Chipotle explores plant-based tech in Plantible, CH4 Global minority investments

This aims to advance sustainable protein and climate solutions.

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it is making minority investments in Plantible, a company that develops plant-based protein from the aquatic plant Lemna, and CH4 Global, a company focused on large-scale methane-reduction innovations to combat climate change.

Founded in 2018, Plantible has developed a vertically integrated manufacturing platform to produce Rubi Protein from Lemna, more commonly known as duckweed.

Rubi Protein is a natural, plant-based protein that can mimic the quality, taste, and texture of popular animal-based proteins and can replace synthetic emulsifiers and binders.

Moreover, CH4 Global aims to deliver gigaton-scale emissions reductions over the next decade by using whole, dried Asparagopsis seaweed to target livestock methane.

The company's main product, Methane Tamer, is a feed additive that uses Asparagopsis to help reduce methane emissions in cattle by up to 90%.

Chipotle's investment will support CH4 Global scaling up the production of methane tamer to meet the growing global demand for natural solutions to mitigate methane emissions from the world's 1.5 billion cattle.

"Our investment in CH4 Global will help the team scale production of methane tamer to meet its current outstripped demand," said Christian Gammill, fund manager of Cultivate Next.