The future of alternative protein: why we can’t afford to pause

The real winners aren’t the ones built in the boom. They’re the ones built in the quiet years.

When the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s, many believed the internet revolution was over. Billions in value evaporated, investors walked away, and countless startups disappeared. But history tells a different story. Out of that collapse came companies like Amazon and Google – firms that not only survived but went on to define an entire era of global growth. The lesson? Short-term sentiment doesn’t erase long-term inevitability.

Food technology, and especially alternative protein, is now at a similar crossroads. Over the past five years, investment flooded in, driving remarkable progress in fermentation and cultivated protein. It was easy when the category was ‘hot’. Capital was plentiful, investors were enthusiastic, and innovators could focus on scaling breakthrough science.

But over the past 18 months, enthusiasm has dried up along with most of the capital. Alternative protein is no longer seen as the sexiest sector. Many of the investors who drove the first wave of growth have stepped back to chase the next shiny object, leaving young companies struggling to secure the funding they need to survive.

Governments that choose to back this category now will position themselves at the forefront of a strategic sector

Here’s the challenge: food innovation is not a tap you can turn on when you suddenly need it. If, in three or five years, global shocks to food systems demand new sources of protein at scale, it will be too late to start. These technologies – fermentation platforms, cultivated meat, protein-on-demand solutions – need steady investment and development now so they are ready when the world calls on them again.

Some ask whether alternative protein is really necessary when we already have an animal protein industry. The answer is simple: we will need it. I believe it’s inevitable.

The science is already proving itself. Cultivated companies are nearing market launch. Fermentation is producing ingredients at a fraction of the resource intensity of conventional production. Plant-based players are rethinking business models around efficiency and responsiveness to demand. These aren’t just experiments. These will be the early winners of food. Just as Amazon and Google emerged from the dot-com crash to define the digital economy, the innovators pushing through today’s quieter investment climate will be the ones shaping the future of global protein.

Governments, especially those prioritizing food security, are beginning to recognize this. For them, alternative protein is not just a short-term trend. It is a strategic imperative, a way to build resilience into national food systems. And this is where leadership comes in. Governments that choose to back this category now won’t just improve their own food security. They will also position themselves at the forefront of a strategic sector. The chance to lead in the science, production, and commercialization of sustainable protein is wide open for those willing to invest while others hesitate.

And importantly, this isn’t about replacing animal protein. It’s about supplementing it. It’s about creating a collaborative model where traditional producers and innovators
expand global protein capacity together.

The opportunity is clear. Just as the internet didn’t disappear after the dot-com crash, alternative protein will not fade away because investor sentiment has cooled. In fact, the winners built during the quiet years will be the ones shaping the next food era.

So, let’s not confuse hype cycles with necessity. The sector may not feel ‘hot’ today, but the need for sustainable protein is only growing. The companies that persist now – supported by visionary investors, corporates, governments, and by firms like Big Idea Ventures – will be the early winners of food.

And when the world once again demands sustainable protein at scale, we’ll be glad we have solutions ready. Because the need is inevitable. And the real winners aren’t built in the boom. They’re built in the quiet years.

Andrew D. Ive is the Founder/Managing General Partner, at Big Idea Ventures. He is an advisory board member for Tufts Nutrition Council, is a Friedman School Entrepreneurship advisor, Harvard Business School graduate, Procter & Gamble brand management trained, and has spent a number of years as an entrepreneur growing companies. This article is republished from the Q3 2025 edition of Protein Production Technology International, the industry's leading resource for alternative proteins. To subscribe to all future editions, please click here