Backed Apeel Sciences — plant-derived coating extending fresh produce shelf life by up to 3x
Breakthrough Energy and Gates-linked investors backed Apeel Sciences, a Santa Barbara-based company that developed an invisible, tasteless, edible coating derived from plant skins and seeds that dramatically slows the ripening and dehydration of fresh fruits and vegetables. Apeel-treated avocados, citrus, and other produce stay fresh two to three times longer without refrigeration — addressing one of the largest drivers of food waste. Roughly one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted, and extending shelf life in warm climates where refrigeration is scarce has enormous implications for both food security and greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing organic waste.
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Related Accomplishments
March 2025
Breakthrough Energy Ventures Invests in Savor — Butter Made Directly from Carbon
Breakthrough Energy Ventures backed Savor, a startup that produces butter using carbon dioxide and hydrogen — derived from atmospheric carbon and water — without any conventional agriculture, animals, or farmland. Savor's thermochemical process generates saturated fat with an identical molecular profile to dairy butter while using an estimated 99.9 percent less water and zero agricultural land. The product launched at Michelin-starred restaurants in 2025, with supermarket availability targeted for 2027, as part of Gates's broader bet on food-system decarbonisation.
2024
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Invests $40 Million in Deep Sky Carbon Removal
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst — Gates's industrial decarbonisation investment vehicle — committed $40 million to Deep Sky, a Quebec-based company developing commercial direct air capture facilities across Canada. The investment marked Catalyst's first in the DAC sector. Deep Sky's Alpha facility in Alberta is designed as a testing ground for multiple next-generation carbon removal technologies, with the goal of proving the cost trajectory needed to make DAC viable at planetary scale.
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