alameda-california
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Shiru Built an "Amazon for Proteins" - and It Wants to Kill Palm Oil
A protein biochemist got tired of ingredient hunts that take 15 years. So she built a search engine for nature's proteins - and its first product is a fat that behaves like butter without the palm oil.
Eclipse Foods
Eclipse Foods is an Alameda, California food-technology company making plant-based dairy products - ice cream and, since 2025, a non-dairy whole milk - engineered to be molecule-for-molecule indistinguishable from conventional dairy. Founded in 2019 by chef Thomas Bowman and food-systems entrepreneur Aylon Steinhart, Eclipse uses a proprietary blend of non-GMO plants like cassava, corn, potato and fava rather than nuts, soy, coconut or oats to recreate dairy's taste, texture and functionality. It sells through retail (Amazon, Whole Foods and regional grocers) and to foodservice partners including scoop shops, diners and burger chains.
Penumbra, Inc.
Penumbra, Inc. is an Alameda, California medical device company that builds tools to pull life-threatening blood clots out of the body. Founded in 2004 by attorney-turned-CEO Adam Elsesser and neuro-interventional surgeon Dr. Arani Bose, it pioneered aspiration-based mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke and expanded into peripheral, venous, and pulmonary clot removal with its Indigo and Lightning Flash systems. The company also runs an Immersive Healthcare arm using virtual reality (the REAL System) for rehabilitation and wellness. Public on the NYSE since 2015 under ticker PEN, Penumbra posted $1.4 billion in 2025 revenue and agreed in January 2026 to be acquired by Boston Scientific in a roughly $14.5 billion deal.
CellFE
CellFE is an Alameda, California biotechnology company building microfluidics-based, non-viral cell-engineering instruments and consumables. Its Ryva mechanoporation platform squeezes cells through microfluidic channels to transiently open their membranes and deliver gene-editing payloads (mRNA, CRISPR-RNP, DNA vectors) in under 10 milliseconds, aiming to preserve cell health and viability where viral vectors and electroporation fall short. The goal is to make lifesaving cell therapies such as CAR-T faster, cheaper, and more scalable to manufacture.
World Market
World Market (legally Cost Plus World Market) is an American specialty retailer that has sold globally sourced furniture, home decor, gourmet foods, wine, coffee and gifts since 1958. From its first shop on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, it grew into a chain of roughly 240+ stores across the United States plus a fast-growing e-commerce business, built on the idea that a shopper in suburban America can fill a cart with hand-picked goods from dozens of countries at affordable prices.