Over the past year, the alternative protein industry has seen a significant increase in business failures, acquisitions, and mergers. According to research by Green Queen, more than 40 major alternative protein ventures have either closed down, undergone mergers, filed for bankruptcy, or been acquired at discounted valuations between September 2024 and August 2025. The majority of these activities took place in Europe and North America, with plant-based companies being the most affected.

Plant-based meat, dairy, and ready-meal startups have faced challenges in scaling and profitability, leading to closures and restructuring. Acquisitions were the most common type of business event, with 24 deals, followed by closures, liquidations, and bankruptcies. The industry is currently going through a period of intense market correction, driven by rising production costs, tighter capital flows, falling retail demand, and consumer price sensitivity, leading to a need for strategic pivots in product, channel, and consumer engagement to survive in the changing landscape.