Google's $300m Bid For Cheeseburger Business

Google (Xetra: A0B7FY - news) has tried to buy a vegetarian burger business called Impossible Foods for up to $300m, it has been revealed.

The search and advertising giant made the unexpected move for the food company, which says its burger tastes like ground beef with cheese despite being made entirely out of plants.

The proposed deal was reported by technology site The Information, which cited an unnamed source as saying that the bid was rejected as too low.

The homepage of Impossible Foods reads: "You love meat. You love cheese. For thousands of years we've relied on animals to make them. Impossible Foods has found a better way. We use plants to make the best meats and cheeses you'll ever eat."

As well as its core search and ad business Google is constantly looking into so-called "moonshot" projects - goals that can only be realised over a decade or more.

It is unclear exactly why Google wants to move into the food business, however meat alternatives are a topic of great interest in Silicon Valley.

Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT - news) founder Bill Gates is already understood to have backed the firm, along with Google executive Tony Fadell who helped it raise funding.

Meanwhile, a firm called Beyond Meat, which sells chicken substitute, is also backed by Mr Gates, as well as Twitter (Xetra: A1W6XZ - news) co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone.