Outcast Foods
Outcast Foods is a Canadian upcycling technology company that converts surplus and rejected produce into long-shelf-life, nutrient-dense powders sold as branded plant-based protein and supplements direct-to-consumer and as upcycled ingredients to CPG manufacturers including Nestlé, Made Good, Happy Planet, and pet food brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersHalifax, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Outcast Foods does
Outcast Foods is a Canadian upcycling technology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with manufacturing operations in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and Burlington, Ontario. The company transforms surplus, rejected, and past-date fruits and vegetables into high-purity, nutrient-dense whole-plant powders using a proprietary, patent-pending process that combines machine learning with a novel high-efficiency drying method, yielding products with a 2+ year shelf life versus days for fresh produce. Its technology platform sits inside a 45,000 sq ft purpose-built facility in Burlington (the first of its kind globally) supported by a 12,000 sq ft Dartmouth facility, with a stated capacity to divert more than 1 million pounds of food per month and a 10-million-pound-per-year target.
Outcast operates a dual business model. On the B2B side, it supplies upcycled single-ingredient powders (beet, kale, broccoli, blueberry, carrot, and 30+ others), custom blends, and pieces to food, beverage, cosmetic, agricultural, and pet food manufacturers, with named customers including Nestlé, Happy Planet Foods, Riverside Natural Foods (Made Good), Greenhouse Juice Co., Earth Animal, and v-dog. On the D2C and retail side, it sells branded Plant-Strong protein powders (Chocolate, Vanilla, Fruit Explosion, Lemon Meringue Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip) and Super Greens supplements through its own Shopify e-commerce site and through 400+ retail locations across Canada and the US, including Sobeys, Sportcheck, and Well.ca, with US operations conducted under the "Outcast Foods USA" entity.
The company is privately held, has raised roughly $13M+ across a 2018 round, a $3M seed in January 2020, and a $10M Series A in February 2021 led by District Ventures Capital and matched by BDC Capital. It holds Upcycled Certified status from the Upcycled Food Association and Organic Certification from TCO Cert. Co-founder Dr. Darren Burke (who previously exited RIVALUS Inc. at $22M in annual revenue) has transitioned out of the CEO role, with Dan MacKeen currently serving as Interim CEO alongside a professionalized leadership team covering strategy, business development, product/regulatory, and operations.
Outcast Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outcast Foods
- Legal name
- Outcast Foods
- Website
- https://outcastfoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Outcast Foods is a Canadian upcycling technology company that converts surplus and rejected produce into long-shelf-life, nutrient-dense powders sold as branded plant-based protein and supplements direct-to-consumer and as upcycled ingredients to CPG manufacturers including Nestlé, Made Good, Happy Planet, and pet food brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Outcast Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Upcycled Food Ingredients
- NAICS
- Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing (311423), Fruit and Vegetable Canning, Pickling, and Drying (31142), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)
- SIC
- Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dried & Dehydrated Fruit & Vegetables (Freeze-Dried, Air-Dried, Powders) (AFAKAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dried & Dehydrated Foods Manufacturing (AFAKACAK)
Keywords
Where Outcast Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Halifax
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Outcast Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- B2B Upcycled Ingredients: Wholesale supply of upcycled fruit and vegetable powders to food manufacturers, cosmetic companies, pet food manufacturers, and agricultural companies. Products include single ingredient powders, customized blends, and pieces for use in various consumer products.
- D2C Plant-Based Supplements: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded plant-based protein powders (Chocolate, Vanilla, Fruit Explosion, Lemon Meringue Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip) and Super Greens supplements through the company's e-commerce platform and retail stores.
- Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of branded products to retailers including grocery chains and health food stores. Products sold through retail partners across Canada and US.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chocolate Smoothie Protein Powder 1.2LB |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chocolate Smoothie Protein Powder 2LB |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Other Protein Powder Variants (Vanilla, Fruit Explosion, Lemon Meringue, Mint Chocolate Chip) 2LB |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Super Greens - Pineapple Coconut |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Outcast Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outcast Foods is an upcycling technology company that transforms surplus, rejected, and past-date fruits and vegetables into high-purity, nutrient-dense, long shelf-life (2+ years) plant-based powders using a proprietary patent-pending drying process. The company sells branded plant-based protein powders and Super Greens supplements direct-to-consumers, and supplies wholesale upcycled fruit and vegetable ingredient powders and custom blends to food manufacturers, CPG companies, pet food makers, and cosmetics companies.
Product overview
Outcast Foods is an upcycling technology company that manufactures certified upcycled food products. The company operates two business lines: Direct-to-consumer (D2C) branded products include plant-based protein powders under the Plant-Strong Protein line (Chocolate, Vanilla, Fruit Explosion, Lemon Meringue Pie, and Mint Chocolate Chip flavors) and Super Greens supplements. These products are 100% vegan, gluten-free, and Upcycled Certified, containing upcycled produce that would otherwise go to waste. The company also operates a B2B ingredients business, supplying upcycled fruit and vegetable powders (including Beet, Apple, Kale, Broccoli, Blueberry, Carrot, and more) to other food manufacturers for use in their own upcycled food products. The company uses proprietary patent-pending technology to transform waste stream food into high purity, nutrient-dense, long shelf-life natural health products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Plant Strong: Product line of upcycled plant-based protein powders and dietary supplements featuring flavors like Chocolate, Vanilla, Fruit Explosion, Lemon Meringue Pie, and Mint Chocolate Chip.
- Rescued
Products and services
- Plant-Strong Protein Powder Branded plant-based protein powder line featuring upcycled fruits and vegetables in Chocolate, Vanilla, Fruit Explosion, Lemon Meringue Pie, and Mint Chocolate Chip flavors; vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, no sugar added, and Upcycled Certified, sold to health-conscious consumers through e-commerce and retail.
- Super Greens - Pineapple Coconut Branded greens and superfood mushroom supplement (Pineapple Coconut flavor) containing 6 servings of fruits and vegetables with Lions Mane, Reishi, and Chaga mushrooms; sold to consumers seeking convenient plant-based nutrition.
- Upcycled Fruit and Vegetable Powders (Bulk Ingredients) Wholesale single-ingredient upcycled powders covering 30+ fruit and vegetable varieties (Beet, Apple, Kale, Broccoli, Blueberry, Carrot, Cauliflower, Tomato, Sweet Potato, and more) supplied to food manufacturers, pet food makers, cosmetic companies, and agricultural companies for incorporation into consumer products.
- Custom Ingredient Blends Custom-blended upcycled fruit and vegetable powder formulations tailored to specific product applications for food manufacturers and consumer brands seeking differentiated upcycled ingredient solutions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Diverts 1,000,000+ pounds of food per month from going to waste
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Outcast Foods
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Outcast Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Outcast Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Rethink FoodflagshipPartnership with NYC-based non-profit to address food insecurity. Outcast products donated and served at Rethink Food's pay-what-you-can Cafe and supplement meals prepared at the Rethink Commissary Kitchen. Partnership aligned around shared values of addressing food insecurity and reducing food waste.
- Riverside Natural Foods Ltd. (Made Good brand)coreSupplier partnership where Outcast provides upcycled ingredients for Made Good brand products. Partnership includes identifying existing product ingredients that can be replaced with Outcast upcycled ingredients and development of new products.
- Happy Planet FoodsflagshipFirst-to-market smoothie partnership incorporating Outcast's upcycled fruit and vegetable powders into Happy Planet's 'Rescued' upcycled smoothie brand. Outcast upcycles surplus produce from Sobeys which goes into the smoothie products.
- SobeyscoreSobeys works with Outcast to upcycle their surplus produce which then goes into Happy Planet's 'Rescued' upcycled smoothie brand. Sobeys is integral to Outcast's momentum and features products in Atlantic Canada stores.
- National Zero Waste CouncilminorOutcast joined the National Zero Waste Council with shared vision of achieving zero waste long-term. Partnership provides opportunity to expand sustainability initiatives and develop cutting-edge technology to combat food waste.
- Elmridge FarmminorPartnership with Elmridge Farm in Centerville, NS to upcycle surplus or waste products, reducing farm operational risks and improving efficiencies.
- Various Farms and GrocerscorePartnerships with multiple farms, food brokers, grocers, and food manufacturers across Canada to convert misfit produce into natural health products, pet food and cosmetics using Outcast's upcycling technology.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Outcast Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Orgain: Orgain is a major plant-based and organic nutrition brand offering protein powders, bars, and shakes in mass retail. Direct competition in the plant-based protein powder category with Outcast Plant-Strong line, sharing retail distribution and target consumer segments but with established market share.
- Apeel Sciences: Apeel Sciences addresses food waste at a different point in the supply chain by developing plant-derived edible coatings that extend the shelf life of fresh produce. While not a direct competitor in powders, it competes in the broader food waste reduction space and shares the sustainability-focused positioning with major retail and CPG partnerships.
- Vega (Danone): Vega is a leading plant-based protein powder and nutrition brand owned by Danone, competing directly with Outcast's Plant-Strong protein line. Comparable target customer (health-conscious consumers), product category (plant protein powders), and retail channels but with vastly larger scale and marketing budget.
Direct peers
- Barnana: Barnana upcycles imperfect and surplus bananas into organic snack products (chips, bites) sold through retail and foodservice. Comparable to Outcast in upcycling surplus produce into shelf-stable consumer products and in pursuing B2B ingredient opportunities.
- ReGrained: ReGrained upcycles spent grain from breweries into protein-rich flours and snack bars, operating in both B2B ingredient supply and D2C branded products. Directly comparable to Outcast in upcycling category, business model dual motion, and target customer base of sustainability-focused CPG brands.
- Spudsy: Spudsy upcycles surplus and imperfect sweet potatoes into puffed snack products sold in major US retailers. Directly comparable in upcycling surplus produce into branded consumer products with similar sustainability narrative and retail distribution strategy.
- Renewal Mill: Renewal Mill is an upcycled food company that transforms manufacturing byproducts (primarily okara from soy milk production) into flours and ingredients for both B2B supply and D2C products. Highly comparable to Outcast's upcycled ingredient model with similar B2B + D2C motion and sustainability positioning.
Emerging players
- Misfits Market: Misfits Market is an online grocer that sells surplus and "imperfect" produce, proteins, and pantry items at discount. Shares the food waste mission and surplus produce sourcing theme with Outcast but operates a marketplace model rather than an ingredient manufacturing model.
- Imperfect Foods: Imperfect Foods operates a direct-to-consumer subscription service selling "ugly" and surplus produce and groceries to reduce food waste. Overlapping mission with Outcast around food waste but different business model (subscription grocery vs. upcycled ingredient manufacturing).
- Patagonia Provisions: Patagonia Provisions is the food brand of Patagonia focused on regenerative and sustainable food products. Shares the sustainability mission and premium positioning with Outcast, though operating in different product categories (grains, frozen meals, snacks) without the upcycled certification angle.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Outcast Foods social profiles
Digital presenceOutcast Foods compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Outcast Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outcast Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Outcast Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outcast Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Outcast Foods
What does Outcast Foods do?
Outcast Foods is an upcycling technology company that transforms surplus, rejected, and past-date fruits and vegetables into high-purity, nutrient-dense, long shelf-life (2+ years) plant-based powders using a proprietary patent-pending drying process. The company sells branded plant-based protein powders and Super Greens supplements direct-to-consumers, and supplies wholesale upcycled fruit and vegetable ingredient powders and custom blends to food manufacturers, CPG companies, pet food makers, and cosmetics companies.
Is Outcast Foods a public or private company?
Outcast Foods is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Outcast Foods founded?
Outcast Foods was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Outcast Foods based?
Outcast Foods is headquartered in Halifax, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Outcast Foods make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. B2B Upcycled Ingredients are the primary driver. The others are D2C Plant-Based Supplements and wholesale Distribution.
Who are Outcast Foods's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Orgain, Apeel Sciences and Vega (Danone). Direct peers are Barnana, ReGrained, Spudsy and Renewal Mill. Emerging players are Misfits Market, Imperfect Foods and Patagonia Provisions.
Does Outcast Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outcast Foods.
What industry is Outcast Foods in?
Outcast Foods's product category is Upcycled Food Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAFAE, Dried & Dehydrated Fruit & Vegetables (Freeze-Dried, Air-Dried, Powders), with a secondary code of AFAKACAK, Dried & Dehydrated Foods Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311423 and its SIC code is 2030.