Beyond Meat, the maker of vegan chicken and beef substitutes backed by some of the biggest names in food and technology, is seeking to raise as much as $US184 million ($258 million) in its initial public offering.

The company plans to sell 8.75 million shares for $US19 to $US21 each, according to a filing Monday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. A listing at the top of that range would give the company a market value of about $US1.2 billion ($1.7 billion)  based on the shares to be outstanding after the offer, according to its filing.

The company is one of several makers of plant-based meat substitutes or lab-grown meats that have attracted high-profile backers. Its investors include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and actor Leonardo Dicaprio, as well as former McDonald’s chief executive officer Don Thompson. Beyond Meat’s biggest stakeholders are venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers LLC, which owns 16 per cent of the company, and Twitter co-founder Ev William’s Obvious Ventures with 9 per cent, according to its filings.

Tyson Foods, the largest US meat producer, is accelerating development of its own alternative-protein products and is also a backer of Beyond Meat. Tyson has invested in Jerusalem-based Future Meat Technologies and, along with Gates, Richard Branson and Cargill, is an investor in Memphis Meats, a cultured meat producer.