Food Venture Financing News - Weekly Issue No. 92

In This Issue:

• Food Venture Financing Trends
• CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
• Links to Relevant Content and Events

Food Venture Financing Trends

• Pitchbook's 2021 Annual Foodtech Report notes that foodtech companies raised over $39 billion in 2021. Over half of the capital was invested in online grocers and ecommerce marketplaces.
  
• Sanzo, an Asian-inspired sparkling water emerging brand, announced that it raised $10 million in its Series A round, which was led by CircleUp Growth Partners.
  
• Kraft Heinz and TheNotCompany, a foodtech startup, announced the creation of a joint venture—The Kraft Heinz Not Company—to develop plant-based products. The joint venture will utilize TheNotCompany's technology in plant-based formulation and Kraft Heinz's brand and portfolio.
  
• Kerry Group announced that it acquired two biotech companies for approximately 200 million euros. Kerry plans to use the technology from the two companies to produce new ingredients through sustainable fermentation.
  
  

CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds

This week's featured program is Zentis Ventures.

• Zentis, a German company, founded in 1893, produces fruit-based spreads such as jams and jellies, and confectionery products for the retail channel, and also supplies fruit preparations to dairy, bakery and confectionery manufacturers.
• Zentis launched its venture capital arm called Zentis Ventures in 2019.
• To date, Zentis Ventures has acquired ownership stake in the following Berlin-based companies:
  
  • Bettr Egg, a manufacturer of vegan (plant-based) egg
  • Dörrwerk, a food waste company that produces healthy snacks intended to save wastage of fruits and vegetables.
  • Haferkater, a start-up producing vegan porridge products.

Links to Relevant Content and Events

ARTICLES

• Plant-Based Snacks Maker Snags New Owner
  
• Food Tech Saw $39.3 Billion in VC Investments Last Year, Says PitchBook
  
• Change Foods Secures $15.3 Million in Seed Funding
  
• Bizzy Coffee Charting National Expansion With New Funding
  
• Yali Bio Raises $3.9 Million Seed Round to Advance Plant-Based Cultured Fat Production
  

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Naturally Bay Area's 2022 Quick Bites Series:
E-Commerce Pricing and Channel Strategy

Tuesday, February 22, 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. PST

Hear from experts on how to set up your business for DTC success.

Register

Naturally Network Meet & Greet @ the Expo West Pitch Finals Competition and Party
Wednesday, March 9, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. PST
Grand Ballroom F

Come meet and greet fellow members, sponsors, and board members across the Naturally Network community. No invite or sign-up required. See the Expo West site for more info.

Naturally Bay Area's 2022 Quick Bites Series:
How to Find Co-Manufacturing Success

Wednesday, March 16, 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. PST

Learn how to begin your co-manufacturer search and how to scale and grow with your partner.

Register

Naturally Network Women in CPG Summit March 22 - 24

As part of the summit, we'll be hosting:

• The Path to Power: A Journey to the C-Suite
  Thursday March 24 | 9:30 - 10:45 am PT
  Registration opens February 14
  
• Women in CPG Networking Mixer with Naturally Bay Area + Naturally North Bay
  Thursday March 24 | 4:00 - 6:00 pm PT
  In-Person event

Learn More

Join Whipstitch Capital for a LIVE release of our "Spring Healthy Living Industry Update"
Thursday, March 3, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PST

Learn about the latest food & beverage trends and what you should be looking for as you walk the aisles at Expo West. We will also recap interesting deals that happened over the last year, plus SPINS will dive into important industry data and share a comprehensive market update. All of this will be followed by a lively Q&A session.

Register

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.