US food tech startup Fudi Protein has secured early-stage funding to commercialise its alfalfa-based Rubisco protein as an alternative to egg whites, dairy and other “subpar plant-based proteins”.
Wisconsin-based Fudi Protein has received an early-stage investment to leverage the world’s most abundant form of protein.
The funding was led by global plant-based ingredient supplier Green Boy Group, and will help the startup bring its Rubisco protein to market.
Rubisco is found in the leaves – not seeds – of green plants. Fudi Protein’s version is sourced from alfalfa, a perennial crop that can be harvested for up to 10 years, enriches soil by fixing nitrogen, and is drought-tolerant and climate-resilient.
“Alfalfa is a highly promising protein source,” said Frederik Otten, co-founder of Green Boy Group. “Fudi Protein holds the key to unlocking its potential and bringing RuBisCO protein to market at scale.”
Working with farmers to cut waste and create new income sources
Fudi Protein was founded in 2025 by Udi Lazimy, former supply chain and sustainability head at pioneering plant-based egg startup Eat Just.
The company’s proprietary alfalfa extraction process enables the economically viable production of its Rubisco protein. Alfalfa contains 50% more protein per acre than soy, and Fudi’s tech achieves 80% protein purity.
It operates a farm partnership model to ensure that no part of the plant goes to waste. Fudi Protein harvests and processes its ingredient near its fields, and after extraction, it retains and utilises all of the biomass left over, including the fibre, chlorophyll, and micronutrients.
These can be returned to local farmers to create additional revenue streams while valorising waste. This localised, and circular processing model sets the ingredient apart from yellow peas or rice, where byproducts like starches and fibres must be sold at specific price points to maintain overall profitability.
The resulting ingredient is neutral in flavour- and odourless, white in colour, and can be incorporated into existing formulations as a one-on-one replacement for egg whites, dairy proteins, and other “subpar plant-based proteins”.
It could prove to be the latest solution to the global egg crisis, whose global supply has been decimated by new outbreaks of avian flu and Newcastle disease. Hundreds of millions of chickens have been culled across the world, just as demand for eggs has continued to increase.
This caused egg prices to reach a decade-long high in Europe last year, and break all-time records in the US – at one point, eggs were going for $1 each in some American cities.
Moreover, Fudi Protein’s Rubisco is much more sustainable than other proteins. Its associated emissions and water use are up to 94% lower than eggs and 96% lower than dairy. As a bonus, its co-products can reduce the climate footprint of cattle feed, enabling dairy producers to decrease the methane impact per litre of milk at no extra cost.
Rubisco is ripe for GLP-1-fuelled protein boom in the US
Fudi Protein’s Rubisco has all nine essential amino acids and a PDCAAS score of nearly 1.0. It’s also free from all known allergens, making it suitable for a range of product applications.
The startup says its ingredient can enhance the texture and boost the protein content of pasta and noodles, provide superior emulsification in cold and hot sauces, vinaigrettes and dressings, and deliver the adhesion, sheen, lift and structure of egg whites in cakes, meringues, macarons, breads, and glazes.
The Rubisco protein can also form self-supporting gels at lower concentrations than whey or soy to enhance high-protein plant-based milk, cheese and yoghurt products. Its high solubility makes it an ideal base for ready-to-drink protein beverages and nutritional shakes, while the protein density and neutral flavour make it suitable for protein bars, puffed snacks, and extruded formats.
“We look forward to supporting Udi and his team through our resources, market knowledge, and international network. This innovation fits well within our long-term strategy and in our global distribution portfolio as it moves toward B2B commercialisation,” said Otten.
The investment comes as 57% of Americans make protein a priority this year, a wave fuelled by factors like the new national dietary guidelines and the rise in GLP-1 use.
People who use drugs like Ozempic experience a 25-40% decrease in muscle mass over 8-16 months (much more than with non-medicated weight-loss approaches and age-related muscle loss). According to Innova Market Insights, the share of Americans on GLP-1 medications rose from 10% in 2024 to 18% in 2025, and 40% of them are consuming more protein.
“Rubuisco protein is the holy grail amongst the proteins and enters the market at a time when consumer interest in protein is skyrocketing, driven in large part by the rise of GLP-1 users whose diets are shifting toward higher protein and fibre intake,” said Green Boy Group co-founder Peter van Dijken.
“A complete and sustainable Rubisco protein that can rival dairy and animal proteins in both price and functionality would be a game-changer,” he added.
Other startups innovating with Rubisco protein include Plantible Foods, Leaft Foods, Day 8, Rubisco Foods, Sustainable Planet, GreenOnyx, MicroTerra, DryGro, Ful Foods, Rinus & Hans, and Fyto.
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