Photos by Ayumi Sato, Foovo
Tokyo-based startup UMAMI UNITED JAPAN, which develops plant-based egg alternatives, announced on the 27th last month that it had raised 310 million yen (US$2.1 Million) in a pre-Series A funding round.
The funds will be used to establish large-scale production technology, strengthen R&D for its proprietary technologies, and hire additional staff to expand its business in Europe and the United States. The company also plans to launch a production site for mass production.
CEO Hiroto Yamazaki stated in the press release:
“We will further strengthen the development of functional plant-based eggs, business development, and overseas partnerships to meet the growing expectations and demand from around the world, including North America.”
Focusing on the “Functions” of Eggs
Founded in 2022 by Hiroto Yamazaki (CEO) and Kunihiro Oba (CTO), UMAMI UNITED JAPAN aims to create a society where everyone can share the same table regardless of allergies, beliefs, or culture. Using konjac and wood ear mushrooms as main ingredients, the company reproduces egg functionality through Japanese ingredients and proprietary technologies.
Eggs present multiple challenges and diversified needs for both consumers and producers—such as supply fluctuations and price hikes caused by avian influenza, egg allergies, and the growing need for vegan options amid increasing inbound tourism.
This year, the “egg shock” phenomenon occurred when the benchmark price of eggs exceeded 300 yen due to supply shortages caused by the 2024 avian flu outbreak. In Hokkaido, the first avian influenza case of the season was confirmed last month, resulting in the culling of about 450,000 birds.
UMAMI UNITED JAPAN aims not at visible egg-based products such as omelets and scrambled eggs, but at replacing the invisible “functions” of eggs—such as heat coagulation, binding, water retention, and emulsification.
The company reproduces essential egg functionalities used in processed foods such as confectionery and bakery products and offers:“UMAMI EGG”, a whole-egg replacement powder, “UMAMI EGG FLAVOR”, a flavoring powder that enhances richness, “Raku Pudding”, a pudding mix powder.
All products are 100% plant-based, available for both commercial and household use (UMAMI EGG FLAVOR is for commercial use only).
Its products have been adopted by universities in the United States as well as major café chains, convenience stores, and gelato specialty shops in Japan. In February this year, long-established Japanese confectionery maker Shinseido, with over 110 years of history, sold limited-edition egg allergy-friendly dorayaki made with the company’s egg alternative.
Shu Sokabe of Genesia Ventures, who participated in this additional investment round, praised the company’s concept of “functional modules,” which allows egg functions to be modularized by use, thereby enhancing both recipe flexibility and development speed.
He also expressed expectations that by decomposing eggs into purpose-specific functional units—not as a single material—and controlling factors such as flavor release and melt-in-mouth texture over time, UMAMI UNITED JAPAN’s solutions could become a stable alternative in fields such as bakery and noodle manufacturing, which handle large volumes of eggs daily and are vulnerable to supply and price fluctuations.
This article is an English translation of a Foovo article, published with permission from Foovo.