Food & Health Angels Network launches to accelerate metabolic health innovations to market

Food & Health (FH) Angels Network has launched to bridge the gap between nutrition science, demand, and innovation amid a time of record-high obesity rates and GLP-1 usage. 

Metabolic diseases have become “one of the defining health challenges of our time,” says the company. Entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to food as a solution, creating a need for nutrition science, biotechnology, and AI-enabled discovery to discover new ingredients and ways to design food and platforms for metabolic health.

FH Angels will support and invest in early-stage companies across the US that focus on science, data, and technology to improve metabolic performance, health, and overall longevity.

“We are at a critical tipping point for food and health innovation. With 92% of Americans considered metabolically unhealthy, and GLP-1 use is growing, the need for science-backed solutions have never been more urgent,” says Kim Fisher, founding director of FH Angels. He is also director of Programs at the Innovation Institute for Food and Health, University of California (UC), Davis, US. 

“From AI-driven discovery to new sensor technologies to the ability to deliver precision nutrition, the pace of innovative companies coming out of UC Davis and across the country is staggering. We’ve brought together a network of angel investors who provide more than just capital — we bring the deep industry connections and operational expertise required to help these companies scale and provide real-world impact.”

Apart from financial capital, the company will also provide hands-on expertise, strategic guidance, and industry connections to accelerate commercialization. The FH Angels network aims to support companies in navigating regulatory complexity, scientific validation, and rapid market entry. 

“Embedded in a region with a strong food and health innovation ecosystem, shaped by UC Davis research, the network is well positioned to cultivate and support an exceptional pipeline of start-ups working at the intersection of food, health, and technology,” says George Baxter, chief innovation and economic development officer at UC Davis.

Economic opportunity

FH Angels says that by investing in science-driven start-ups, it will accelerate the commercialization of innovations emerging from the quickly changing food and health sector. 

The network also has the potential to strengthen the Greater Sacramento region’s growing innovation economy by attracting capital, founders, and industry expertise to companies building solutions at the intersection of food, biotechnology, and human health.

“The launch of FH Angels reinforces the Greater Sacramento region’s leadership in food innovation, agriculture, and health technology,” comments Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council.

“Founded in the city of Davis within the Greater Sacramento region and built on the strength of the University of California, Davis research ecosystem and our growing venture community, this initiative connects founders with the capital and expertise needed to scale transformative companies.”