Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat, branded as Beyond, is a public company that makes plant-based meat alternatives. It was founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown and is based in El Segundo, California. Its signature product is the Beyond Burger, a beef-like patty made from pea protein and other ingredients. The company also sells plant-based chicken, pork and other products.
In 2024, Beyond Meat reported about $326 million in revenue but a net loss of around $160 million. It has about 754 full‑time employees and 54 contract workers, with total assets around $678 million. The company’s products are sold in roughly 27,000 retail outlets in the United States and 38,000 internationally, plus 38,000 US foodservice locations and 26,000 international foodservice locations, across about 65 countries. Its largest customer, Dot Foods, accounted for about 12% of revenue in 2024.
Beyond Meat emphasizes that its products do not contain GMOs, added hormones or antibiotics, or cholesterol, and they are certified Kosher and Halal. The main ingredient is pea protein supplied by Roquette Frères. The founder and two University of Missouri professors developed the technology behind the products.
The company released Beyond Chicken Strips in 2012, followed by Beyond Beef Crumbles in 2014 and ongoing work toward a beef burger. It has received venture funding from a range of investors, including Tyson Foods, which held a stake in 2016 and sold it in 2019. Beyond Meat went public on Nasdaq in May 2019, delivering a standout IPO with a large first-day rise.
Over the years, the company has faced layoffs during periods of slower sales, including reductions in 2022, 2023, and 2025. Its product lineup has evolved, with the Beyond Burger being updated several times: 1.0 (2016), 2.0 (2019, with less fat), 3.0 (2021), and 4.0 (2024), which uses avocado oil instead of canola or coconut oil. The patty’s color and “bleed” come from beet juice.
In 2023 Beyond Meat added a thinner, smashable version of the burger and a stackable version. The UK lineup expanded with Beyond Mince in 2021, and Beyond Steak was launched in 2022. TIME magazine recognized Beyond Steak as one of the Best Inventions of 2022. In 2025 the company introduced two pre-seasoned flavors of Beyond Steak.
Beyond Meat has developed a range of other products, including Beyond Sausage (launched 2017; three flavors), Beyond Breakfast Sausage (2020), and Beyond Meatballs (2019, rolled out to grocery stores in 2020). It also collaborated with Subway on Beyond Meatballs in 2019. The company briefly offered an in-house jerky with PepsiCo in 2022, but it was discontinued in 2024.
Key partnerships include McDonald’s (McPlant) and Taco Bell, as well as a joint venture with PepsiCo called The PLANeT Partnership to develop plant-based snacks and drinks. Yum Brands and McDonald’s have tested plant-based options elsewhere as part of broader collaborations.
Beyond Meat operates manufacturing facilities in the United States (including Missouri and Pennsylvania), with expansion activity in El Segundo for its global HQ and R&D, plus European sites in the Netherlands and an owned facility in Enschede. In China, the company operated an end-to-end manufacturing facility in Jiaxing that began full production in 2021. In 2024 the company updated its beef recipe to reduce salt and saturated fat and earned certifications from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. The company’s products are marketed as not containing GM ingredients.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:18 (CET).