The New Primal

This week, we sat down with the co-founders of Vail-based private equity firm Manna Tree Partners and the founders of three portfolio companies, Verde Farms, Health-Ade and Gotham Greens, to explore the relationship between investor and entrepreneur. The discussions revealed how their personal friendship established a baseline for trust and helped create positive outcomes for all involved.

This week we’re joined by Ross Iverson, co-founder and chief investment officer of Manna Tree Partners, a food-focused private equity firm whose portfolio includes stakes in Health-Ade, Gotham Greens and Urban Remedy. Iverson discussed the firm’s vision to improve human health by investing in better-for-you brands, why diligence plays a bigger role than innovation when evaluating companies and how Manna Tree assesses early-stage brands.

If The New Primal was started to help consumers eat like cavemen, then the company has certainly evolved. To help fund this growth, the condiment, sauce and snack company announced today it has raised $15 million from investor Manna Tree.

While there were plenty of buzzy, ketogenic, CBD-enhanced, cauliflower-based products lurking in Expo booths, if you looked deeper, several larger themes within the natural food industry emerged — including retail channel strategies, the effects of integrated sets and sleepy categories seeing new attention.

The erstwhile jerky and condiment company announced today a new brand identity on the condiment side, which will also include five newly launched sauces. The new identity comes as the company recently completed a 60-day rollout into 2000 new stores and closed a capital round in March.