Australian Plant Proteins

What Australian Plant Proteins does

Australian Plant Proteins (APP) is a Melbourne-based, privately held ingredient processor founded in 2015 that develops plant protein isolates from Australian pulses (legumes and grains) for use in food and beverage applications. The company's core technology is a proprietary extraction process that converts domestically sourced pulses into protein isolate powders, positioning APP as a local alternative to the roughly 118,000 tonnes of plant protein ingredients Australia imports each year. APP operates with 11–50 employees and serves primarily food and beverage manufacturers and plant-based food producers as customers. Distribution channels, pricing models, and publicly disclosed revenue are not available in the sources reviewed.

APP's go-to-market is a horizontal B2B ingredients play: it sells protein isolate inputs to manufacturers across the Australian food and beverage industry rather than marketing a consumer-branded product line. The company's value proposition rests on local sourcing and supply chain localization, addressing customer pain points around import reliance and sustainability. In March 2025, APP was acquired by My Co, an investment vehicle focused on food, agriculture, and biotech startups, in a transaction expected to enable APP's growth and support the development of Australia's domestic plant-based protein industry. APP had previously raised capital in a 2021 funding round with Bunge, a major global agribusiness, as investor.

The business model is a standard ingredient-processing revenue model — selling protein isolate powders at industrial volumes to manufacturers — though pricing, contract structures, and revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed. The company has a small leadership team (co-founders Brendan McKeegan and Phil McFarlane serve as directors, with Martha Evans as CFO) and operates in an industry that sources note has faced structural challenges, including limited government support and competition from cheaper imports. The My Co acquisition appears intended to provide capital, strategic oversight, and ecosystem positioning to address these constraints.

Name

Australian Plant Proteins

Website

https://approteins.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Australian Plant Proteins is a Melbourne-based B2B ingredient processor, founded in 2015, that extracts protein isolates from Australian pulses for food and beverage manufacturers seeking locally sourced plant protein alternatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-Based Protein Ingredients

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Grain Mill Products (2040)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Protein Ingredients (Soy, Pea, Wheat/Gluten, Rice, Oat, Potato) (AFAJAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Novel Proteins (Single-Cell Protein, Cell-Cultured/Animal-Free Proteins) (AFAJAHAL)

Keywords

• Plant protein isolates
• Pulse protein processing
• Plant-based ingredients
• Protein powder manufacturing
• Australian pulse proteins

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Core offering

Australian Plant Proteins (APP) is a premium plant-based powder processing, packaging, and distribution business that develops and produces plant protein isolates from Australian pulses (legumes and grains) for use as ingredients in food and beverage applications. The company's mission is to support Australia's domestic plant-based protein sector by providing locally sourced, sustainably produced protein isolates to reduce reliance on imported plant protein.

Product overview

Australian Plant Proteins (APP) is a company that develops plant protein isolates from Australian pulses. The company produces protein isolate ingredients intended for the food and beverage industry, with the goal of supporting Australia's plant-based protein sector. The product line consists of plant protein isolates as the core offering, though no specific branded product names are detailed in the available sources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plant Protein Isolates Protein isolates derived from Australian pulses (legumes and grains), produced by Australian Plant Proteins for use as functional ingredients in food and beverage manufacturing applications. The isolates are intended for food and beverage manufacturers and plant-based food producers seeking locally sourced, sustainable plant-based protein ingredients.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Burcon NutraScience: Canadian plant protein extraction company producing pea, canola, and other pulse-based protein isolates for food and beverage applications, directly comparable to APP's pulse isolate technology and B2B ingredient model.
• Merit Functional Foods: Manufacturer of pea and canola protein ingredients for plant-based food and beverage manufacturers, closely mirroring APP's pulse-based isolate offering and target customer base.
• Cosucra Groupe Warcoing: Belgian producer of pea protein isolates and other plant-based ingredients serving food manufacturers globally, with a directly comparable product portfolio and B2B ingredient positioning.
• AGT Food and Ingredients: Major global pulse crop processor and supplier of pulse-based ingredients including protein fractions, directly comparable as a pulse-focused ingredient company operating at larger scale than APP.
• Emsland Group: German manufacturer of plant-based protein ingredients from potatoes, peas, and other crops serving food manufacturers, with a comparable B2B ingredient business model to APP.

Broad incumbents

• Roquette: Global leader in plant-based ingredients including pea protein isolates (NUTRALYS), offering the same core ingredient category as APP but at much greater scale, geographic reach, and customer breadth.
• Ingredion: Large global ingredient supplier with a growing portfolio of plant-based proteins and pulse-derived ingredients for food and beverage manufacturers, competing in the same downstream channels as APP.
• Cargill: Global agribusiness and ingredient supplier with significant plant-protein capabilities serving food manufacturers, comparable to APP at the customer-segment level though far larger and broader in portfolio.
• ADM: Global nutrition and ingredient company with a substantial plant-protein portfolio targeting food and beverage customers, overlapping with APP in customer base and product category.
• Tate & Lyle: Global food and beverage ingredient supplier with a growing plant-based protein offering, comparable to APP in serving the same food and beverage manufacturer customer segment, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian Plant Proteins