foods and outlets such as Besties Vegan Paradise and Follow Your Heart Market, plus upcoming products like Egg Patties and Hard Boiled Eggs.[2][5]
Yo Egg was founded in September 2021 by CEO Eran Groner, a former head of business development at cultivated meat startup Believer Meats, and co-founder Yosefa Ben Cohen, an Israeli chef who developed the product as a home kitchen project.[1][2] The idea emerged from Ben Cohen's hundreds of hours perfecting a plant-based egg with a realistic white and runny yolk, using proprietary patent-pending formulations and molecular processes to separate components and match chicken egg nutrients without cholesterol.[1][4][5] Early traction came via foodservice launch in July 2023 with Veggie Grille, followed by retail entry on the West Coast in 2024, supported by $5M seed funding raised around 2023.[1][2][3] Ben Cohen's innovation earned her finalist status in the 2021 AgriFood Women’s Entrepreneurship Competition, highlighting the project's rapid pivot from kitchen experiment to scalable tech.[4]
Yo Egg rides the surging demand for plant-based eggs, the fastest-growing vegan segment in 2021-2023, outpacing Beyond Meat and Oatly amid rising flexitarian adoption and egg supply vulnerabilities from avian flu.[1][4] Timing aligns with market gaps: while substitutes exist for scrambling (e.g., Just Egg, Evo Foods), none matched whole-egg versatility until Yo Egg's hyper-realistic tech, filling shortages in foodservice and retail.[2][3][4] Favorable forces include sustainability pressures on traditional egg farming (200,000 yolks/day rivals a U.S. bird farm without chickens) and health trends favoring cholesterol-free options.[1][5] It influences the ecosystem by proving scalable, IP-protected alt-protein innovation, inspiring competitors like Hodo, OGGS, and Float Foods while expanding vegan accessibility beyond niche agendas to mainstream taste-driven demand.[3][6]
Yo Egg is poised to disrupt the $2B+ U.S. egg market by scaling production, hitting sub-$6 pricing, and launching Egg Patties/Hard Boiled variants for grab-n-go and salads, targeting New York, California nationwide rollout, and chains like Whole Foods.[1][2][5] Trends like protein diversification, climate-resilient foods, and AI-optimized food tech will propel growth, potentially positioning it as the sustainable "egg farm" without animals.[1][5] Its influence may evolve from innovator to category leader, challenging incumbents if retail traction mirrors foodservice buzz and funding supports facility expansion—ultimately shaking up breakfast one perfect, plant-based yolk at a time.[1][6]
Yo Egg has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Yo Egg's investors include NFX, Johnny Ream, At One Ventures, Cyberstarts VC, Earth and beyond ventures, Entrée Capital Ventures, Metaplanet, SOSV, Unusual Ventures, Benny Schnaider, Guy Fighel, Guy Podjarny.