# Prime Roots

> Prime Roots makes animal-free deli meats from fungi protein, with koji at the heart of its fermentation approach. Founded by Kimberlie Le and Joshua Nixon in 2017, the Berkeley company sells cold cuts through delis, restaurants, distributors and its online store, targeting meat eaters as well as vegans. It announced Canadian distribution through Dot Foods in March 2026.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** Berkeley, United States
- **Founders:** Kimberlie Le (Co-founder and CEO), Joshua Nixon (Co-founder and CTO)
- **Products:** Koji deli meats, Koji Bacon, Koji charcuterie, Safe Slice retail packs and bulk roasts, Culinary support
- **Notable:** Certified B Corporation since January 2023; B Lab profile reports an 86.5 impact score., Food & Wine Game Changers and Fast Company World Changing Ideas recognition reported in the May 2023 funding announcement., Established fresh-sliced animal-free deli products with Bay Area retail partners in 2022.

## Products & services

- **Koji deli meats** — Turkey-, ham- and salami-style animal-free bulk meats for fresh slicing; Bay Area deli launch in 2022.
- **Koji Bacon** — Bacon alternative first sold directly to consumers in February 2020.
- **Koji charcuterie** — Historical range included pâté and foie-gras-style products; current availability varies.
- **Safe Slice retail packs and bulk roasts** — Current online range includes Black Forest Ham, Salami, Cracked Pepper Turkey, Smoked Turkey, Bacon, Pepperoni and Roast Beef; sliced and bulk formats vary by product.
- **Culinary support** — Recipes and one-to-one menu development offered to foodservice operators.

## Achievements

- Certified B Corporation since January 2023; B Lab profile reports an 86.5 impact score.
- Food & Wine Game Changers and Fast Company World Changing Ideas recognition reported in the May 2023 funding announcement.
- Established fresh-sliced animal-free deli products with Bay Area retail partners in 2022.

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Operator memo announced recipe and label changes for orders shipping from June 9; GTINs unchanged.
- **2025-08** — Le described unit profitability and measured expansion in AgFunderNews; company-wide profitability was not established.
- **2026-01** — Food Industry Executive published a Le interview focused on ingredient transparency and consumer trust.
- **2026-03** — Prime Roots announced Canadian-made products and nationwide distribution access through Dot Foods Canada.

## Links

- Website: https://www.primeroots.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/primeroots/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/primerootsfoods
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@primeroots
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primeroots/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/primerootsfoods/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@primeroots

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/prime-roots
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-01