RXBAR’s Rahal Launches New Protein Bar Brand
RXBAR co-founder Peter Rahal is back in the protein bar business.
Yesterday he announced the debut of David, a brand of “high-protein, low-calorie, blood-sugar-friendly foods” on a mission to “help customers be strong and not overfat,” in a LinkedIn post.
David – a nod to the Michelangelo masterpiece – is set to launch by the end of 2024. “I’ve always been obsessed with bars, so this will naturally be our first product,” Rahal wrote in the post.
Packaged in a gold wrapper, each David bar packs a whopping 28 grams of protein, 160 calories and zero grams of sugar. According to Rahal, bars have been crafted with “the latest food technology,” and per his LinkedIn profile, the RXBAR founder is also named as the co-founder and CEO of Linus Technology, which is described as a “food technology company built to help consumers achieve their protein consumption and weight management goals.”
Zach Ranen, previously a private equity analyst and founder of online bakery startup RAIZE, is also a co-founder and president of David. The company is seeking to fill out its team with a director of growth, director of finance and supply chain, and director of service.
Rahal founded RXBAR in his parents’ suburban Chicago basement in 2012 and sold the business to Kellogg Co. for $600 million less than five years later. Initially developed for the CrossFit crowd, the bars featured a handful of simple ingredients, including egg whites, dates and nuts, listed on the front-of-pack.
Following the sale, Rahal continued to lead operations as CEO for 18 months, prior to stepping into a founder’s role to focus on innovation and strategy. He oversaw the brand’s expansion into nut butter and oats products, as well as the short-lived launch of savory bar brand TIG, made with chickpeas.
Around that time, he also launched Litani Ventures to invest in early-stage consumer products brands. His portfolio included Mush, Haven’s Kitchen, Banza, Three Wishes, Olipop and A Dozen Cousins, among others.
Last year, Rahal teamed up with Nick Giannuzzi and Andrew Abraham to launch private equity firm Humble Growth, raising more than $312 million to support fast-moving consumer goods companies with more than $20 million in sales. (Rahal is no longer listed as a founder on the Humble Growth website, and his LinkedIn page shows he is no longer a managing partner there as of this month).
The five-year non-compete agreement he signed with Kellogg expired in October 2022, clearing the way for Rahal’s entry back into the category. Can he strike gold a second time?
Rahal declined to share additional details with Nosh; however, according to his LinkedIn post, “Humans aren’t perfect, but David is.”
