Climax Foods has rebranded as Bettani Farms, appointing Sandeep Patel as CEO and Chairman. Patel, who previously served as CFO at Califia Farms, brings experience from the food and sustainability sectors. Alongside the rebrand, Bettani disclosed the closure of a $6.5 million Series A funding round, led by S2G Investments, with participation from At One Ventures, Gratitude Railroad, Manta Ray Ventures, and Toba Capital.
Bettani Farms is focused on creating plant-based cheeses using its proprietary ingredient, Caseed™, which replicates the texture and melt of dairy casein. Caseed™ is derived from plant proteins, allowing the company to produce dairy-free mozzarella, feta, and other cheeses without the allergens typically found in dairy, soy, or nuts. Bettani’s products are made with proteins sourced from regenerative crops, positioning them as a more sustainable alternative to traditional dairy or fermentation-based plant cheeses.
Transforming pizza like oat milk did coffee
Patel explained, “Bettani is poised to do for pizza what oat milk has done for coffee. Just as oat won coffee over the last five years with its superior taste, mouthfeel, performance, and allergen profile, our Caseed™-powered cheeses deliver the melt, stretch, texture, and flavor consumers crave in pizza and other hot foods–without the allergens and high carbon footprint of dairy.”
Veteran talent joins as founder departs
Bettani has also strengthened its team with key hires, including Rajiv Dave as Senior Vice President of Research & Development, who previously worked at Califa Farms and Nestlé, and Tom Zilligen as Senior Vice President of Sales, formerly of NUMU and Pacific Foods. Maxwell Brown, who has worked at Meati and Ingredion, is joining as Process Engineer.
Patel confirmed to AgFunderNews that Oliver Zahn, the company’s founder and former CEO, is no longer with the company.
Building on past achievements
This rebrand follows Climax Foods’ earlier milestones in plant-based cheese technology. In 2023, the company announced the creation of the world’s first plant casein, following an investment from The Bel Group. Building on that, the company launched its Climax Blue cheese through the grocery delivery service Good Eggs, which earned multiple awards for its quality.
Sanjeev Krishnan, managing partner at S2G, stated, “As Bettani starts this new chapter, we believe it’s clear the company has the strong leadership and vision needed to make protein-rich, dairy-free cheeses commonplace. We’re proud to continue to support Bettani and the commercialization of its technology at a critical time when demand for protein-rich, allergen-free, and more sustainable food products is increasing.”
