High Time Foods, a food-tech startup raises $1.2 million in a funding round led by early-stage investor Avaana Capital. Additionally, existing angel investors also participated in the round.
The company plans to use the capital to accelerate product development, strengthen its team, and scale partnerships across India, the US, and key emerging markets in the Global South.
“The focus is to truly establish a business in India. We will hire people with sales and culinary backgrounds. We also need to continuously develop new products and solutions. So, a good portion of that money will go towards building our food R&D team,” cofounder of High Time Foods, Damian Felchlin said.
Aakash Shah and Felchlin founded High Time Foods in 2022 in Bengaluru to develop shelf-stable, nutritious, and affordable plant-based protein products. The company actively combines ingredients such as pea, wheat, and mung bean proteins to create its offerings.
According to Shah, the product contains no water, which eliminates the need for cold chain logistics and allows easy transportation over long distances.
Initially launched in the US, the company has now shifted its headquarters to India following its recent funding round. Moving forward, India will account for approximately 25% of its business, while global markets will generate the remaining 75%.
“We’ve seen that 70% of our country is protein-deficient, and the current protein options are either too expensive or not well-suited to India’s infrastructure. That’s where we come in. Our product is highly affordable—we’re launching it at a price point similar to existing protein options like chicken and others currently available,” said Shah.
The business-to-business (B2B) company currently works with over 30 clients across the globe, including food manufacturers, educational institutions, dining services, and restaurants.
“In India specifically, our focus will remain on the Horeca segment and on selling to other food manufacturers. By the end of this year, we aim to have at least 50 different B2B partnerships in India alone,” Shah added.
The startup plans to target Africa next, as the region poses to contribute the most to global population growth.
Commenting on the investment, Shruti Srivastava, investment director at Avaana Capital, said, “High Time Foods is tackling one of the most urgent gaps in food systems today—affordable, scalable protein. Their shelf-stable innovation is built for real-world conditions, especially in markets where infrastructure can be a challenge.”
With its recent funding, global expansion plans, and commitment to affordable, sustainable nutrition, High Time Foods aims to disrupt the plant-based protein industry.
