Next Meats

What Next Meats does

Next Meats is a Japanese food technology company founded in 2020 that produces plant-based meat alternatives using soybeans and green peas as primary protein inputs. The company operates as a subsidiary of Next Meats Holdings, Inc., is headquartered in Abuta, Japan, and employs between 51 and 100 people. Its core technology is high-moisture extrusion, which it positions as a means of closing the sensory gap between plant-based and conventional animal meat in texture and mouthfeel.

The company's product portfolio centers on plant-based meat alternatives, with a notable branded extension into a Demon Slayer ("Kimetsu no Yaiba")-themed plant-based curry developed in collaboration with Singapore-based marketing firm DOU Creations. This product won the Kyoto Animation Manufacturing Award 2022, demonstrating a strategy of leveraging entertainment IP and anime-festival presence (e.g., C3 Anime Festival Asia) as a top-of-funnel brand-building channel rather than relying solely on traditional food retail marketing.

Next Meats generates revenue primarily through one-time sales of its plant-based meat products. Distribution is anchored domestically by a March 2022 capital and business alliance with Yakuodo Co., a subsidiary of Yakuodo Holdings, which provides data sharing, product development, and logistics support for propagating plant-based foods across Japan. Internationally, the company has stated plans to expand across 10 countries through research and production collaborations, supported by approximately 1 billion yen raised in June 2021 and an additional ~$10.2 million raised in March 2022. Pricing, customer counts, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Next Meats

Legal name

Next Meats Co., Ltd.

Website

https://nextmeats.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Next Meats is a Japanese food technology company founded in 2020 that produces plant-based meat alternatives from soybeans and green peas using high-moisture extrusion technology, serving health-conscious consumers in Japan and select international markets via retail and anime-branded partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

NAICS

Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based Meat Manufacturers (End-to-End Brands) (AFANAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals) (AFANAKAO)

Keywords

• Plant-based meat
• Alternative protein
• Meat substitutes
• Sustainable food
• High-moisture extrusion

Headquarters

HQ city

Abuta

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Alternative Meat Product Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of plant-based meat products globally, with a focus on expanding production capacity and research systems to support growth.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Next Meats produces plant-based meat alternatives using soybeans and green peas, employing proprietary high-moisture extrusion technology to create products that closely mimic the texture and sensory qualities of conventional animal meat. The company markets these alternatives to health-conscious consumers and food industry partners, including anime-themed collaborative products such as a plant-based curry tied to the Demon Slayer franchise.

Product overview

Next Meats is a Japanese food technology company specializing in plant-based meat alternatives. The company operates as a single-product focused business producing plant-based meat products, including curry offerings, utilizing high-moisture extrusion technology to create products with sensory characteristics similar to conventional animal meat. The product portfolio centers on alternative meat products designed to appeal to mainstream meat consumers seeking plant-based alternatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
• Plant-Based Curry (Demon Slayer Collaboration)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yakuodo Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Next Meats Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Next Meats Holdings, Inc., formed a capital and business alliance with Yakuodo Co., a subsidiary of Yakuodo Holdings, Inc. The alliance aims to enhance the propagation of plant-based foods across Japan through data sharing, product development, and logistics improvements.
• DOU Creations Pte LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSingapore-based marketing company that collaborated with Next Meats on a plant-based curry product tied to the Demon Slayer anime franchise. This collaboration won the Kyoto Animation Manufacturing Award 2022.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Alpha Foods: Alpha Foods is a US plant-based brand focused on frozen meals, nuggets, and prepared foods. Comparable to Next Meats in producing plant-based prepared/frozen meal SKUs targeting mainstream consumers rather than purely vegetarian buyers.
• Plantcraft (Next Gen Foods): Next Gen Foods (TiNDLE) is a Singapore-based plant-based chicken brand active across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East with retail and foodservice partnerships. Comparable to Next Meats as an Asia-headquartered emerging alt-protein brand pursuing multi-country expansion.

Direct peers

• Tofurky: Tofurky is a US plant-based protein brand producing deli slices, sausages, and tempeh-based meat alternatives for grocery retail. Comparable to Next Meats as a branded manufacturer of meat-analog SKUs targeting mainstream flexitarian consumers.
• Impossible Foods: Impossible Foods is a US plant-based meat company best known for its Impossible Burger, with expanding international foodservice and retail presence. Directly comparable to Next Meats as a branded plant-based meat competitor with technology-driven product differentiation.
• Beyond Meat: Beyond Meat is a leading US-based plant-based meat brand selling burgers, sausages, and ground products globally. It is directly comparable to Next Meats as a plant-based meat manufacturer pursuing international expansion and retail/foodservice distribution.
• OmniFoods (OmniMeat): OmniFoods is a Hong Kong-based plant-based meat brand with strong presence across Asia including Japan. It is a direct competitor to Next Meats in plant-based pork, beef, and chicken alternatives targeting Asian retail and foodservice.

Broad incumbents

• MorningStar Farms (Kellanova): MorningStar Farms is a legacy plant-based brand within Kellanova offering frozen and refrigerated meat alternatives across mainstream US retail. It is comparable as a broad-incumbent alt-protein brand with established distribution Next Meats must compete against for shelf space.
• Lightlife (Maple Leaf Foods): Lightlife is a long-standing plant-based protein brand owned by Maple Leaf Foods, offering burgers, sausages, and deli items in North America. Comparable as a broader-incumbent plant-based meat alternative brand with retail scale Next Meats is targeting.
• Gardein (Conagra Brands): Gardein is a plant-based meat brand owned by Conagra Brands, producing frozen meat alternatives including nuggets, tenders, and ground products. Comparable as a broad-incumbent CPG brand with the shelf penetration Next Meats aims to achieve internationally.

Regional players

• Daiz (DAIZ): DAIZ is a Japanese plant-based meat startup using proprietary "Ochiai" germination technology to produce soybean-based meat alternatives. It is the most direct Japanese-headquartered competitor to Next Meats, competing for retail and foodservice partnerships in the same domestic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MeatsNext
• Facebookfacebook.com/NextMeatsCompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Next Meats