# Renewal Mill

> Renewal Mill is an Oakland-based next-generation ingredients company that upcycles the fiber- and protein-rich byproducts of food manufacturing - like okara (soymilk pulp), oat milk pulp, corn fines and off-spec green bananas - into premium gluten-free flours and baking mixes. Founded in 2016 by Claire Schlemme and Caroline Cotto, the women-owned benefit corporation sells both direct-to-consumer and as a B2B ingredient supplier, aiming to keep 100% of what we grow feeding people.

- **Founded:** 2016
- **Headquarters:** Oakland, California, United States
- **Founders:** Claire Schlemme (Co-Founder & CEO), Caroline Cotto (Co-Founder & COO)
- **Team size:** ~6 employees
- **Products:** Okara Flour, Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix, Organic Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, Green Banana Flour, Oat Protein & Oat Flour
- **Notable:** Named a Top 10 Trend of 2021 by Whole Foods (upcycled food), Co-founded the Upcycled Food Association and its first-in-the-world upcycled certification, Techstars Farm to Fork accelerator alumnus

## Products & services

- **Okara Flour** — Gluten-free, high-fiber, high-protein flour upcycled from okara, the soybean pulp left over from soymilk and tofu production. Sold direct-to-consumer and as a B2B ingredient.
- **Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix** — Upcycled baking mix made with okara flour; the company's flagship consumer product.
- **Organic Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour** — A cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend built on upcycled ingredients, launched at retail.
- **Green Banana Flour** — Gluten-free flour made from whole unripened, off-spec green bananas; rich in resistant/prebiotic starch.
- **Oat Protein & Oat Flour** — Ingredients upcycled from the pulp left over from oat milk production.

## Achievements

- Named a Top 10 Trend of 2021 by Whole Foods (upcycled food)
- Co-founded the Upcycled Food Association and its first-in-the-world upcycled certification
- Techstars Farm to Fork accelerator alumnus
- Turned customers into shareholders via a community crowdfunding raise
- Closed the initial part of a Series A round in 2023 led by Beyond Impact Advisors

## Latest updates

- **2023-06** — Closed the initial portion of its Series A funding round, led by Beyond Impact Advisors with participation from ICA Fund.
- **2021** — Received a $250,000 accelerator investment from ICA Fund and expanded into green banana and oat-based upcycled ingredients.

## Links

- Website: https://renewalmill.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/renewal-mill
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/renewalmill
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/renewalmill
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/RenewalMill/
- TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@renewalmill

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/renewal-mill
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-10