Bengaluru-based foodtech startup High Time Foods has raised US$1.2 million in seed funding led by Avaana Capital.

The funding supports the company’s official launch in India, where it aims to meet the growing demand for protein and develop plant-based food products.

The capital will be used for product development, talent acquisition, and expanding partnerships in India, the US, and other key markets.

High Time Foods specializes in non-refrigerated plant-based protein products for institutional kitchens and food manufacturers.

Its products, including samosas, kebabs, and momos, are already distributed in the US through Sysco.

🔗 Source: Avaana Capital

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ India’s historical protein gap creates sizeable market opportunity for innovative solutions

India’s persistent protein deficiency problem represents a critical market opportunity for companies like High Time Foods to address a fundamental nutritional need.

Research shows that 73% of India’s population falls short of recommended daily protein intake, with vegetarians consuming on average 6.4g/day less protein than non-vegetarians 1.

This protein gap is not new, dating back to the 1960s when the Protein Foods & Nutrition Development Association of India (PFNDAI) was established specifically to address protein deficiency in Indian diets 2.

The challenge has been exacerbated by infrastructure limitations, as traditional protein sources often require refrigeration, a significant barrier in many parts of India.

High Time Foods’ non-refrigerated plant protein directly addresses this long-standing problem by eliminating cold-chain dependency while delivering nutritional value at affordable price points.

2️⃣ Plant-based innovation in India builds on decades of infrastructure development

Today’s plant-based startups in India benefit from agricultural foundations laid in the 1960s and 70s, when the government made significant investments in protein-rich crop cultivation.

The establishment of the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Soybean in 1967 marked a significant governmental push toward protein crop cultivation, which transformed India into the eighth largest soybean producer globally by 1981 34.