Food Industry News, Insights, and Education for the CPG Community

From coconut cashew butter to avocado chips, here are the latest launches from Expo West.

Ancient Nutrition, a brand of “real food nutritional products,” announced today the close of a $103 million minority investment. Led by VMG Partners, the deal also included investment from Hillhouse Capital, ICONIQ Capital a 100-plus member co-investor network hereon known as the “Ancient Pioneers.”

RxBar is ready to establish itself as a platform brand. The first iteration of this expansion is a line of protein-enhanced nut butters, which launched today.

Ohio-based Vegy Vida announced Monday that it raised $1.8 million in financing through Keiretsu Forum Midwest, a chapter of a global angel investment community specializing in collaborative fundraising.

Stubb’s co-founder/Rhythm Superfoods’ CEO Scott Jensen on why respect for capital, competition is critical to success; how The New Primal founder Jason Burke persevered with his paleo brand despite early missteps; why Hello Delicious is seeking the “middle seat” between healthy and indulgent; Kerry Song croons about her vegan meat brand The Abbot’s Butcher. This episode is presented by The Maple Guild.

Snack brand Square Organics announcement it had closed a $500,000 convertible note opened the curtain on the first investment by retailer Thrive Market as part of their newly developed venture fund, Thrive Market Ventures (TMV).

They’ve been biding their time, but a fast-growing specialty pickle company is preparing to launch a brine-driven assault on Natural Products Expo West this week powered by a new, $4 million minority investment.

Today new snack brand Weller announced the launch of a line of hemp-extract enriched coconut bites as well as the close of a $1.25 million round of funding.

Like the food business it supports, NOSH Live — the event series powered by Project NOSH — is growing. When it is held on June 4 and 5 at the Metropolitan West in Manhattan, the NOSH Live Summer event will now sprawl across two full days worth of strategic insights, inspiration, case studies and networking. To support a bigger NOSH Live, you need a bigger lineup.

This week’s Checkout is all about brands, retailers and government raising their standards around food.

In this episode of NOSH Voices, James Richardson examines how to build a lifestyle brand and the that problem arises when entrepreneurs confuse their own lifestyles with valid proof that they have a lifestyle brand.

ProYo announced today that its high protein, low fat ice cream pint brand will now be known as Swell Ice Cream. The rebranding is an attempt to optimize the brand’s name and packaging to better connect with what CEO and founder Nathan Carey said are the core consumers of pints: women, families and “weekend warriors.”

The powerhouse snack executives behind Halen Brands are at it again with the launch of two new snack-centric brands and a line extension for plant-based protein play Only What You Need (OWYN).

Project NOSH Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman talks about his involvement with a local community-based food business incubator and his role mentoring a small beverage company, Boston Chai Party.