Each year the East Bay Economic Development Alliance and the San Francisco Business Times celebrate companies that contribute to the East Bay’s culture of innovation. The East Bay Innovation Awards honor an impressive group of innovators.

This year’s Award Finalists were announced, and Emeryville-based Ripple Foods has ranked as a contender in the Food Innovation category.

Operating from a high-tech lab in Emeryville, the scientists at Ripple are busy perfecting what they hope is the future of dairy. The local startup has amassed $15 million in venture capital funding since its founding in 2015.

With its signature product competing with milk alternatives, such as almond, rice and soy beverages, Ripple’s co-founder notes that their drink is “high in protein, low in sugar and really delicious.”

So, what is the secret ingredient in this non-dairy drink? Yellow peas. Processed into a smooth, white substance, this high-protein mixture is blended with water, sunflower oil, stabilizers and flavoring to produce a variety of “milks” — plain, sweetened, vanilla and chocolate. The result is a vegan drink that contains 8 grams of protein — the same as cow’s milk.

Currently available at 3,000 Target and Whole Foods stores, Ripple’s founders Adam Lowry and Neil Renninger recently revealed plans to create other dairy-free products—including children’s food, yogurt, cheese, and protein shakes—in the next two years using their proprietary process.

Clearly, Lowry and Renninger’s backgrounds in science play a critical role in their business success. Lowry is a former climate scientist who was a co-founder of the San Francisco-based sustainable cleaning supply company, Method Products. Renninger co-founded Emeryville’s Amyris, Inc., a company that produces renewable alternatives to petroleum-based products.

To attend the March 9th East Bay Innovation Awards and see the complete list of finalists, click here >

To see where you can buy Ripple products, visit here >