Brave Robot Has Sold 1 Million Pints, Saved 1 Million Miles of CO2 Emissions

Food-tech startup The Urgent Company is working to combat greenhouse gas emissions through its animal-free ice cream brand Brave Robot. The company just announced that it officially sold one million pints of its dairy-identical ice cream, a top driver within the alternative ice cream market, which has helped to save approximately one million miles of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to traditional dairy.

“We’re thrilled to see growth in the marketplace and the positive response from consumers who are making a rapid shift in relationship to the food we consume and the planet we inhabit,” Vice President of Marketing at The Urgent Company Jon Spear said in a statement. “We will continue to bring new options to market at the intersection of technology and food that put the future of our climate first, without compromising on taste.”

The Urgent Company launched under California-based Perfect Day last year, creating a flora-based ice cream that replicates whey proteins through a precision fermentation process. Perfect Day creates bioidentical whey proteins by inserting a cow DNA sequence into a yeast-based microflora. This process allows for the company to develop dairy-identical proteins that significantly reduce the environmental impact of dairy production and completely remove the need for cow involvement.

The Brave Robot ice cream is animal-free, lactose-free, environmentally friendly, and rapidly expanding across the country. The brand made its market debut last summer in the San Francisco Bay area, experiencing immediate success. Following the positive response, Brave Robot expanded its product selection to include eight flavors. The full selection features Vanilla, Blueberry Pie, Raspberry White Truffle, Vanilla ‘N Cookies, Buttery Pecan, A Lot of Chocolate, and Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk. Consumers can now find the Brave Robot selection across more than 5,000 retailers nationwide.

“These data points underscore what the company has been hearing from consumers: countless demands for kinder, more sustainable options that deliver on taste,” the brand said in a statement.

A recent report published on Research and Markets entitled “Dairy Alternative Market” projects that the global dairy alternative market will reach approximately $50 billion by 2028. The report highlights how the growing vegan consumer base, increasing levels of lactose intolerance, and concerns regarding personal and environmental health are driving the alternative dairy market.

Perfect Day conducted a life-cycle assessment to determine how the company’s production compared to the conventional dairy industry. The assessment found that the food-tech company’s proprietary technology allows for a greenhouse gas emission reduction between 85 and 97 percent when compared to animal-based dairy production.

Alongside the life cycle assessment, the company debuted its new Sustainability & Health Advisory Council that is dedicated to advising the startup on health, environmental, and wellness decisions. The company onboarded both Leonardo DiCaprio and the former UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman to help with this process.

“We began Perfect Day with a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow. Our mission is urgent, and the direction of this group will help us maximize our impact,” commented Perfect Day co-founder and CEO Ryan Pandya. “Leonardo DiCaprio and our other Council members share our passion and hunger to combat the climate crisis and foster a global food system that prioritizes nutrition equity.”

Beyond the Urgent Company and Brave Robot, Perfect Day’s dairy-identical ventures continue to expand across several dairy categories: The company launched Modern Kitchen to produce animal-free cream cheese. The brand expects to expand its product selection to develop other cheese products using dairy-identical proteins.

Brave Robot also just expanded its product selection to extend beyond the ice cream market. The company just announced its new Climate Hero Super Cake – a cake mix that highlights the sustainable benefits of Perfect Day’s animal-free milk protein. The cake mix requires no eggs and showcases the versatile potential of this sustainable dairy-identical protein ingredient.

"We're thrilled to provide more indulgent dessert options that are not just exceptional in flavor and texture, but also kinder to the Earth," President of Brave Robot August Vega said. "No one should have to compromise their values to indulge in a delicious treat.