In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- DouxMatok, a foodtech company that develops sugar reduction products, announced that it raised $30 million in its Series C round.
- Wicked Kitchen announced that it acquired Current Foods, a foodtech company that creates plant-based raw seafood.
- The Food for Climate report, a report that analyzes the foodtech and agritech sectors in Europe, found that European foodtech and agritech companies raised $1.9 billion in venture capital funding in 2022, representing a 20% increase as compared to 2021.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Nutrition Capital Network.
- Nutrition Capital Network (NCN) connects investors with high-potential growth companies.
- NCN brings together active investors with curated health, wellness, and ingredient companies that are looking for capital, partnerships, or acquisitions.
- NCN hosts five Investor Meetings each year, where selected companies give live presentations about their businesses to a group of active industry investors and mentors.
- Representative NCN Investors include:
- 301 Inc.
- Abbott Nutrition
- Abrams & Company
- Ajinomoto Group
- Allergy Research Group
- Bimbo Bakeries USA
- Amway
- NCN uses the following criteria to evaluate potential Presenting Companies (for details, see Selection Criteria | Nutrition Capital Network):
- Novelty and Unique Position
- Insulation
- Economic Potential
- The Management Team
- Tangibles: Good branding or brand name, good quality & taste, unique packaging or presentation
- Intangibles: The “WOW” factor; head turning potential
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- José Andrés Unveils U.S. Food and Climate Institute
- St. Louis Agtech Startup Pluton Biosciences Raises $16.5 Million to Add Staff, Advance Product Development Efforts
- All Y’alls Foods Secures First Investment to Scale Up Plant-Based Jerky
- Prime Roots Raises $30 Million Series B for Deli Meat Made With Koji Mycelium
- G.O.A.T. Fuel Raises $5 Million in Seed Funding Round
- Wicked Kitchen Buys Plant-Based Raw Fish Maker Current Foods
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally North Bay
QA+Operations Forum: Tour of Traditional Medicinals
(NNB Members Only Event)
Wednesday, May 31, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. PT
Location: 4515 Ross Rd, Ross Road 4515, Sebastopol, California
Join Naturally North Bay's QA + Operations Forum for a tour of Traditional Medicinals! Space is very limited for this forum tour!
Naturally Minnesota
From Kitchen to Co-man: What it Takes to Scale Your Formula Successfully
Wednesday, May 31, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. CT
Join this Lunch 'n Learn Educational session on formula development beyond the kitchen, featuring guest speakers from Stauber Ingredients, Becki Schwietz and Olivia Feilen. They, along with Kate LaBrosse from Sted Chocolate, will discuss how to formulate for your market opportunity, the timeline and what to watch out for when shifting to a larger scale, and how to manage this process so you have a smooth transition.
Naturally Boulder
Morning Meetup at Shanahan Ridge
Friday, June 2, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. MT
Location: Shanahan Ridge Trailhead, Lehigh Street 1915, Boulder
Want to explore Boulder's trails and meet other Naturally Boulder members? If yes, join Naturally Boulder for an informal hike on Shanahan Ridge, and bring a friend!
Naturally New York
Who Said You Need Equity When All You Need Is Liquidity?
Tuesday, June 6, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Rachel Hersh of Prestige Capital is on a mission to shift the conversation about accessing growth capital. Rachel's unique storytelling approach uses real life examples to simplify invoice financing and allow companies to grow and scale rapidly without giving up or diluting equity.