Startup raises $10 million to create digital vegan economy
Israel-based VeganNation, a company creating the world’s first vegan ecosystem, has announced the successful closing of a $10 million funding round from private investors, and is ready for the global debut of the VeganNation platform on webapp, iOS, and Android.
This announcement follows the recent news of “celebrity vegan activists” Game of Thrones’ Jerome Flynn and Step Up dancer Jenna Dewan joining VeganNation’s advisory board, as well as the news of VeganNation’s partnerships with four Brazilian football teams - Remo, Paysandu, National and Iranduba - to work together on environmental projects to protect the Amazon rainforest.
2019 was declared the year of the vegan with meat-free burgers gaining mainstream attention, and more consumer interest in vegan, plant-based and flexitarian diets.
With the consistent growth of the vegan community over the past years, VeganNation says it provides a one-stop-shop that supports a fully vegan lifestyle. VeganNation is the first-ever full vegan economy equipped with its own traceable digital currency and social marketplace, which includes vegan products and food sharing marketplace.
VeganNation is the first ecosystem of vegan activists working together to make a positive impact on the environment. The platform uses blockchain technology to ensure a transparent supply chain and provide a designated coin to serve the community members in all their transactions using the VeganNation digital wallet.
The web and mobile marketplace includes several components:
- Social Content Sharing: A one-stop-shop to find the latest vegan news, accumulated from user-generated content, including articles, blog posts, recipes and restaurant recommendations.
- Meal Sharing: Members are able to host vegan meals at home for other members, search and find vegan restaurants, and meet up with fellow vegans wherever they are in the world. They will also be able to cook meals for delivery purposes, utilizing existing food delivery services.
- E-commerce: A vegan and environmentally sustainable online marketplace for products and services that facilitates transactions using its transparent, safe, and blockchain-based VeganCoin currency.
“This is a major milestone in uniting all environmentally conscious consumers worldwide into a nation founded on sustainable development, generosity, and kindness towards all living beings,” said Isaac Thomas, CEO and Co-Founder of VeganNation. “And, undoubtedly, another huge step toward successfully establishing the year of the vegan.”
Thomas told FoodNavigator that the company was formed by four childhood friends who joined forces to create an ecosystem designed to empower consumers to discover, share and purchase vegan.
The company supports cruelty-free trade and promotes a vegan lifestyle and sustainable consumption. “If I could look at food sector in Europe, vegan options are still limited in terms of their range and availability As veganism and VeganNation and the vegan currency grows, that will show corporations that veganism is a market that everyone wants to be a part of,” he said.
“When bankers start discussing how strong vegan coin is this will advance veganism and more companies and investments and products will flow into the market and that itself will make veganism easier, accessible and affordable.
“We are building the technological and financial infrastructure for all vegans to come and work and collaborate together.”
He explained why he expected vegans to embrace blockchain technology. “Twenty-three of the world’s leading currencies are made with animal fats so that does not fit the vegan mind-set. With a digital currency, it offers total transparency. You can track that vegan coin forever and see how it acts. We can codify the vegan coin to follow the vegan values and vegan vision.”
