As U.S. Whey Shortage Tightens and Demand for Protein Soars, FUDI Protein Opens Global Public Investment Round to Scale RuBisCO — a Complete, Pure, Highly Functional Plant Protein Extracted from American-Grown Regenerative Alfalfa Leaves

Backed by Green Boy Group and dozens of additional investors, FUDI is moving its optimized lab-scale process to pilot production and inviting the public to invest alongside institutional backers on WeFunder.

MADISON, WI — May 19, 2026 — FUDI Protein today opened its equity crowdfunding campaign to the global public on WeFunder. The campaign is live at www.wefunder.com/fudi.protein and runs alongside FUDI’s institutional fundraise, giving food industry professionals, farmers, scientists, and consumers a direct stake in a new domestic source of complete protein.

The launch arrives at a moment of acute pressure on the U.S. protein supply. Whey protein concentrate and isolate are in critically short supply, with some suppliers sold out through the end of 2026 and prices up more than 50% since January, according to USDA market data reported by Food Dive and others. A May 2026 piece in The Atlantic highlighted the same supply crunch as protein gets formulated into chips, candy, sodas, and waters. Demand drivers include the 70% of Americans who say they want more protein in their diets (IFIC) and the roughly 12% of U.S. adults currently using GLP-1 medications (KFF), a population frequently advised to increase protein intake to preserve lean muscle mass.

FUDI extracts RuBisCO — the most abundant protein on Earth — from alfalfa leaves for use in human food. The ingredient is a complete protein (all 9 essential amino acids) with a PDCAAS (digestibility score) of up to 1.0, a white color, a clean and neutral taste, and functional performance that positions it as a 1:1 replacement for egg white across foaming, gelling, and binding applications. Target categories include protein beverages, sports nutrition, protein bars, bakery, confectionery, dairy alternatives, and egg replacement.

Built on the U.S. Agricultural Supply Chain

Alfalfa is the fourth-largest U.S. crop, grown on more than 17 million acres nationwide. It is a nitrogen-fixing perennial that requires no nitrogen fertilizer and supports soil health on the farms that grow it. FUDI’s differentiation from other RuBisCO developers is structural: rather than sourcing from greenhouse-grown leaves or contract farming on dedicated acreage, FUDI integrates directly with established American alfalfa growers. Leaves are processed near the field, the protein-rich fraction is extracted for human food, and the high-value byproduct is returned to farmers as a premium feed ingredient.

The result is a supply chain with low ingredient COGS, a side-stream that is monetized directly in the process, and an additional revenue line for growers — a configuration the company believes produces unit economics that materially outperform other leaf-protein and plant-protein approaches.

“Protein volatility is a supply-side problem, and we’re a supply-side answer,” said Udi Lazimy, founder and CEO of FUDI Protein. “RuBisCO is a complete protein with the functional performance of egg white. Alfalfa is already on 17 million American acres. We’ve optimized the extraction process in the lab, we’re scaling up, and we’re doing it inside the existing farm economy rather than around it. That’s how you get cost-competitive protein to manufacturers who need it now.”

Investor and Industry Backing

FUDI’s early-stage round was led by Green Boy Group, a global B2B supplier of plant-based ingredients with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and Sydney. Over two dozen additional investors have joined the round to date. The community round on WeFunder gives non-accredited investors access to the same opportunity on terms aligned with institutional participants.

Open Call to Food Manufacturers

FUDI is actively accepting Discovery Calls with CPG brands and ingredient manufacturers across protein beverages, sports nutrition, protein bars, bakery, confectionery, dairy alternatives, and egg replacement. The company is working with prospective partners to identify formulations where RuBisCO can reduce protein-ingredient line-item costs by 30–60%, depending on the application and the protein being displaced.

Manufacturers interested in sampling or scoping a pilot can reach FUDI at www.fudiprotein.com.

What the Campaign Funds

Capital raised through the WeFunder campaign will support the scale-up from optimized lab-scale extraction to pilot production, expanded customer sampling, intellectual property filings, and the start of the regulatory approval process for human food use. The campaign is open globally to both accredited and non-accredited investors, subject to WeFunder’s eligibility rules in each jurisdiction. Full campaign details, investment minimums, terms, and risk disclosures are available at www.wefunder.com/fudi.protein.

About FUDI Protein

FUDI Protein is a B2B food ingredient company extracting RuBisCO, a complete and highly functional protein, from American-grown alfalfa for use in human food. By integrating directly with established alfalfa growers and processing near the field, FUDI returns a high-value byproduct to farmers and produces a white, neutral-tasting protein ingredient with a PDCAAS of up to 1.0 and functional performance comparable to egg white. The company supplies food manufacturers developing protein beverages, sports nutrition, protein bars, bakery, confectionery, dairy alternatives, and egg replacement. Learn more at fudiprotein.com.