Whole-Cut Texture Bets Point to a Potential Reset for Plant-Based Meat

A $1 million investment in whole-cut steak texture highlights investor belief that improved eating quality could help renew interest in plant-based meat

9 Jan 2026

For a decade plant-based meat thrived on burgers and nuggets. Now it is chasing something tougher. Steak.

Whole cuts have become the industry’s new test. Many consumers tried plant-based meat once and did not return. Taste was rarely the only problem. Texture was. A recent $1m investment in a small American startup suggests investors think the fix lies less in flavour chemistry than in structure.

Offbeast, a plant-based meat developer, has raised $1m from Global Brain, a venture firm. The sum is small by venture standards. Its purpose is not. The money will help scale a technology designed to mimic the fibrous structure and chew of animal muscle. The focus is telling. Backers are no longer betting on category-wide excitement. They are funding narrow technical solutions.

The logic is simple. Ground meat was always easiest to copy. Once meat is minced, seasoning can hide many sins. Steak offers no such cover. Consumers expect fibres you can see, resistance under the knife and a satisfying bite. Many plant-based steaks taste acceptable yet fail on feel.

Offbeast’s method aligns plant proteins into long strands intended to behave more like muscle during cooking and eating. It is part of a broader push to move beyond patties and towards products that resemble intact cuts. Others are experimenting with extrusion, fermentation or hybrid approaches. All are chasing the same goal, credibility.

Repeat purchase is the real prize. Surveys consistently show texture among the main reasons people abandon plant-based meat after trying it once. Improving mouthfeel has shifted from a nice-to-have to a requirement.

The timing is deliberate. Retail sales in parts of the category have softened. Investors and retailers now want clearer value. Whole cuts are being pitched as a catalyst rather than a cure-all. They can command higher prices, appeal to flexitarians and signal technical progress if done well.

Obstacles remain. Scaling is costly. Supply chains are immature. Regulators are still catching up. Large food firms are watching, ready to copy or acquire.

Still, the mood is cautiously hopeful. If plant-based meat is to win back sceptics, steak may be the hardest, and most revealing, place to start.