This Rising Vegan Cheese Brand Just Raised $3 With Help From Jay-Z

|Updated Aug 26, 2021
Instagram / @mishaskindfoods

Legendary rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z just invested in vegan cheese brand Misha’s Kind Foods, helping the brand secure a total of $3 million during the company's seed investment round. Jay-Z invested in the company through his investment capital firm Marcy Venture Partners (MVP) alongside NBA all-star Chris Paul and branding firm Lisa Shamus & Partners (LSP).

The mission of Misha’s directly aligns with our values. When we first discovered Misha’s we found some immediate synergies,” MVP Co-founder Jay Brown said. “We embrace companies that value sustainability, empowerment, inclusivity, accessibility, convenience, health and wellness, and personal expression.”

Chef Ian Martin and Aaron Bullock founded Misha’s Kind Foods in 2019, motivated by the growing demand for plant-based dairy. Misha’s product line includes vegan cheese spreads using cashew and almond milk blends, made to replicate the taste of conventional dairy cheese with a mixture of herbs and spices. The company intends to use the investment money to bulk its product selection, expand its team and company, and increase its retail presence.
Misha’s Kind Foods currently offers eight flavors for its vegan cheese spreads including Smoked Cheddar, Ricotta, and Black Truffle. Beyond the conventionally flavored cheese alternatives, the company also developed exciting, experimental flavors including Seven Point Five made with jalapenos, strawberries, and habanero; French Connection which blends grains of paradise, herbs de Provence, and black olives; and Lox which contains capers, dill, and roasted carrots.

The company plans to continue its expansion following this successful funding round, aiming to serve a larger consumer base. Misha’s Kind Foods boasts a deeply healthy product that avoids vegetable oils, soy, fillers, and starches to create a clean plant-based cheese. Both Martin and Bullock anticipate further growth that will push their mission to undercut the dairy industry.

“These investors, and their enthusiasm, not only confirm the quality and excellence of our artisan cheeses, but they also align with our long-term vision and mission,”  Bullock said. “We are here to serve the large community of cheese lovers, plant-based and not. Everything we make is kind to your body, kind to the planet, and kind to your wallet.”

“I’m confident having these investors at the table will be vital to the future growth of the company as they bring valuable cultural instincts, branding knowledge as well as operations and growth expertise.”

LSP founder Lisa Shamus discussed her struggle with non-dairy cheese, claiming that most products she tried “tasted terrible.” Shamus decided to try new vegan cheeses once her daughter needed to stop eating dairy, leading her to Misha’s Kind Foods. The branding entrepreneur announced that once she discovered Misha’s in Los Angeles, she believed the company has immense potential in the growing plant-based dairy market.

"I've built successful brands and products for decades,” Shamus said. “With Misha's, I saw the opportunity to invest not just in one item, but in a team with a vision to create an entire category that has tremendous possibilities. As we begin to expand our manufacturing, marketing, and distribution, Misha's will be a leader in delicious dairy-free products."

Jay-Z's Plant-Based Investments

Jay-Z is no stranger to vegan companies: Through MVP, the iconic musician helped Impossible Foods raise $300 million dollars during an investment round. The superstar also invested in vegan oat milk company Oatly through his entertainment agency Roc Nation. Jay-Z’s investment was joined by vegan actress Natalie Portman, Oprah Winfrey, and several others.

Earlier this summer, Jay-Z also invested in plant-based food tech company SIMULATE–the company that developed the vegan chicken brand NUGGS. The $50 million funding round led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital arm SEVEN SEVEN SIX helped bring the company’s valuation to $250 million.

The musician also invested in the vegan cookie company Partake earlier this year. Founded by ex-Coca Cola executive Denise Woodward, Partake received nearly $4.8 million in investment during its Series A funding round. Alongside Jay-Z, investors included Rihanna, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, and CircleUp Growth Partners. Woodward announced that over half of the company’s investments came from Black investors, which she explained was intentional.

“I feel very passionate about continuing to increase wealth in the Black community wherever possible and so having investors on board that understand those missions and goals is really important to me," Woodward explained at the time.

Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based

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1. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he's been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.


Jason Bahr

2. Sia

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you're already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is "fully vegan now" back in 2014 and stays true to her word


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3. Sandra Oh

Way back at the start of Grey's Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.


4. Gisele Bündchen

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of "cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos," according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a "mostly" plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.


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5. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he's been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.


@pamelaanderson

7. Pamela Anderson

We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.


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8. Kristen Stewart

"We shouldn't eat as much meat guys," Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show "Hot Ones" she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.


@jaredleto

9. Jared Leto

This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him "shredded" in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.


@csyresmith

10. Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn't eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn't stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.


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11. Meghan Markle

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.


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12. Serena Williams

As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim's successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot "healthier" for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.


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13. John Mackey

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.


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14. Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I'm Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is "Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil."


@leonalewis

15. Leona Lewis

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women's Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.


@hannahteter

16. Hannah Teter

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how "horrible" factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.


@maggieq

17. Maggie Q,

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she's well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.


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18. Madelaine Petsch,

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was "trendy" and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel "healthier" and not "lethargic."


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19. Millie Bobbi Brown

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.


@chloexhalle

20. Chloe and Halle Bailey

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their "voices in shape" by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.


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21. Hilary Duff

Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, "Day Dreamer" and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.