In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Plantible, a plant-based protein company, announced that it raised $21.5 million in its recent Series A round.
- Tyson Foods plans to expand its poultry facility by investing $300 million to build a new plant in Virginia focused on its chicken products.
- Nestlé recently inaugurated its new R+D Accelerator in Lausanne, Switzerland to support startups and entrepreneurs in the foodtech space.
- Sovos Brands recently filed for an initial public offering with a target valuation of $100 million as more food and beverage companies plan to go public this year.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- This week's featured program is La Cocina.
- La Cocina is a kitchen incubator based in San Francisco. Since 2005, it has supported businesses by providing an affordable commercial kitchen space, industry-specific technical assistance and access to market opportunities. It focuses primarily on providing resources to women from communities of color and immigrant communities who are launching, growing and formalizing food businesses.
- Some companies that have been curated by La Cocina include:
- Oyna Natural Foods
- Zella's Soulful Kitchen
- La Luna Cupcake
- Endless Summer Sweets
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Kellogg's VC Arm Doubles Down on Duckweed in $21.5 Million Funding Round
- Sovos Brands Files for $100 Million IPO
- Fieldin Raises $30 Million Series B to Scale Its Specialty Crop Management Platform
- Data Snapshot: Florida, Michigan Among Leading U.S. States by 2020 Agrifoodtech Investment
- Plant-Based Cheese Maker Raises $3 Million
- Emmi Roth Acquires Athenos
- Plantible Raises $21.5 Million to Redefine the Future of Food
- Tyson Foods Investing $300 Million in Virginia Project
- Bringing Innovations to Life at the Nestlé R+D Accelerator, Together With Start-Ups, Students and Intrapreneurs
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Naturally Bay Area's 2021 Quick Bites Series:
CPG Corporate Venture Funds: How Big Food Invests in Emerging Brands
Wednesday, September 15, 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. PST
Hear how the venture investment arms of leading global food companies are supporting emerging food brands with investment capital and both strategic and operations resources.
Join this Quick Bites discussion moderated by Don Buder of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP with Tapan Shah, Director of Venture Capital, Snack Futures at Mondelēz Interational, and Simon Burton, Managing Director, eighteen94 Capital (Kelloggs' corporate venture capital arm).
Naturally Network: Harnessing the Power of Community
by Naturally Network
Friday, September 17, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. PDT
Learn how to develop yourself and grow your business from the most successful entrepreneurs in the Natural & Organic industry.
Join us - and industry veterans, Ayeshah Abuelhiga of Mason Dixie Foods, John Foraker of Once Upon A Farm, and Pete Speranza of Wicked Foods, as they share tips on how they tapped into their communities to gain success and how you can do the same.
We’ll be joined by leadership from Naturally Network communities across the U.S. as they share their programming and how to get more involved to grow and thrive in your business and advances conscious business practices for the natural and organic products industry.
Please check out DWT's newly re-launched Startup Law Blog
At DWT, we are proud to have one of the largest Food & Beverage legal practices in the country, with over 40 attorneys representing food innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors at every level of the food chain, from Farm to Label.
The facts, laws, and regulations regarding COVID-19 are developing rapidly. Since the date of publication, there may be new or additional information not referenced in this advisory. Please consult with your legal counsel for guidance.
DWT will continue to provide up-to-date insights and virtual events regarding COVID-19 concerns. Our most recent insights, as well as information about recorded and upcoming virtual events, are available at www.dwt.com/COVID-19.