Sustainable Food Ventures

Sustainable Food Ventures (SFV) is an early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on the future of food technology. The firm backs founders building next-generation food companies across three primary categories: cell-based (cultivated meat and seafood), plant-based food products, and recombinant protein technologies. Operating at the intersection of biotechnology and consumer food innovation, SFV targets the earliest stages of company formation, providing capital and strategic support to entrepreneurs working to transform the global food system.

The firm is led by Managing Partner Ryan Bethencourt, a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with deep roots in both the food and biotech startup ecosystems. Bethencourt co-founded Wild Earth, a direct-to-consumer plant-based pet food brand that raised $20 million from prominent investors including Felicis Ventures, Peter Thiel, Founders Fund, At One Ventures, VegInvest, and Mars Petcare, and secured investment from Mark Cuban on ABC's Shark Tank. He also co-founded IndieBio, one of the world's leading biotech accelerators, where the companies he funded and supported helped grow the portfolio's market cap to $3.2 billion. Over eight years, Bethencourt has invested in more than 180 early-stage food and biotech startups, with notable first investments in industry-defining companies such as Upside Foods, Geltor, The Not Company, and Shiok Meats.

The scientific and operational side of SFV is led by Mariliis Ott, who brings extensive expertise in food science and product development. Ott previously served as Head of Food Science at Finless Foods, a pioneering cell-based seafood startup, and co-founded Nonfood, a FOOD-X 2017 alumni company. Her background spans R&D roles at global food and flavor corporations including Mondelez International and IFF, as well as research experience at two of Europe's leading scientific institutions: the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) and the Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (CFFT) in Estonia. At SFV, she leads scientific due diligence and manages day-to-day operations, ensuring portfolio companies are evaluated with rigorous technical scrutiny.

Together, the SFV team brings a rare combination of operational startup experience, scientific depth, and early-stage investment acumen to the alternative protein and food technology sector. The firm's portfolio spans cell-based, plant-based, and recombinant food technology companies, positioning it as a specialized investor in what is broadly considered one of the most transformative and rapidly evolving segments of the global food industry.