A chance meeting at a trade show led to a productive business partnership for cell-cultivated seafood startup BlueNalu and Korea-based maker of tofu, kimchi, and plant-based protein Pulmuone Foods. That chance encounter ultimately led Pulmuone to invest in BlueNalu, and the two companies continue to collaborate, BlueNalu founder and CEO Lou Cooperhouse and Pulmuone Marketing Director Ellen Kim shared in a Tuesday IFT FIRST featured session titled “Advancing Food System Innovation Through Novel Technologies.”

For a startup working to bring a brand-new product concept like cell-cultivated bluefin tuna to market, “collaboration is key,” Cooperhouse emphasized. “Look right, look left,” because you never know where your next conversation will lead or who your next business partner might be, Cooperhouse noted after the session. Bringing a new technology to market is fraught with challenges, and partnerships can make it easier, Cooperhouse continued.

Kim said that she has found value from working with other makers of plant-based foods and learning from competitors that are willing to exchange information. Just because companies are competing doesn’t mean they have to be enemies, said session moderator Tim Fires, president, Circana Global Foodservice.

Kim also reflected on the opportunities a brand-new category presents. “It’s an open canvas for creating a brand strategy,” she said.

In order to frame a meaningful message for customers and consumers, companies need to have a clear vision of the problem that they can solve for those audiences, Cooperhouse said. For BlueNalu, the problems it can solve for foodservice operators include a steady, year-round supply of bluefin tuna that is scalable, of consistent quality, and can be offered at price parity with traditionally sourced products. For consumers, BlueNalu’s cell-cultivated product can address concerns about mercury intake and microplastics while also providing sustainability benefits.

Pulmuone’s innovative new product offerings include layered tofu, which is firmer and boasts a texture that may appeal to those who aren’t fans of traditional tofu, as well as ready-to-use tofu products.ft

About the Author

Mary Ellen Kuhn
Mary Ellen Kuhn is executive editor of Food Technology magazine ([email protected]).