Follow-On Investment in UMAMI UNITED’s Pre-Series A Round, Developer of Plant-Based Egg Alternative UMAMI EGG
Genesia Ventures announces an additional investment in UMAMI UNITED through Genesia Venture Fund 3 (GV-3) in the company’s Pre-Series A round. UMAMI UNITED develops, manufactures, and sells the plant-based egg UMAMI EGG. This follows the initial seed round investment.
Investment Background
The chicken egg industry has undergone significant changes in recent years. Supply shortages and price increases stem from the spread of avian influenza, while animal welfare regulations have strengthened in the EU and elsewhere. For egg-processed food manufacturers such as confectionery and bakery companies, stabilizing raw material procurement and responding to sustainability have become urgent priorities.
UMAMI UNITED has achieved steady growth through its unique approach: providing plant-based eggs optimized for specific food industry applications under its mission of “Creating the Future with ONE TABLE.” Since our previous investment, the company has successfully pivoted from complete egg substitution to a function-specific strategy, establishing a system to accumulate research and development knowledge through application-specific recipe libraries.
Genesia has made this additional investment in the Pre-Series A round to support UMAMI UNITED’s egg functionality library and its ability to solve customer challenges, as well as its potential to pioneer a sustainable food future.
About UMAMI UNITED
UMAMI UNITED provides the following services to food companies:
- Development, manufacturing, and sales of plant-based egg UMAMI EGG
- Application-specific customization solutions for food businesses
- Egg functionality library development and application
Key Features:
- Application-Specific Approach: Instead of replacing eggs entirely, the company optimizes cost and quality by providing only the specific functionality needed for each application (binder, sweet bread, liquid egg hybrid, etc.)
- Library-Based Development: The company organizes egg functions into libraries, creating a knowledge system tailored to each application. This enables rapid response to individual customer needs.
- Sustainability: Using plant-based raw materials significantly reduces environmental impact, cutting water usage by 98% and CO2 emissions by 93%.
The company is gaining adoption in applications where existing alternatives like methylcellulose and cacao fall short, including binders for meat alternatives and hybrid liquid eggs blended with chicken eggs.
Use of Funds and Future Direction
The funds will be used primarily for:
- Expanding research and development capabilities and accelerating library construction
- Selecting production facilities and establishing manufacturing systems
- Expanding overseas partnerships
- Recruiting key personnel (research and development members, factory management managers, etc.)
Building on secured LOIs and proof of concept, the company aims to expand sales channels to domestic and international food manufacturers. As the plant-based meat alternative market grows, UMAMI UNITED seeks to become a standard choice for food businesses — much like margarine is to butter.
About the Investment
Shu Sokabe, Investment Manager, Genesia Ventures
Prolonged HPAI outbreaks and rising feed costs have driven global egg price volatility, prompting food companies to adopt formulations that withstand price fluctuations. UMAMI UNITED’s “functional modules” philosophy allows customization by application — foaming, binding, baking, richness, and more — boosting both recipe flexibility and development speed. By treating eggs as purpose-specific design units rather than a single ingredient, the company enables precise control over flavor development and mouthfeel. In high-volume settings like bakeries, noodle manufacturing, prepared foods, and central kitchens, this approach expands formulation options and reduces dependence on volatile supply and pricing.
Company Overview
Company Name: UMAMI UNITED Inc. / UMAMI UNITED JAPAN Inc.
WEB: https://jp.umamiunited.com
Location: Lead Sea Shibuya Dogenzaka 5F, 1-16-16 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Hiroto Yamazaki
Business: Development, manufacturing, and sales of plant-based egg “UMAMI EGG”
