Foodtech start-up ChickP Protein is expanding into Asia Pacific with the launch of an office in Singapore. The decision is in response to growing demand for plant-based products in the region.
The company has appointed Moy Teo as Business Development Director for Asia. Teo will be leading the venture’s business development and marketing activities. With 20 years of experience in the food ingredient space within the APAC region, she joined the team following the acquisition of her distribution business by a group in the Netherlands.
“I’m excited to start this journey with ChickP in the alt-protein ingredient segment,” said Teo. “Chickpea is a well-known and highly venerated crop in Asia. The region makes up more than 85% of chickpea consumption globally, only behind India.”
Traditionally, chickpea is consumed as beans or ground into flour for infusion into various foods. ChickP’s 90% chickpea isolate boasts functional and organoleptic qualities that make it applicable for a spectrum of food and beverage formulations, the company claims.
The local office will include a warehouse to alleviate logistical bottlenecks experienced throughout the pandemic era that slowed supplies to its APAC-based customers in 20 countries. “We believe in strong customer relations and partnerships in product development,” said Ron Klein, CEO of ChickP. “While plant-based products pose many functional and flavour challenges, getting closer to your clients advances development, helps control the supply chain, and shortens time to market. Singapore has become the centre of plant-based products and alt-protein, and ChickP is there to help its clients.”
APAC has long traditions with animal alternatives, ranging from the use of tempeh as a meat substitute and dairy milk analogues from soy. Meat alternatives have been particularly prominent in low socioeconomic areas where access to meat is restricted, or in regions where religious beliefs discourage it.
“Asia is an important market for ChickP; we already partner with local food companies to advance plant-based innovations,” said Itay Dana, VP of Sales and Business Development of ChickP. “This move is part of ChickP’s global extension beyond the joint market development agreement with Socius Ingredients, Inc. in the US. We also signed a contract with a distributor in South Africa, with the next step in the European market.”
