Just today, the up and coming Oakland based food startup––Perfect Day––stated that it amassed a whopping $140 million total investment round, which was led by a Singapore government-run investment firm called Temasek.
Perfect Day is led by two vegans and biomedical engineers named Ryan Pandya and Perumal Gandhi. Rather than simply using naturally-sourced plant-based ingredients, the company focuses on developing proteins that are identical to cow milk proteins, thanks to a process that depends on yeast-based microflora. Sticking to its vegan nature, Perfect Day doesn’t require any animal exploitation in the process of production.
Basically, the process Perfect Day uses results in the creation of many flora-based products that are virtually identical with traditional dairy products such as milk, cheese, sour cream, and ice cream. For the average consumer, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between traditional dairy products and Perfect Day’s products.
In an effort to prove the brand’s concept’s effectiveness, Perfect Day proceeded to launch a 1,000-pint limited run of its flora-based ice cream this past July. Although its price tag was extremely pricey at $20 per pint, it still managed to sell out in a matter of under 24 hours.
Cofounder Pandya is happy that the brand “delivers on the dairy experience” After proving the brand’s effectiveness and rightful place in the industry, Perfect Day plans to go commercial in 2020.
In a recent statement by Pandya, he says, “Our focus in 2020 will be manufacturing and commercializing the protein in multiple continents, through multiple partnerships spanning different dairy product categories.”
Rather than entering the industry as a consumer-serving brand, Perfect Day will instead focus on offering its flora-based protein to existing dairy companies who may be seeking to introduce dairy alternatives to their lineup.
