After another successful seed round, VFC plans to expand to international markets and release more “incredible” products that include new eating occasions and formats.

Vegan fried chicken start-up VFC Foods has netted another £6 million in a recent seed round.

Veg Capital, run by VFC Foods founder Matthew Glover, led the recent seed round. It remains the brand’s sole investor to date after putting in £7.5m in 2022 and £2.5m in 2021.

However, a larger Series A round is slated for mid-2023, with the view of attracting new investors.

The plant-based meat company plans to use the injection of funds to boost expansion in the UK and overseas.

It also plans on introducing innovative products in related categories such as chilled products later in the year as well as exploring new eating occasions and formats.

Internationally, the meat-free rival to KFC intends to launch across the Nordics, Belgium, and Spain, with further expansion planned into France, Germany, and Australia.

‘Plant-based food that is sustainable and ethical’

Commenting on the company’s growth and future plans, CEO Dave Sparrow said:  “We’ve had an awesome journey so far, with the past six to 12 months really shaping the future success of the business.

“Veg Capital has been a fantastic partner for the VFC team, and we are hungrier than ever to realise the full potential of the brand and remove animals from the food chain.”

“The business is open to further investment, and we would welcome the opportunity to speak with investors who are as excited about the future of VFC as the team who are driving it.”

Rabinder Harrison, commercial director at Veg Capital, added: “VFC is one of our most exciting investments, and we are delighted to be on the journey with them.

“This is a mission-aligned business led by a talented management team who are on track for strong growth in sales therefore removing a significant number of animals from the food system as well as bringing to market delicious plant-based food that is sustainable and ethical.”

VFC foods

Glower launched Vegan Fried Chick*n with co-founder Adam Lyons in 2020 to challenge the idea of relying on animals for food.

It aimed to revolutionize the meat industry by offering a sustainable and ethical alternative to KFC’s fried chicken. The company’s mission is fueled by the climate crisis and cruel factory farming practices.

According to the company, it has saved 278,718 chickens so far.

The alt-meat company offers a number of plant-based, KFC-inspired products, like Chick*n Fillets and Popcorn Chick*n. Last year, it launched its first specially designed product for kids called Chickn Stompers.

Currently, the brand is stocked at all major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado and Waitrose.

• Read: Beyond Meat wins prestigious award for best new product innovation

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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