Impossible Foods
Plant-based meat for retail and restaurants
Ranked #1 in Best Alternative Protein Startups.
Impossible Foods, based in Redwood City, California, makes plant-based burgers, sausages and chicken built around soy leghemoglobin (heme). It has raised about $2 billion, including a $500 million Series H in November 2021.
At a glance
| Price from | Not public |
| Best for | Retailers and restaurants adding plant-based meat |
From Impossible Foods's own website.
What stands out
- Wide retail and restaurant distribution
- Largest funding base in the category
Worth knowing
- Older than most startups on this list
- Leadership transition under way
How it ranks
Impossible Foods is ranked 1st of 10 in Best Alternative Protein Startups (Lister Score 96.8).
#1 in Best Alternative Protein Startups · Lister Score 96.8
Peter McGuinness stepped down as CEO in January 2026, and a three-person executive leadership team now runs the company..
| Rank | Best Alternative Protein Startups | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Impossible Foods | 96.8 |
| 2 | Perfect Day | 95.6 |
| 3 | The EVERY Company | 94.3 |
| 4 | Upside Foods | 93.1 |
| 5 | Wildtype | 91.8 |
| 6 | Formo | 90.5 |
| 7 | Mission Barns | 89.2 |
| 8 | Vow | 87.9 |
| 9 | Planted | 86.5 |
| 10 | Onego Bio | 85.2 |
Frequently asked questions
How does Impossible Foods rank on Lister?
Impossible Foods is ranked 1st of 10 in Best Alternative Protein Startups (Lister Score 96.8).
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