# NuCicer

> NuCicer is a Davis, California agtech and food-tech company breeding a new generation of high-protein chickpeas. Spun out of UC Davis and built on the largest pool of chickpea genetic diversity on earth, the company uses predictive (precision) breeding and genomics to develop chickpea varieties with up to 75% more protein than conventional beans - alongside better flavor, lower fat, and higher fiber. NuCicer sells whole beans, functional flours, protein powders, and bespoke trait packages to food brands seeking minimally processed, sustainable plant-protein ingredients that out-compete soy and pea isolates on taste and texture.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** Davis, California, United States
- **Founders:** Kathryn Cook (CEO & Co-Founder), Douglas Cook (Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer (UC Davis professor of plant pathology)), Brendan Riley (Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** ~28 employees (molecular biologists, plant breeders, bioinformaticians, sensory experts)
- **Products:** Better Beans, Functional Flours, Protein Powders, Bespoke Trait Packages, Predictive Breeding Platform
- **Notable:** Raised $23M total, including an $11.5M Series A in July 2025., Bred chickpea varieties with up to 35% protein (vs. 21% commodity baseline) - up to ~75% more protein., Planted 2,500+ acres in 2025 with plans to 10x to ~25,000 acres in 2026.

## Products & services

- **Better Beans** — Whole high-protein chickpeas bred for improved taste and nutrition.
- **Functional Flours** — Gluten-free chickpea flours for pastas and baked goods.
- **Protein Powders** — Minimally processed plant-based chickpea protein for fortification.
- **Bespoke Trait Packages** — Customized chickpea ingredients with traits tailored to a food brand's product requirements.
- **Predictive Breeding Platform** — A genomics- and data-driven precision breeding platform built on the largest pool of chickpea genetic diversity on earth, using machine learning to improve protein, flavor, yield, and resilience.

## Achievements

- Raised $23M total, including an $11.5M Series A in July 2025.
- Bred chickpea varieties with up to 35% protein (vs. 21% commodity baseline) - up to ~75% more protein.
- Planted 2,500+ acres in 2025 with plans to 10x to ~25,000 acres in 2026.
- Developed varieties that mature 10-20 days earlier than conventional chickpeas, cutting weather risk and chemical desiccant use.
- Placed second in the Institute of Food Technologists' 2024 IFT FIRST pitch competition.
- Built a predictive breeding platform on the largest pool of chickpea genetics on earth.

## Latest updates

- **2025-07** — Closed $11.5M Series A led by Rhapsody Venture Partners to scale high-protein chickpea production and accelerate its predictive breeding platform.
- **2025** — Planted 2,500+ acres of high-protein chickpeas with plans to expand 10x in 2026.
- **2024** — Placed second in the IFT FIRST 2024 pitch competition.
- **2022** — Raised $4.5M oversubscribed seed round led by Lever VC with Leaps by Bayer participating.

## Links

- Website: https://nucicer.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nucicer
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppBfbPgZ464

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nucicer
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-13