Silicon Valley's most prominent alternative meat-maker is in a food fight with a rival startup.
Last month, Impossible Foods Inc. sued Motif FoodWorks Inc., claiming the Boston startup's own fake meat too closely resembles Impossible's patented version. This week, Motif struck back, filing a petition with the United States Patent and Trademark office, asking it to review the legitimacy of Impossible's patent.
At issue in the dispute is a key ingredient in Impossible's meat alternative — heme, an iron-rich protein found in living plants and animals that the Redwood City startup uses to make its meat alternative "bleed."
"Impossible did not invent heme – it exists in animal muscle tissues and plants that people eat every day," Motif spokesperson Julia Dacri told the Business Journal. "It's our hope that the USPTO will reject and revoke Impossible Foods' patent."
Impossible sued Motif with the simple intention of protecting its patent rights, company spokesperson Keely Sulprizio told the Business Journal.
"We applaud other companies’ efforts to develop compelling plant-based products," Sulprizio said. "But we do not tolerate attempts to undermine our brand or products through the deliberate and unauthorized infringement of our intellectual property."
The battle is a kind of David-versus-Goliath showdown. Motif's backers valued it at $726 million last year, according to PitchBook Data. Impossible's investors pegged its value at $7 billion in November, according to PitchBook.
Motif claims that the USPTO should never have issued Impossible's patent in the first place. Prior to the the agency granting a patent to the company's heme-based method of making fake meat, there was a significant amount of literature and patents covering similar ground, Motif argues.
Impossible is simply trying to stop a smaller competitor from threatening its profits, Dacri said.
"Our industry should work together to grow the plant-based category for the greater good — to benefit people and the planet," she said. "Competition is healthy. And it should play out in the marketplace, not the courts."
Impossible remains confident in the legitimacy of its patent, Sulprizio said. Motif's move won't stop the company from enforcing it, she said.
"Motif's stunt is a baseless and meritless attempt to distract from the fact that they have infringed on our patent and are unlawfully using our technology to build their business," she said.
The lawsuit comes amid a shakeup at Impossible. Last month, founder Pat Brown stepped down as CEO and was replaced by industry veteran Peter McGuinness. The company also re-organized its operations earlier this year, laying off a handful of its 800 global employees.
