Investment
Dive into the latest stories, interviews, and discussions relating to investment, funding, and mergers and acquisitions throughout the natural food industry. Explore what the financial future looks like for natural food entrepreneurs in terms of capital availability, deal terms, lending, and the strategic marketplace in order to help shape your planning strategy for the short and medium term.
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Featured Investment Content
Whole Foods Evolves As Natural Merges Into Mass
Amazon is planning to absorb all 100,000 Whole Foods employees, including frontline staff, into its core business structure, per a report this week from Business Insider.
BranchOut Food Gets $2.5M To Expand Production
BranchOut Food received $2.5 million in funding through a common stock sale as it moves to expand its production facility.
Smash Foods Closes Seven-Figure Round To Fuel Further Growth
Smash Foods has closed a seven-figure funding round to expand availability of its superfood spreads and snacks, according to co-founder and chief operating officer Steve Ford. The round was led by Eclair Partners with participation from Label Capital and The Family Fund, alongside a strategic supply chain partner.
Additional Content
Tea Time: Yogi Tea Acquires Choice Organic
Yogi Tea CEO Giancarlo Marcaccini sees a bright future for mellow moments. Owned by East West Tea Company, Yogi last week announced its acquisition of Choice Organic Teas.
New Communication Pathways: Broadhead Acquires Kohnstamm
One of the veteran nice guys of the natural products business, Josh Kohnstamm, has sold his eponymous public relations firm to another Minneapolis-area marketing agency, broadhead.
River of Sweet Dreams: Hudson River Foods’ Journey to Better-for-You Success
Hudson River Foods is winding its way upstream. With two recent acquisitions, Hodgson Mills and Dancing Deer, the company is solidifying a hearty footprint in the better-for-you baking category.
Hershey’s Picks Up One Bar To Enhance Snack Portfolio
As part of its shift from confection to a broader snacking platform, Hershey announced yesterday its acquisition of the low-sugar, high-protein ONE Brands portfolio. The purchase price, which was financed with cash on hand as well as short term borrowings, was $397 million.
PowerPlant Ventures Closes Fund II
Venture firm PowerPlant Ventures announced yesterday the close of its second fund. At over three times the size of its predecessor, Fund II, which closed at $165 million, will allow the company to further refine its deal structure, co-founder and partner Mark Rampolla told NOSH. He added that the firm “[wants] to change this mindset that capital only cares about return.”
Sauce in the City: Raising the First Round
In the next installment of Sauce in the City, Catherine Smart, founder of Not Just Co, explores how she went about raising capital for her fledgling food company.
Steve’s PaleoGoods Plans for Life Beyond Paleo
In case the paleo trend goes extinct, Steve’s PaleoGoods founder Steve Liberati is seeking new life for his product lineup through expansion and acquisition. In April, the company acquired raw and fermented drink and dressing brand Zukay Live Foods, which also produces Jacob’s Raw krauts, salsas and dressings.
4th & Heart Closes Round to Scale Ghee Platform
Artisanal ghee brand 4th & Heart announced the close of a $7.6 million round of capital today. In a video shot at this summer’s Fancy Food Show, NOSH Editor Carol Ortenberg sat down with CEO Raquel Tavares to discuss her goals for the brand and how she plans to use this capital to expand access and awareness of ghee.
NOSH Live Boot Camp: Think Visually; Walk, Don’t Run, and Stop to Ask Questions
Earlier this week NOSH Live Summer 2019 kicked off in NYC with a “boot camp” for food businesses. Attendees absorbed tips and strategies from a team of business experts, ranging from navigating e-commerce and branding to understanding how to build teams.
The Checkout: Beyond Meat’s Q1 Financials, NACS and FARE Aim to Improve C-Stores for Allergy Sufferers
Beyond Meat’s Q1 financials, NACS and FARE aim to improve c-stores for allergy sufferers and more in this week’s Checkout.