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  • December 2019 (Revised March 2020)
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Impossible Foods

By: Jose B. Alvarez and Natalie Kindred
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
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Abstract

Impossible Foods founder and CEO Pat Brown started the company out of concern over livestock production’s impact on climate change. Impossible’s mission is to end consumption of animals by 2035, and its strategy is to develop and market plant-based foods so similar to meat that carnivorous consumers will happily switch. This case is set in August 2019, with the Silicon Valley–based firm in a stage of hyper-growth. Its flagship plant-based ground “beef” product, launched three years ago in the foodservice channel, is on the menus of 17,000 restaurants including major U.S. fast-food chains, and a grocery launch is just weeks away. With more demand than it can meet, Impossible is rapidly expanding its workforce, investing heavily in R&D, ramping up production capacity, and pushing to accelerate international expansion. It has raised $750 million from investors to date, but much more capital will be needed. There is speculation about a potential IPO. This case invites students to consider the factors that fueled Impossible’s success to date, its current strategy, and the steps necessary to enable the growth that Brown and his team, many hired from tech giants like Apple, envision. It also invites reflection on the environmental impact of food production and the political and social dynamics that can spur and prevent change in the food system.

Keywords

Agribusiness; Food; Consumer Behavior; Behavior; Venture Capital; Technological Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Marketing Strategy; Distribution; Production; Product Development; Product Positioning; Growth Management; Global Strategy; Competition; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Animal-Based Agribusiness; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Technology Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States; China; Asia; California; Hong Kong; Taiwan

Citation

Alvarez, Jose B., and Natalie Kindred. "Impossible Foods." Harvard Business School Case 520-046, December 2019. (Revised March 2020.)
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Related Work

    • December 2019 (Revised March 2020)
    • Faculty Research

    Impossible Foods

    By: Jose B. Alvarez and Natalie Kindred
Related Work
  • Impossible Foods By: Jose B. Alvarez and Natalie Kindred
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