EP8: Making ice cream from plants - Eclipse Foods
FOUNDERS
Aylon Steinhart and Thomas Bowman
FLAGSHIP PRODUCT
Investors
Y Combinator, Initialized Capital
LAUNCHED
2018
HQ
Berkeley, CA
The Problem
Animals are incredibly inefficient as a mechanism for converting plant calories to meat calories (their current function in the food system). In fact, chickens, which are amongst the most efficient animals, require nine calories of food to produce every one calorie of meat. That’s a staggering loss, and pigs and cows are even worse (around 15 and 25, respectively). On top of that, consumption of industrial animal products causes more climate change than all of transportation combined.
The Solution
Eclipse Foods has made the first plant-based dairy products that require no sacrifice, ever. “Creamier than ice cream, cheesier than cheese, milkier than milk–products so good even cows are jealous. It’s not a dairy alternative, it’s a dairy sequel.”
Episode Brief
Aylon Steinhart, Co-Founder and CEO of Eclipse Foods, joins Peter on this week’s episode to discuss:
The problem with industrial animal agriculture
The plant-based trend and Aylon’s take on “why now”
Creating the “Impossible Foods of Dairy”
Launching their first product and how they’re thinking about go-to-market strategy
What's next and the moonshot
Lightning Round:
Went through YC. Running VC-funded company. Looking back -- what’s your take on studying business in undergrad? Worth it?
Every couple years, new diet takes storm. Gluten free, keto, paleo. Why do you think we can’t get diets right?
If you weren’t working on Eclipse, what problem area would you be exploring?
Who has had the greatest impact on your learning and why?
Credits
This episode is brought to you by Bite Toothpaste Bits, the only all-natural, plastic-free way to replace the paste we’ve used our whole life. If you’re looking to cut single-use plastic from your life, go to BiteToothPasteBits.com and use code INGOODHANDS for $5 off their flagship 4-month subscription (incl. free shipping)!
HOST
Peter Levin
PRODUCTION
Dan Mahoney and Lucas Arndt
MUSIC
Eddie Knuckles