Investment

In picking up petite popcorn brand Pipsnacks last month, Factory, an innovation center for food, drink and pet brands, has now fueled itself with five brand investments.

Meat snack producer Stryve doesn’t just want to be the country’s leading biltong brand; it wants to be the manufacturer of choice for the growing category. The company last week announced the close of a $16.5 million round of funding to not only grow its own brand but to grow its manufacturing facilities as well.

Kettle Cuisine, a New England-based producer of refrigerated and frozen, natural soups, sauces and entrees, announced this week its acquisition of Harry’s Fresh Foods, an Oregon-based custom food manufacturing company.

Novamex has acquired Tio Gazpacho for an undisclosed sum, the company announced today, more than a year after the Hispanic-focused beverage marketer first invested in the drinkable soup brand. Primarily an importer of Mexican brands such as Jarritos and Mineragua, Novamex said in the announcement that it is focusing on becoming a growth platform for natural and organic beverages, such as the organic certified Tio Gazpacho.

In addition to its nationwide launch into the U.S. market, the ketogenic diet-focused company today announced the close of a $5 million round of funding and the launch of a new product line. In total, the two year old company has raised $9.4 million in funding.

Despite having enjoyed rapid growth while under the auspices of CPG giant Campbell’s, breakfast brand The Soulfull Project announced this week that it would spin-off as a unique entity. The shift in ownership comes as Campbell’s refocuses on its core businesses.

FBOMB has seen exponential growth as of late thanks to a rising interest in keto-friendly products and a majority stake investment made last year by Disruptive Enterprises.

Ingredient producer and bar brand ReGrained announced the close of a $2.5 million round of funding to help propel the brand into its next phase of growth as an ingredient supplier. Family-owned product development firm Griffith Foods led the round with Barilla Group’s venture fund BLU1877 and Telluric Foods also taking part. Roughly $700,000 of the round was also raised from 700 contributors via an equity crowdfunding round on Indiegogo.

Mission-oriented investment firm Meaningful Partners lead the round, with privately owned holding company Murano Group and other individual investors also contributing.

Boulder, Colorado-based oat bar brand Bobo’s announced this week that it received series B funding from repeat investors Boulder Investment Group Reprise (BIGR) and Ridgeline Ventures. The two firms led the brand’s $8 million series A round in February 2017.