Nick Cooney

Personal website of Nick Cooney, Managing Partner at Lever VC

Nick Cooney

Investing in the Future of Protein

About Nick

Nick Cooney is the Founder and Managing Partner at Lever VC, a venture capital fund investing in early-stage companies in the alternative protein segment. This segment includes plant-based and cultivated dairy, egg, and meat companies. Lever VC functions internationally, with offices in the U.S. and Hong Kong and staff in Hong Kong, the U.S., Israel, and Europe. Nick has been working in the alternative protein segment for more than fifteen years. Lever VC was established by Nick Cooney and his partners in 2019.

Nick’s earlier investments in this alternative protein segment comprise Miyoko’s Kitchen, Beyond Meat, Good Catch Foods, and Sunfed Meats. His investments in clean meat companies include Avant Meats, Memphis Meats, and Aleph Farms. Through Lever VC and his earlier fund, Nick has invested in numerous dozen alternative protein organizations internationally, with a net mutual value of more than $7 billion.

Mr. Cooney functions as Board Observer or Board Member for several Lever VC portfolio organizations. He is also a Board member and founder of the Lever Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit establishment that nurtures the alternative protein segment and public demand for alternative protein products in Asia.

Nick has been serving in the alternative protein segment for more than two decades. Before founding Lever VC, Nick co-established and served as Board Chair for the Good Food Institute, the most prominent non-profit working to grow the clean plant and meat-based segments internationally. Nick also co-established and functioned as Managing Trustee and Investment Committee member for New Crop Capital; a private venture capital trust also pays attention to the alternative protein segment.

Over the past fifteen years, Cooney worked on guidelines and consulting proposals in the alternative protein segment. This work incorporated managing teams in Asia, North America, and South America to endorse and market alternative protein products. Nick has also functioned with leading restaurants, retailers, packaged goods, and food service companies to add more alternative protein manufactured goods and address associated protein procurement problems. Nick started his career running a private enterprise program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Experience with Alternative Protein

Nick's Works

Nick writes contents as well on the alternative protein segment and associated problems. He is the writer of Veganomics, which talks about the alternative protein space, takes a data and research-based look at center early adopters for alternative protein manufactured goods and inspires their decisions to purchase (or not purchase) product space. He has also authored numerous books on benevolence and social change advertising attempts. You can get more details about his books on GoodReads author page and Amazon.com author page with illustrations on the iTunes storeSoundCloud, and Audible.com.

Cooney’s work has been covered by many media outlets worldwide, with stories appearing on outlets such as InspireyThriveUpsideJust-Food, and CNBC. He has also written for numerous publications directly, including the Quartz, The Guardian, and Philadelphia Inquirer. He has lectured all through the United States and Europe on the alternative protein sector and how best to grow the industry, including at CraigsList, Harvard, Yale, and Google.

Nick is a Philadelphia citizen, and he has stayed and worked in Washington DC, New York, and San Francisco. He divides his time between China and the U.S. along with Israel and Europe. Cooney stays in the greater New York City area along with Laura, his wife and their dog Rosy.

If you want to reach Nick directly, his contact information is available on the contact page of this website. 

Want to connect with Nick Cooney on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter or on Facebook or Instagram?

Below are links to Nick’s other online properties.

Media Coverage on Nick Cooney

CNBC

I Wouldn’t Bet Against the Plant-Based Meat Space

Food Navigator

Lever VC Launches New Fund Targeting Alternative Protein

Bloomberg

Nick Cooney Launches the Lever VC Fund

Just Food

Covid Just Adds Yet Another Tailwind

Thrive Global

Meet Nick Cooney

Yahoo! Finance

Nick Cooney and Lever VC invest in The Good Spoon

Thomson Reuters

Plant Protein Startups Vie to Tap China’s Hungry Market

Organic News Brasil

Mercado chinês atrai startups de proteína vegetal

The Guardian

The Vegan Venture Fund

Food Business News

Lever VC raises $80 million to back alternative protein companies

Quartz

Self Interest Can Make The World A Better Place

Responsible Eating And Living

Nick Cooney Launches the Lever VC Fund

Listen to "How To Be Great At Doing Good" by Nick Cooney