Eclipse Foods inks deal with Whole Foods for its plant-based ice cream

With demand for plant-based meat alternatives at an all-time high, Eclipse Foods is no doubt hoping to do for ice cream what companies like Impossible and Beyond have managed for the hamburger. Pre-pandemic, the company announced select retail availability in New York and its native San Francisco, and now it’s expanding coverage with a high-profile retail partnership.

Launched in early 2019, the company has raised nearly $16 million to date, including funding from YC. In an earlier interview with TechCrunch, CEO Aylon Steinhart noted that the company looks to differentiate itself from other plant-based foodstuffs with a simple approach to provide an alternative food source.

“We’re not using any expensive biotech to get to where we’re going,” the exec noted. “We take plants and we use our world-class expertise in functional plant proteins and how they work to blend plants together in a quite simple way.”

Eclipse is still looking to mimic dairy-based ice cream more directly. “Entering Whole Foods Market, a retailer synonymous for offering premium ingredient, high-caliber products, marks an important moment for Eclipse as we continue to grow our retail presence nationwide,” Steinhart said in a release.

The ice cream will be available at select locations in Northern California to start.