“Like most sourdough, San Diego-based Leaven Foods (NEXTY Award-winner at the recent Natural Products Expo West) origin story began during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when lockdown ended, the founders’ (two scientists who are bakers) once-coddled starter was neglected. Enter Leaven Foods, a shelf-stable sourdough starter made from non-GMO wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. This innovative powder eliminates the need for feeding or maintenance and makes baking sourdough accessible for home cooks of all abilities.”

“The advantages of sourdough are well known: great flavor, naturally long shelf life, and better-for-you bread. Until now, these benefits have been locked behind maintaining a starter that is extremely difficult to scale for producers and time consuming, expensive and wasteful for home bakers,” says Cameron Martino, CEO of Leaven Foods. “Instant Sourdough is revolutionary as it delivers true sourdough fermentation that eliminates starter hassles. It makes real sourdough more affordable and accessible.”

Founder Cameron Martino is a scientist, entrepreneur, and microbial product innovator with a deep passion for modernizing the microbial products that play an essential but often overlooked role across food, health, and agriculture. Over the course of his career, he has helped build and commercialize some of the most innovative microbial products across instrumentation, agriculture, animal health, and food.

Founder and CEO Cameron Martino joins us in the rise.