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
Tio Gazpacho Completes $1.25M Funding Round Led by General Mills’ 301 INC Unit
Proceeds from the round, which was raised on equity crowdfunding platform CircleUp, will go toward new sales and marketing initiatives designed to expand placement and awareness of Tio Gazpacho’s high pressure processed, ready-to-drink soups.
Snackable Wine Grape Company Raizes $1 Million for RayZyn Line
The Wine RayZyn Company announced that they’ve raised over $1 million to help develop the next superfood snack product. The company has a patented process that dehydrates grapes and caramelizes the nutrient rich wine seed in the grape’s own sugar.
Bonafide Provisions Beefs Up With SUJA, BIGR Execs
Bonafide Provisions, a newly-renamed maker of frozen chicken and beef bone broths, has become a portfolio company of Boulder Investment Group Reprise (BIGR), an investment firm founded by the former managers of Boulder Brands’ venture capital group, the company announced this week.
“Heritage” Jerky Co. Country Archer Raises $5 Million
The all-natural, vertically-integrated jerky company closed on a $5 million funding round shortly before Expo West and is now trying to push East from its California base. The minority investment came from Monogram Capital Partners.
Apollo Global Management to Acquire The Fresh Market for $1.36 Billion
The deal was unanimously approved by the company’s board of directors, with the exception of The Fresh Market founder and chairman Ray Berry, who recused himself from negotiations pertaining to the deal.
JicaChips Raises $1M, Caps off Week of AccelFoods Announcements
Today upstart jica-based snack brand, JicaChips, announced the closing of an over $1 million round of funding from several investors, including accelerator firm and investor AccelFoods and natural foods strategy and brokerage firm Presence Marketing. While the raise itself is notable, it capstones a week of announcements from AccelFoods about major investments in brands that have graduated from its accelerator program.
Big Infestment: Insect Protein Brand Exo Lands $4 Million Round
Yesterday, insect-based protein snack bar company Exo Foods announced the closing of a $4 million Series A investment round led by CPG incubator and private equity fund AccelFoods. Also investing in the round were a pair of venture capital funds, Start Garden and the Collaborative Fund, as well as celebrities like the author Tim Ferriss, the rap artist NAS and the endurance athlete Amelia Boone.
Cottage Industry: Good Culture Raises $2.1 Million for Cottage Cheese 2.0
This morning, Good Culture announced that it had closed a $2.1 million Series A fundraising round, with Christopher’s new private equity fund, CAVU Venture Partners, and General Mills’ new venture fund 301 INC leading the investment.
Sonoma Brands Makes Minority Investment in Dang Foods
Jonathan Sebastiani’s new consumer products incubator and venture fund Sonoma Brands announced its first investment, in healthy snack food company Dang Foods. Dang founder Vincent Kitirattragarn says the investment “is a dream partnership” that will help the brand scale even faster.
CAVU Founders: “Shifting Food Paradigm” to Guide Investment
Comprised of a well-known entrepreneur, a legendary brand-builder, and a self-described “hunter” of cutting edge brands, CAVU’s triangle offense is getting ready to hit the floor.