What Planit Protein does

Planit Protein is a U.S.-based food-technology company, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Ventura, California, that has built a turnkey, on-site system for producing fresh, naturally fermented plant proteins in commercial kitchens. The company's core offering is the Planit POD, a commercial fermentation chamber that ferments and pasteurizes up to 8 lbs of customizable food within 24 hours and is configured for rolling-rack deployment of up to four units. Planit pairs the hardware with proprietary shelf-stable starter cultures — Artisan Koji sourced exclusively from HMS in Japan, Traditional Tempeh (Rhizopus oligosporus) produced in the U.S., and a Universal Starter (Aspergillus oryzae) — along with fermentation ingredients including roasted chickpeas, ivory lentils, a soy-free Ground Protein Texture Mix, and a Burger Spice Blend, marketed as 'Plant Protein 2.0' for chefs.

The POD is manufactured and sold exclusively by Waring Commercial, which provides global production, distribution, and post-sale support; Planit Protein itself focuses on consumables, sold directly through its Shopify e-commerce store at unit prices typically in the $7-$200 range, and supports business purchasing accounts and a sales-rep commission program. Its customer base is concentrated in U.S. commercial foodservice — primarily chefs and culinary professionals using koji, tempeh, and savory texture blends to differentiate menus — and the company leans on testimonials from a small set of well-known chefs (Umansky, Ronnen, Selvaggio, McMaster, Drain). The Planit POD received the 2026 Kitchen Innovations Award at the National Restaurant Association Show.

The team is lean (1-10 employees) and operates without disclosed institutional funding, relying instead on commercial-stage execution, a tightly integrated IP position (registered POD and system patents, the 'G Approved' quality seal), and channel leverage through Waring and strategic culture suppliers (Sylvan Bio, HMS Japan). Revenue, customer count, and unit volumes are not disclosed in available sources.

Name

Planit Protein

Legal name

Planit Protein

Website

https://planitprotein.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Planit Protein is a Ventura, California food-technology company that sells a turnkey on-site fermentation system — the Planit POD hardware (manufactured by Waring Commercial) plus proprietary starter cultures and plant-protein ingredients — to U.S. commercial chefs and foodservice operators for producing fresh koji, tempeh, and savory plant-protein blends.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Planit POD Hardware: The Planit POD fermentation chamber is manufactured and sold exclusively by Waring Commercial. Planit Protein does not manufacture, sell, ship, or warrant the hardware.
2. Consumable Products (Cultures, Legumes, Blends): Recurring sales of starter cultures (koji, tempeh, universal), legumes (roasted chickpeas, ivory lentils), and protein blends. Consumables are sold direct through planitprotein.com and are required for operation of the Planit POD.
3. Rep Commission Program: Sales representatives earn 5% commission on net sales revenue from qualifying Planit consumables purchased by registered customers during the first 12 months of POD ownership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Planit Protein sells a turnkey commercial fermentation system centered on the Planit POD fermentation chamber (manufactured and distributed exclusively by Waring Commercial) and proprietary shelf-stable starter cultures and plant-based fermentation ingredients. The system enables professional chefs to ferment and pasteurize up to 8 lbs of fresh, customizable foods (koji, tempeh, and savory plant-protein blends) within 24 hours, replacing the need for microbiology expertise or custom-built incubation equipment. Recurring revenue is generated from consumable cultures, legumes, and protein blends sold direct via the Planit Protein e-commerce store.

Product overview

Planit Protein offers a turnkey commercial fermentation system consisting of three integrated components: (1) the Planit POD fermentation chamber manufactured by Waring Commercial, which ferments and pasteurizes up to 8 lbs of food within 24 hours; (2) proprietary shelf-stable starter cultures including Artisan Koji (from HMS in Japan), Traditional Tempeh (US-Made with Rhizopus Oligosporus), and Universal cultures; and (3) plant-based fermentation ingredients including Roasted Chickpeas, Ivory Lentils, Ground Protein Texture Mix, and Burger Spice Blend. The system enables chefs to produce fermented plant proteins (koji, tempeh, and savory texture blends) for commercial foodservice operations. Cultures are formulated specifically for the Planit POD, providing consistency and maximizing growth. The company also offers a Starter Kit bundle combining multiple products for new users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Planit Pod: Commercial fermentation chamber that ferments and pasteurizes up to 8 lbs of fresh foods within 24 hours. Manufactured and sold exclusively by Waring Commercial.

Products and services

• Planit POD Fermentation Chamber A commercial fermentation chamber that ferments and pasteurizes up to 8 lbs of fresh, customizable foods within 24 hours; manufactured and sold exclusively by Waring Commercial for foodservice and culinary professionals.
• Artisan Koji Starter Culture (22.7g single batch packet) Exclusive Artisan Koji Starter Culture from HMS in Japan that makes up to 6 lbs of fresh, aromatic koji in the Planit POD.
• Artisan Koji Starter Culture (300g bag) Bulk 300g Artisan Koji Starter Culture (HMS Japan) producing up to 82 lbs of fresh koji in the Planit POD.
• Artisan Koji Starter Culture (500g bag) 500g Artisan Koji Starter Culture (HMS Japan) producing up to 132 lbs of fresh koji in the Planit POD.
• Artisan Koji Starter Culture (1Kg bag) 1Kg Artisan Koji Starter Culture (HMS Japan) producing up to 272 lbs of fresh koji in the Planit POD.
• Traditional Tempeh Starter Culture (25g single batch packet) US-Made Traditional Tempeh Starter Culture (Rhizopus oligosporus) that produces about 6 lbs of fresh tempeh in the Planit POD.
• Traditional Tempeh Starter Culture (1.5kg bulk) Bulk 1.5kg US-Made Traditional Tempeh Starter Culture producing about 360 lbs of fresh tempeh in the Planit POD.
• Universal Planit Starter Culture (22.7g single batch packet) Broad-use Starter Culture (Aspergillus oryzae) selected for versatility and economy; works with Ground Protein and reimagined tempeh with legumes.
• Universal Planit Starter Culture (300g bag) 300g Universal Planit Starter Culture (Aspergillus oryzae blend) for versatility and economy across Ground Protein and tempeh applications.
• Universal Planit Starter Culture (1Kg bag) 1Kg bulk Universal Planit Starter Culture (Aspergillus oryzae blend) for highest-volume commercial fermentation in the Planit POD.
• Roasted Chickpeas (2.75Lb bag, single batch) Soy-free, split and dehulled roasted chickpeas ready to make soy-free tempeh; each 2.75 lb bag makes about 6 lbs of fresh tempeh in the Planit POD.
• Ivory Lentils (2.75Lb bag, single batch) Split, dehulled and washed black matpe beans that make marinate-ready tempehs; nearly flavor-neutral and function as a soy-free tofu substitute; each 2.75 lb bag yields about 6 lbs of tempeh.
• Ground Protein Texture Mix (873g, single batch) Proprietary soy-free, gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO plant protein blend for creating fermented plant-based ground meat in the Planit POD; produces a 4.5 lb tray of burger-ready protein per batch.
• Burger Spice Blend (38g, single batch) Flavor pairing for Ground Protein Texture Mix that produces a savory ground meat analog; one packet flavors about 4.5 lbs of burger-ready protein.
• Planit Starter Kit Comprehensive sample set bundling Artisan Koji, Traditional Tempeh, Universal cultures, Roasted Chickpeas, Ivory Lentils, Ground Protein Blend, and Burger Fermenting Spices; available free with first Planit POD order from Waring.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 8 lbs of fresh food fermented and pasteurized within 24 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Waring Commercial ProductscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlagship partnership where Waring Commercial exclusively manufactures and sells the Planit POD fermentation appliance. Waring brings 80+ years of food prep expertise, technological expertise, and global production and distribution capabilities. Their long-standing reputation for quality and best-in-class support is critical to Planit Protein's strength.
• Sylvan BiostrategicTechnology or IntegrationLeading provider of fungal cultures and fermentation solutions, specializing in development and supply of high-quality spores and mycelium for industrial and culinary applications. Supports Planit's fermentation technology platform.
• HMS (Japan)strategicTechnology or IntegrationJapanese supplier of exclusive Artisan Koji Starter Culture for the Planit POD. HMS provides premium koji cultures that make up to 272 lbs of fresh, aromatic koji per 1Kg bag.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Prime Roots: Prime Roots produces koji-based plant protein meat alternatives using natural fermentation. It is the closest direct peer to Planit Protein: both leverage traditional koji/miso-style fermentation to create alt-protein products, though Prime Roots is more retail-CPG focused while Planit equips chefs to produce these proteins on-site.
• Quorn: Quorn is a global mycoprotein brand produced via fermentation of Fusarium venenatum. It is directly comparable to Planit as a fermentation-derived alt-protein company with a long track record of commercial production and broad foodservice and retail distribution.
• MyForest Foods: MyForest Foods grows mycelium-based whole-cut alt-meat products (MyBacon) using solid-state fermentation. It is comparable to Planit as a fermentation-based alt-protein producer and competitor in the broader natural-fermentation plant-protein category.
• Meati Foods: Meati Foods produces alt-protein whole-cut products from mycelium via fermentation. Like Planit, Meati is positioned around naturally fermented, minimally processed plant/animal-protein analogs rather than ultra-processed alt-meat formulations.
• Waring Commercial: Waring Commercial is Planit's exclusive hardware manufacturing and distribution partner and a long-established commercial kitchen equipment maker. It is directly comparable as a commercial-kitchen foodservice equipment provider, and its commercial terms govern Planit's POD go-to-market.

Broad incumbents

• Perfect Day: Perfect Day uses precision fermentation to produce animal-identical dairy proteins (whey, casein) at industrial scale. It is broadly comparable as a fermentation-derived alt-protein platform but operates at B2B-ingredient scale rather than the chef-facing, on-site fermentation niche Planit occupies.

Peers

• Impossible Foods:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planit-protein
• Instagraminstagram.com/planitpod

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Planit Protein