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Millennial focused granola and snack bar company Bear Naked has partnered with with IBM’s supercomputer “Watson” to allow consumers to create their own perfect, customized granola blend. The resulting program speaks to the trend of customization while decreasing food waste.

Last month BevNET and Project NOSH hosted the first BevNET Boot Camp for food and beverage entrepreneurs. For those that weren’t able to join us in person, complete video coverage of the day is now available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

If you are connected to the industry, you have certainly noticed the influx of high-quality talent in food and beverage, particularly on the packaged side. A new generation of entrepreneurs is following the lead of their tech brethren. These sophisticated, inventive, and passionate founders are out-of-the box thinkers, and as investors and partners it’s our job to help them succeed.

In the month since Natural Products Expo West closed, food and beverage companies have announced millions of dollars’ worth of investment, from strategic investment in companies like Juicero and Body Armor to advanced funding rounds in brands like Perky Jerky and Health Ade.

Last week equity and investment crowdfunding platform CircleUp and venture capital firm the Collaborative Fund announced the launch of Collab+Consumer, a new fund on CircleUp for early-stage, mission-driven companies in retail, apparel, CPG and pet care.

While the Expo West frenzy has almost died down, many of the brands that exhibited at the show are now seeing pickup by retailers both big and small.

This week private equity firm VMG Partners and algae-based food maker TerraVia (formerly Solazyme, Inc) announced the formation of a new venture, TerraBrands. The new group, which will function as a part of TerraVia, will acquire or invest in leading food and beverage companies that would like to incorporate TerraVia’s algae-based ingredients into their products.

Last week, Acosta, one of the largest grocery brokers in the world, announced that it had acquired Ignite Sales & Marketing, following a sales process run by Whipstitch capital. The purchase brings a high-touch set of account managers who foster the growth of mid-sized businesses into a brokerage and sales strategy firm that deals with the largest companies in the world.

Fresh off a year of retail growth, moringa company Kuli Kuli has closed a $1 million round of funding. Investors in the round include noted tech luminaries Brad Feld of the Foundry Group and venture capitalist Derek Proudian, as well as food entrepreneur Mary Walder.