Grant Gordon
Most malnourished women and children in Africa aren’t starving—they’re eating every day, but their staple foods lack protein. Affordable, complete protein has simply been out of reach.
The Idea
Low Cost, High Quality Fermented Proteins
Organization
Organization
Essential
Mission
Tackle malnutrition.
How it Works
Essential uses fermentation of stuff like potato peels to produce complete proteins. They sell those proteins to food manufacturers and institutional buyers to develop protein-fortified products—flour, porridge, baked goods—that will reach Africa's malnourished populations through commercial markets. They're experimenting with the fermentation process to bring the cost of protein way down so its cheap enough for their buyers to add to products without hurting their margins.
The Dream
Fermentation protein businesses produce affordable, complete protein at scale, paid by food manufacturers and institutional buyers. They integrate it into staples reaching Africa's malnourished populations in commercial markets.
Why We Picked Grant
Grant Gordon brings statistical rigor and operational grit from leading innovation at the International Rescue Committee. Since founding Essential in 2022, he's made breakthroughs in fermentation to produce high-quality, low-cost protein. The team has purchase agreements in sight. The big test is proving the science works at commercial scale with unit economics that make affordable protein real for Africa's malnourished.
