Investment

M&A activity continues to accelerate. This morning we are bringing you updates on the changing snack landscape as Our Home expands its platform with tried-and-true Utz Brand muscle. Additionally we run down news that distressed salad dressing maker Tessemae’s has found a new home and share details on a growing pasta platform.

California-based FreshRealm announced this morning it had acquired the U.S. operational assets and supply chain infrastructure of global meal kit provider Marley Spoon for $24 million.

Aiming to put a troubled period behind it, meal kit maker Blue Apron is embracing a leaner business model in 2024 that prioritizes flexibility and accelerates innovation targeted at consumers’ growing interest in convenient, clean label offerings.

For those of you looking for a variety of levels of investment capital, the frustration was real in 2023. Deals were down. That’s the read from the FABID 2023 Annual Report, which hit our screens yesterday.

Financial advisory firm Solomon Partners reported its expectations for M&A activity in food and beverage this year with a slow escalation in acquisitions as inflation recedes and the Fed lowers interest rates.

Half of startups fail within the first five years. How does a founder know when it’s time to move on?

Food technology company Voyage Foods ended 2023 with a nearly $22 million payday that was filed with the SEC on December 29. The new capital comes from previous investors Valor Equity Partners, Horizons Ventures, UBS O’Connor and Level One Fund.

As a lens for her story, Abuelhiga discusses the methods she used and parameters she laid out for finding the right capital partners — and how she decided that it was the right time for them to invest. The growth of Mason Dixie, a minority-owned, woman-owned business is an inspiring narrative and Abuelhiga’s story takes the audience through its early years to the present.

Weaver Holdings, the largest manufacturer of popcorn in the U.S., was acquired by AUA Private Equity Partners for an undisclosed amount. The PE firm has a history of acquiring food manufacturers and aims to inject “efficiency” into the fourth-generation, family-owned business.

Rainforest Distribution Corp. has acquired New England natural and specialty foods distributor Associated Buyers, the companies announced this week. According to a press release, the companies will take roughly two months to transition the Associated Buyers’ network into the Rainforest system.