Food Tech Unicorn NotCo announced that it has appointed Fernando Machado, a renowned global marketing leader, as its new Chief Marketing Officer, effective in April.
“Now begins a new era for the industry”
Known for “brilliant” marketing campaigns that push creative boundaries to drive business growth, Machado most recently served as CMO of Activision Blizzard, one of the world’s most successful entertainment and gaming companies. Prior to Activision, he also served as CMO for Restaurant Brands International, where he created award-winning advertising for brands such as Burger King and Popeyes. Machado’s career began as an intern at Unilever, where he most recently served as VP of Global Brand Development for Dove.
$1.5 billion brand
Machado’s hire follows NotCo’s $70M Series D1 funding round in December, valuing the company at $1.5Bn. According to Machado, he has long been a fan of the groundbreaking startup, which uses patented AI technology to create realistic meat, dairy and egg products from plants.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s most beloved brands and am incredibly excited to now apply my creativity and decades of experience to the NotCo team,” said Machado.
He continued, “I have been a huge fan of the brand and its unique technology since its launch in the US a few years ago. The products are incredible, but I truly believe in what NotCo is working to achieve in the world. The culture of dreaming big and making real change that Mathias and other leaders have fostered is admirable, and I’m really looking forward to driving NotCo’s growth through cutting-edge and creative marketing.” 
© NotCo
NotMayo and more
Based in Chile, NotCo holds 12 US patents for its proprietary AI technology, known as Giuseppe, which recreates the taste, texture and functionality of animal foods by selecting plant-based ingredients. Recently, the company launched a New B2B unit To enable others CPG brands, ingredient suppliers, and technology providers to leverage Giuseppe for their own innovation purposes. According to NotCo, this B2B platform has the potential to “exponentially accelerate the transformation of the plant-based industry.”
NotCo’s US portfolio includes NotMilk, NotBurgers and NotChicken, which can be found in more than 10,000 stores, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Amazon and Fresh Market. Last week, the company revealed that it will introduce its popular NotMayo, made in partnership with Kraft Heinz, to retailers across the US and Canada.
Ingenuity and passion
“I first met Fernando when he contacted me a few years ago saying he liked the work we were doing. The reality was, we were big fans of the work he Doing! So, when the opportunity presented itself, we decided to join forces,” said Matias Muchnick, co-founder and CEO of NotCo. “From the beginning, our mission was to create a more sustainable world by creating truly delicious plant-based foods and the food industry. Transforming. Fernando’s pedigree speaks for itself, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our leadership team. We are confident that his acumen and passion for our mission will help accelerate our journey.”
He added, “Now a new era is beginning for the industry.”