Thanks to blockchain and other advances in traceability, it’s tempting to think that in the event of a problem (foodborne illness, adulteration, contamination, child labor question marks), we can trace everything in the food supply chain back to its source...
From 'animal-free' dairy proteins, to RuBisCO protein from a fast-growing aquatic plant that behaves like egg white, to 'Superbrewed' bacterial protein, the so-called 'alternative protein' market is rapidly heating up. But...
Asian plant-based meat sensation OmniFoods is making its US retail debut via a launch in Sprouts stores nationwide and select Whole Foods stores with three products: OmniPork Ground, OmniPork Strips and OmniPork Luncheon.
Koia, which launched with plant-based protein shakes in 2016 sold at Whole Foods stores, has unlocked exponential growth in the mass channel with its low-sugar smoothie line that founder and CEO Chris Hunter says is the company's "best performing...
Sugar and healthy usually occupy opposite ends of the spectrum, but startup Bhoomi wants to bring them together in a line of cold-pressed cane water elixirs featuring traditional Ayurvedic ingredients and a compelling mission to “balance health, equitable...
Pandemic-related limitations on key resources, from essential ingredients to packaging to labor, continue to challenge food and beverage manufacturers, and while pressures may ease in one area they simultaneously increase in another – elevating the need...
Best known for renovating the cottage cheese category with a clean-label alternative free from additives and made with milk from pasture-raised dairy cows, Good Culture has its sights set far beyond the $1.2bn cottage cheese category to become a fermented...
Dairy proteins used to come exclusively from cows. Today, people can program microbes or plants to produce them without our farmyard friends, or even deploy bovine mammary cells that ‘lactate’ outside of an animal. But which approach is the most scalable,...
First Bev has acquired a controlling stake in kombucha brand Health-Ade with additional investment from Manna Tree and Vail. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
BrightFarms has been acquired by Cox Enterprises, accelerating the hydroponic indoor farming company's mission of bringing leafy greens to more households throughout the US.
Join Noblegen, Plantible Foods, Superbrewed Food, Mattson and Lever VC to discuss the future of protein
Plant-based proteins such as soy and pea continue to dominate the so-called ‘alternative protein’ category, but they’re not the only game in town. New options are now emerging from ‘animal-free’ collagen and whey to a novel set of proteins produced naturally...
Growing plant-based frozen food brand Tattooed Chef is “firing on all cylinders,” said president and CEO Sam Galletti, as the company exceeds its distribution goal of 10,000 stores and surpasses $50m in revenue in Q2.
Closing out the first half of 2021, HelloFresh reported a year-over-year 83.7% increase in the number of active customers using the meal delivery service worldwide, as well as the continued global expansion of its business in new and existing markets.
Strong Roots is experiencing and witnessing a fundamental consumer shift towards frozen food that has reshaped the way many households eat, claims founder and CEO Sam Dennigan.
Impossible Foods has appointed former San Francisco Giants' chief people officer, Leilani Gayles, as the company’s new chief people officer and technology industry veteran, David Borecky, as its chief financial officer.
The premium ice cream business can be pretty brutal – just ask Three Twins, Clemmy’s and Ample Hills – with regional brands now slugging it out with multinationals and a flurry of VC-backed startups in a market offering a bewildering array of options...
Beyond Meat is predicting a drop in revenues in the third quarter ($120-140m) vs the second quarter ($149.4m) reflecting some recent distribution losses in foodservice, labor issues at some partners, and uncertainty as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads....
It's hard to imagine what began as a family pancake recipe, which co-founder Joel Clark would sell to neighbors in brown paper bags from a little red wagon as an 8-year-old, would become a $200m business selling a growing portfolio of better-for-you...
UK-based startup The Supplant Company is targeting the US market with an intriguing new addition to the sugar-reduction toolbox in the form of ‘sugars from fiber,’ a new low-glycemic blend of sugars extracted from upcycled feedstocks that performs like...
Plant-based dairy brand Miyoko’s Creamery has raised $52m in a series C round led by PowerPlant Partners ($40m) that will help fund marketing and innovation at the firm, which generated a 70% increase in revenues in 2020, and is gearing up to launch an...
Online product delivery platform Gopuff, which delivers thousands of household products from snacks to alcohol from its hundreds of micro-fulfillment centers, has secured $1bn in new funding, raising the company's evaluation to $15bn.
From San Diego-based Debut Biotech, which is developing a range of high-value ingredients via a novel ‘cell-free’ biomanufacturing platform, to Virginia-based Bonumose, which has patented technology it claims could enable the “mass market adoption” of...
Once a brand focused solely on meat snacks, The New Primal has extended into a number of adjacent categories in the past three years including sauces and marinades, condiments, salad dressings, and dry seasonings, making it a bonafide platform brand,...
Santiago-based food tech company NotCo has raised $235m in a Series D round led by Tiger Global and supported by DFJ Growth Fund, ZOMA Lab, athletes Lewis Hamilton and Roger Federer, and musician and DJ Questlove, taking its cumulative funding to $350m...
Kentucky-based, tech-powered indoor farming company, AppHarvest, is bringing in tech industry veteran Mark Keller as SVP of its software applications platform.
While a recent probe into Oatly’s accounting practices and a flood of tech money going into food has raised questions about valuations in the space, zero-sugar soda brand Zevia has a solid track record of growth, a clear consumer proposition (great taste,...
Wander around leading UK food retailers and you’ll see aisles of fresh prepared meals, soups, salads and desserts, dominated by private label. So, will the US market move in the same direction?
Plant-based brand Crafty Counter, best-known for its frozen lentil- and bean-based bites – has developed what it claims is an industry first: ready-to-eat plant-based boiled eggs, which it hopes to launch late this year or early next year.
Target Corp. has selected 11 food and beverage brands to take part in Target Takeoff, the retailer's product-focused accelerator program, now in its fifth year.
After growing steadily across channels on and offline, better-for-you snack brand Quinn is poised to enter its “next phase of growth” with $10m in series B funding announced today that will support upcoming new product launches, expanded distribution...
Growing biltong brand Stryve, which also owns Kalahari Snacks, making it the #1 air-dried meat snack brand in the US, has completed a business combination with Andina Acquisition Corp III, a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
New York-based direct to consumer brand Little Spoon – which delivers chilled fresh food for babies, toddlers and young children to homes across the continental US - has raised $44m in a Series B round led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation...
Nature’s Fynd - a Chicago-based startup growing protein-packed food from microbes with a fraction of the environmental footprint of meat or dairy – has raised $350m in a Series C round (taking its total financing to >$500m) as it gears up to launch...
Swedish keto-friendly brand Nick’s – which entered the US in late 2019 with low carb light ice cream pints – is on course to triple its US sales in 2021 (vs 2020) with continued growth in bricks & mortar retail, sharp growth in its fledgling direct...
The Good Crisp Company is eyeing up the growing market opportunity for snacks with immune support benefits with the recent launch of its better-for-you cheese balls featuring Kerry's Wellmune ingredient.
Suja Juice, which helped mainstream the cold-pressed juice category, has been acquired by private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners for an undisclosed sum, following a year of "unprecedented revenue and profit."
Comet Bio – a startup developing functional fibers and sweeteners from upcycled ingredients – has closed a $22m Series C round led by private equity firm Open Prairie, with support from Louis Dreyfus Company, BDC Capital, and existing investor Sofinnova...
Canadian startup Noblegen has opened a CAD$500m Series C capital raise as it seeks to commercialize a suite of products from the ‘ancient microorganism’ euglena gracilis, which can produce everything from proteins that behave like animal proteins, to...
Wicked Kitchen – a plant-based brand developed by chefs and mushroom enthusiasts Derek and Chad Sarno that has been a hit in the UK – is hoping to make a bigger splash this side of the Atlantic after securing $14m in a Series A round co-led by Unovis...
Austin, Texas-based Springdale Ventures, a venture capital firm which has invested in a number of high-growth CPG brands, is on the cusp of its next chapter of growth with the appointment of a third general partner and is embarking on plans to raise its...
Oregon-based Honey Mama's and its truffle-like chilled cocoa bars made from five organic whole food ingredients is entering Whole Foods stores nationwide, where the brand is aiming to bridge the gap between the chocolate and wellness bar categories....
Instacart has appointed one of its current board members and former Facebook exec, Fidji Simo, as CEO of the online grocery shopping platform, effective August 2, replacing current CEO and founder Apoorva Mehta who will be transitioning to the role of...
Despite overall declines of the snack and nutrition bar category over the past year, NuSkool Snacks (formerly MCTco) saw demand for its brand – and other low-sugar bar products like it increase – reports founder and CEO Joe Christensen.
As the #1 selling brand in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, and the fourth largest kombucha company globally, producing more than 90 million cans per year, Remedy Drinks is seeking to replicate its success in the US market where it says consumers are...
Olipop – a functional beverage brand forging new territory in the soda category with 9g fiber per can – is on course to more than triple revenues this year vs 2020, says co-founder Ben Goodwin, who launched the brand with David Lester in late 2018.
Chobani has filed a confidential draft registration statement for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The number of shares of common stock to be sold and the price range for the proposed offering...
Meati Foods – which is carving out new territory in the meat-alternative space with a fungi-based platform capable of producing ‘steaks’ and other whole cuts – has raised $50m in a Series B round co-led by new investor BOND and long-time Meati investor...
Online personalized shopping platform, Sifter, is hoping to make label reading a thing of the past with a tool that instantly tells consumers which products fit their dietary needs and lifestyle.
For a fraction of the price and hassle of in-person sampling or focus groups, the new product discovery and data analytics platform Snack Drop allows emerging brands to offer goods directly to consumers in exchange for honest feedback and detailed information...
Wildland Coffee has launched its first product, coffee in a tea bag, targeting outdoor enthusiasts and potentially, the broader audience of on-the-go consumers who may not have the time nor access to coffee-making equipment while on the move.
