# Nathaniel Chu

> Nathaniel Chu is the co-CEO and co-founder of Tezza Foods (now Plonts), an Oakland-based food company using ancient fermentation techniques and microbial science to make genuinely complex, stinky plant-based cheese from soy milk. Holding a PhD in microbiology from MIT and a BS from Brown University, Chu spent years studying gut microbiomes before pivoting to harness those same microbial principles in food. With $12M in seed funding led by Lowercarbon Capital, Plonts launched in August 2024 in New York City and San Francisco restaurants, offering a plant-based cheddar that actually ages, melts, and smells like the real thing.

- **Role:** co-CEO and Co-Founder at Tezza Foods (Plonts)
- **Organizations:** Tezza Foods, Plonts, MIT Alm Lab, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Brown University
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** PhD, Microbiology / Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), BS, Biology (with Honors), Brown University
- **Known for:** US Fulbright Fellow - studied climate change impacts on Panamanian coral reefs, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Fellow - researched coral reef diseases, PhD in Microbiology/Biological Engineering from MIT

## Career timeline

- **Pre-2014** — BS in Biology with Honors from Brown University; US Fulbright Fellow studying climate change impacts on Panamanian coral reefs; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Fellow researching coral reef diseases in Panama
- **2014-2019** — PhD student in Eric Alm's lab at MIT, studying the human gut microbiome, T cell receptor repertoires, and the role of gut bacteria in metabolic syndrome, inflammatory diseases, and behavioral disorders
- **2019** — Founded Tezza Foods (later renamed Plonts) alongside co-CEO Josh Moser; began experimenting with plant-based fermented cheese in a rented corner of a pizza shop
- **2022** — Raised $12M seed round led by Lowercarbon Capital (Chris Sacca), with participation from Litani Ventures (Peter Rahal), Accelr8, Pillar, and Ponderosa Ventures; established pilot plant in Oakland
- **2024-08** — Emerged from stealth and launched Plonts plant-based cheddar cheese in New York City and San Francisco Bay Area restaurants; received wide media coverage including TechCrunch

## Achievements

- US Fulbright Fellow - studied climate change impacts on Panamanian coral reefs
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Fellow - researched coral reef diseases
- PhD in Microbiology/Biological Engineering from MIT
- Published multiple peer-reviewed research articles on microbiome topics
- Co-founded Tezza Foods/Plonts and raised $12M seed round led by Lowercarbon Capital
- Developed proprietary fermentation process for plant-based aged cheese using bacteria, yeast, and fungi
- Built plant-based dairy alternative distributed in Whole Foods, Sprouts, and select restaurants in NYC and SF

## Latest updates

- **2024-08** — Tezza Foods rebranded as Plonts and launched plant-based cheddar cheese in NYC and SF restaurants with wide press coverage, backed by the $12M seed round raised in 2022.
- **2024-08** — Plonts plant-based cheddar available at select restaurants including Court Street Grocers, S&P Lunch, Shuggie's, and Moongate Lounge.

## Links

- Website: https://nathanieldchu.github.io/
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaniel-d-chu
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nathanieldchu
- GitHub: https://github.com/nathanieldchu
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natekchu

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nathaniel-chu
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-13