Sunscoop Closes Seed Round To Scale Operations and Ramp Up Innovation

Allergy-friendly and superfood-infused ice cream brand Sunscoop announced today it has raised $2 million in seed funding led by Vibrant Ventures, an investment firm focused exclusively on plant-based CPG, with additional participation from H/L Ventures and Torch Capital, among other early angel investors. The company said it will use the new capital to continue expanding its team, distribution and product portfolio.

The company also announced the release of new flavors – Cold Brew Swirl and Cookie Whoa! – which will roll out later this month and mark the official relaunch of its direct-to-consumer platform. The plant-based ice cream maker originally established itself by offering ‘build-your-own’ multi-packs online, but has now refined its model to make its back-end operations more efficient.

“We originally launched our DTC shop in 2020 as a reaction to the pandemic in hopes of bringing joy directly to people’s doorsteps when trips to the grocery store were not possible for some and certainly not pleasant,” said co-founders Carli Blum and Chelsea Fisher. “We learned a lot from our first foray into DTC and have made some small but important changes to the model, including incorporating several new pre-bundled variety pack options in lieu of the ‘build-your-own pack’ option.”

The brand said it will continue to expand the shop with five more SKUs throughout the year, including two shelf-stable dessert sauces and three novelty ice cream products.

Founded in 2017, Sunscoop currently offers plant-based pints in eight SKUs, each with superfood ingredients like reishi, maca and moringa. The company said the launch of Cookie Dough had been highly anticipated for years, but that the brand struggled to create a product that met its standards.

“It was surprisingly difficult to source an allergen-friendly cookie dough made with clean ingredients that meets our standards and tastes amazing,” the co-founders said. “It took us years to nail the Cookie Whoa! flavor down and to find a cookie dough that is free of gluten, nuts, dairy, refined sugar, and unnecessary additives. We’ll be using our dough in a new, innovative product that we’re super excited to launch nationally later this year.”

Sunscoop is also looking to refine operations within its supply chain by partnering with a new ‘culinary-focused’ manufacturer to bring “many more inclusions, chunks, and swirls in the future.”

In order to support its evolving vision and broader reach, earlier this year the brand brought on Stephen Juarez, former national sales director for Blue Bottle Coffee, GT’s Kombucha and Honest Tea, to head up its sales team.

“We’ve already seen a significant impact, not only from a pure sales perspective but also from the insight he’s able to share based on his experiences,” said Blum and Fisher. “His sales expertise is integral to our expansion plans as we enter new markets and retailers and continue to build out our sales team in the coming years.”

The capital will go in part to expanding Sunscoop’s leadership team, with hiring a new Chief Operating Officer next on the docket.

“Through years of innovation and perseverance, Carli and Chelsea attained the holy grail of clean ingredients, delicious taste, and a creamy texture using only plants,” said Jarret Christie, CFA, Managing Partner at Vibrant Ventures and an angel investor in Sunscoop, in a press release. “This seed round represents a monumental milestone for the Sunscoop team, who has worked tirelessly to establish product-market fit with a captivating brand that consumers are drawn to while making ethical decisions with their dollars, and without compromising on taste.”

While it may sound like Sunscoop is looking to move fast, its co-founders were careful to note that the company is “being really thoughtful” about adding each new retail partner. The product is currently available in over 700 stores including Whole Foods, Erewhon Market, Gelson’s and MOM’s Organic Market. According to Sunscoop, it is on track to reach its goal of 2,000 doors by the end of 2022 through placement in Sprouts Farmers Market, as well as other “mainstream grocers.”

Within those outlets, competition in premium ice cream is growing fierce. Earlier this week, Brooklyn-based Van Leeuween debuted its latest slew of flavor innovations including Planet Earth, a spirulina ice cream with Matcha green tea cake, available exclusively at Walmart; however, that product is part of its dairy-based portfolio. Elsewhere, Marcos Sweets and Spices, an ice cream brand that embraces global flavors and unique ingredients, is also looking to carve out its own space in the frozen set.

Specifically in the plant-based category, there has also been plenty of ingredient innovation. In December, dairy-based brand Coolhaus sold to food tech innovator Perfect Day, announcing that it would revamp its entire lineup to be animal-free. Additionally, coconut milk-based superfood “nice cream” brand Good Kind recently launched direct-to-consumer sales and has been expanding its reach via third-party delivery platforms, offering build-your-own variety packs from its five-SKU, premium positioned lineup to select West Coast markets.