Beyond Meat was founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown in Los Angeles, California. Brown, who had previously worked in the fuel cell industry, was motivated by a desire to address the environmental impact of conventional meat production. He partnered with researchers at the University of Missouri who had developed technology for creating plant-based proteins with meat-like textures.
Beyond Meat's early products included chicken strips made from soy protein, which were sold at Whole Foods Market starting in 2012. The company attracted early investment from notable backers including Bill Gates, Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, and Kleiner Perkins.
The company's breakthrough product was the Beyond Burger, launched in 2016. The Beyond Burger was designed to look, cook, and taste like a beef burger, with a distinctive pink color from beet juice and a texture that mimicked ground beef. The product generated significant media attention and consumer interest.
Beyond Meat went public on NASDAQ in May 2019 in one of the most successful IPOs of the year. The stock opened at $46 per share (above the $25 IPO price) and surged to over $200 per share within months, giving the company a market capitalization of over $14 billion at its peak.
Beyond Meat formed high-profile partnerships with major restaurant chains including McDonald's (McPlant burger), KFC (Beyond Fried Chicken), Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. However, most of these partnerships did not result in permanent menu additions, as consumer demand for plant-based options at fast food chains proved lower than anticipated.
The plant-based meat category experienced a significant slowdown beginning in 2021-2022. Consumer interest moderated, and Beyond Meat's revenue declined from approximately $465 million in 2021 to approximately $326 million in 2024. The company has implemented multiple rounds of layoffs and cost-cutting measures.
Beyond Meat has faced competition from Impossible Foods (privately held), traditional meat companies that have launched plant-based lines, and private label plant-based products from retailers.