‘Billion Vegans’ Debuts With 4,500 Products
Billed as the “Amazon for Vegans,” entrepreneurs Amir Lavi and Alon Hochberg have launched an online platform they call Billion Vegans. The Hollywood, California-based startup claims an initial offering of 4,500 vegan products from 200 marketers such as Daiya Foods, Clif Bar & Company, and Silk.
According to a report by VegNews, Billion Vegans hopes to raise $1 million in equity funding to make completely animal-free products accessible to all. The company has rejected many items labeled as “vegan” on Amazon as they did not meet comprehensive criteria, including verification that ingredients, sourcing, processing and manufacturing practices are all without animal cruelty.
Billion Vegans hopes to satisfy what is a growing demand for food and other products produced without animals. For instance, one-third of Americans now consider themselves “flexitarian,” according to new research of 2,000 people conducted by OnePoll. Flexitarians are defined as those who do not adhere to one specific eating style, and may combine plant-based and meat-based diets.
The same study identified another 13% of Americans as subscribing to a specific eating lifestyle such as veganism, vegetarianism or paleo.
While the number of vegans in the U.S. is growing, a sampling of 11,000 adults in 2017 suggests only 2% of Americans are vegetarian, and only one-in-four vegetarians are vegan – roughly one-half of 1% of the U.S. population.
