Plant based meat alternatives continue to gain investors with Beyond Meat announcing this week Leonardo DiCaprio has become one of its investors.
The actor joins other investors such as Bill Gates, Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams and venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, a former McDonald’s CEO, along with animal protection organization The Humane Society and the meat company Tyson Foods. Beyond Meat increased its distribution sevenfold over the summer when it landed in the meat case of some Kroger and Albertsons locations.
DiCaprio is a vocal campaigner for climate change awareness and has donated $20 million to combat its impact and causes through his foundation.
“Leo is serious about climate change,” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown told Fortune. “He’s a really good ally for us.” Brown added that “this is not a celebrity deal. He is someone who genuinely believes in what we’re doing and wants to help grow it.”
“Livestock production is a major contributor to carbon emissions,” DiCaprio said in a statement. “Shifting from animal meat to the plant-based meats developed by Beyond Meat is one of the most powerful measures someone can take to reduce their impact on our climate.”
