# Thomas Bowman

> Thomas Bowman is a James Beard-nominated chef turned food scientist and the co-founder of Eclipse Foods, an Alameda, California company building molecule-for-molecule plant-based replacements for dairy. After cooking and staging at restaurants that together held 16 Michelin stars and leading product development at JUST (formerly Hampton Creek), Bowman set out to recreate the taste and texture of dairy from non-GMO plants like oats, corn, and potatoes. Eclipse launched in 2019 out of Y Combinator, chose ice cream as its flagship, and has raised roughly $96 million to date, reaching retailers, foodservice, and direct-to-consumer channels.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Eclipse Foods (previously Co-Founder & CTO)
- **Organizations:** Eclipse Foods, JUST (formerly Hampton Creek)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Known for:** Two-time James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee, Named to Zagat's 30 Under 30, Cooked and staged at restaurants totaling 16 Michelin stars

## Career timeline

- **2011** — A Slow Food conference in Brazil prompts Bowman to rethink his cooking; he rebuilds his menu around sustainability and starts a restaurant garden on an acre south of Chicago.
- **2010s** — Cooks and stages at restaurants collectively holding 16 Michelin stars; twice nominated for James Beard Rising Star Chef and named to Zagat's 30 Under 30.
- **2010s** — Serves as Director of Product Development at JUST (formerly Hampton Creek), helping create best-selling plant-based products including JUST Mayo, cookie doughs and dressings.
- **2019** — Co-founds Eclipse Foods with Aylon Steinhart; during Y Combinator a formulation breakthrough turns plant milk into a dairy-like base.
- **2020** — Eclipse launches into retail during the pandemic and expands via foodservice and direct-to-consumer channels.
- **2021** — Eclipse closes a $12 million Series A and moves into retailers such as Whole Foods and Safeway.
- **2022** — Eclipse raises a $40 million Series B led by Sozo Ventures, bringing total funding past $60 million.

## Achievements

- Two-time James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee
- Named to Zagat's 30 Under 30
- Cooked and staged at restaurants totaling 16 Michelin stars
- Led product development at JUST, creating best-selling plant-based foods including JUST Mayo
- Co-founded Eclipse Foods and developed its proprietary plant-based dairy platform
- Helped raise roughly $96 million in total funding for Eclipse Foods

## Latest updates

- **2025-09** — Appeared on the Essential Ingredients / NextGen Purpose podcast episode 'Milking Innovation: The Future of Dairy-Free Milk' discussing dairy-free innovation.
- **2022-06** — Eclipse Foods announced a $40 million Series B led by Sozo Ventures.

## Links

- Website: https://eclipsefoods.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-bowman-b2a2a9195
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/eclipse_foods
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/eclipsefoodsco

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/thomas-bowman
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-24