Lasso, a new food technology company, has emerged from stealth with $6.5 million in funding to transform the consumer packaged goods industry through its proprietary fiber spinning system, Lasso SpinTech. The Boston-based company aims to redefine food production by using physics-based methods to combine protein and fiber, creating a clean-label product. These nutrient-dense foods challenge the long-standing dominance of ultra-processed products.
Rhapsody Venture Partners led the funding round with participation from Safar Partners, Claridge Venture Partners, and other investors. The capital will be used to commercialize Lasso’s technology across new high-growth food categories and expand the company’s portfolio of brands. Under the leadership of CEO Mike Messersmith, the company has spent the past year deploying its commercial-scale systems to produce innovative clean-label foods, including protein-rich snacks and pet food. These efforts build on its earlier success with Tender Food, a plant-based meat brand developed using Lasso’s proprietary fiber-spinning process.
Lasso’s SpinTech system represents a significant leap forward for food processing. Originally developed at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute by founders Kit Parker, Luke MacQueen, Christophe Chantre, and Grant Gonzalez, the technology uses centrifugal force to spin fibers from simple ingredients, forming foods with superior texture and nutrition. This approach eliminates the need for excessive heat, sugars, or artificial additives commonly used in traditional processing methods.
The company’s system has evolved from a small laboratory prototype to a commercial-scale operation capable of producing hundreds of thousands of pounds of food annually. Compact and energy-efficient, the machine is about the size of a washing machine yet uses less power than a toaster oven, while offering a fraction of the cost of conventional food manufacturing systems. Lasso claims the technology can be applied to over a thousand ingredient combinations, enabling the creation of a wide range of foods with varied textures and nutritional profiles.
Lasso plans to build a family of consumer brands powered by SpinTech, while also licensing its technology to global food producers. This dual strategy positions the company to drive innovation across grocery aisles and accelerate the industry’s shift toward cleaner, more sustainable products. The company’s first commercial results will be visible through new product launches later this year, with Tender Food continuing as a flagship brand in its expanding portfolio.
KEY QUOTES:
“Consumers are no longer accepting the status quo in packaged food. Evidence of that is everywhere from the MAHA movement to vocal pushbacks on ultra-processed foods, and the influence of GLP-1 therapies on consumption patterns and preferences. The industry is desperate for new, innovative solutions, but has been handicapped by antiquated processing machines invented over 100 years ago–and wholly ill-equipped to meet the needs of consumers in 2025. At Lasso, we want to use our technology to step into that void and create progress. Our patented technology offers new ways of creating protein and fiber-rich foods with clean labels and competitive cost structures that will jumpstart major momentum in growing categories across the grocery store.”
“This fundraise marks a major milestone for Lasso. We are on the cusp of introducing truly innovative new foods made of simple ingredients that everyone understands—both through brands we create and in working with global partners to bring new products to market through licensing agreements. There is nothing on the market that can match what Lasso can achieve with this technology. We are thrilled for people to taste these new products and take this business to a whole new level.”
Mike Messersmith, CEO of Lasso
