Plant-based seafood startup lands major US distribution deal

Editor/Mohamed Shihab

The ISH Company, a startup that is developing a range of plant-based seafood alternatives, has announced it has entered a strategic distribution agreement with Dot Foods, the largest food industry redistributor in North America.

The ISH Company says that it uses healthy, natural and sustainable ingredients to create products that mimic the texture and flavour of seafood. The company's products offer consumers an opportunity to make dietary choices that decrease carbon emissions, without sacrificing taste or nutrition. According to the startup, when a foodservice company purchases 360 pounds of Shrimpish instead of shrimp, it is the equivalent of taking 1 car off the road for an entire year.

ISH currently offers its products in select restaurants and campus dining halls, including Harvard and Amherst. Through Dot Foods' distribution ecosystem, ISH will increase availability of these products, providing foodservice companies nationwide with healthy, sustainable options to delight customers.

"At ISH, we're on a mission to put plant-based seafood on plates worldwide, empowering people to make choices that are healthier for their body, but also better for our planet," said Christie Fleming, president and chief operating officer at The ISH Company, in a press release. "By distributing our plant-based seafood products with Dot Foods, we're making strides in that mission and working towards a future where every restaurant and food retailer provides plant-based seafood options. We look forward to integrating new products with Dot Foods as we continue to innovate in the plant-based food industry."

"Today's consumers expect innovative, sustainable products at their fingertips whenever they walk into a food establishment or engage with a food retailer," said Park Plank, director of business development at Dot Foods. "By making The ISH Company products available to our expansive network of foodservice distributors, we're ensuring operators can delight consumers with unique, delicious, and environmentally-friendly shrimp alternatives."

This announcement follows The ISH Company's $5 million seed funding round in January, which brought total funds raised to nearly $10 million. In addition to expanding the company's distribution network, funds are being used to build upon ISH's product portfolio, with more than 25 products in development – including crab, lobster and cod alternatives.