In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Post Holdings announced that it has agreed to acquire the assets of Perfection Pet Foods for $235 million.
- Wanda Fish Technologies, a cultivated seafood tech company, announced that it raised $7 million in seed funding.
- Umiami, a plant-based meat startup, announced that it raised 32.5 million Euros in its Series A round.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is AF Ventures.
- AF Ventures (formerly AccelFoods, founded in 2013) manages over 30 portfolio brands across the consumer landscape of food & beverage, health & wellness, beauty, personal care, and pet.
- Advocating for emerging brands, AF Ventures offers its portfolio companies a proprietary suite of resources to achieve large-scale impact, improving the health of future generations.
- Portfolio companies include:
- By Heart
- Tractor Beverage Co.
- Wonder Belly
- Skinny Dipped
- Gainful
- Ready.Set.Food!
- Yumi
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- We Must Still Define Regenerative Agriculture
- RXBAR Co-Founder Bets on ‘Fresh Granola Bar’ Brand
- Food Technology Startup Equii Raises $6 Million in Seed Round
- Scentian Bio Raises $2.1 Million for Tech is Says Can Replicate Insect Smell Receptors
- At One Ventures Launches $375 Million Climate Tech Fund
- Cersi, What Are The Biggest Risks to My Supply Chain Today? Helios Launches AI Supply Chain Analyst, Raises $1.85 Million Pre-Seed Round
- Eyeing Vision-Based Autonomy For Farm Equipment, Bonsai Robotics Raises $10.5 Million
- Boisson Taps $5 Million in Funding, New CEO
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally North Bay
Naturally North Bay: Human Resources Roundtable
(Members Only)
Tuesday, October 17 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PT
Join Naturally North Bay's Human Resources Forum for a roundtable discussion focusing on the sharing of best practices, experiences and thoughtful pieces of advice to other professionals within the world of HR.Naturally Chicago
Utilizing KeHE as a Path to Growth
Wednesday, October 18 | 3:00 – 4:15 p.m. CT
KeHE® President & CEO Deb Conklin will be participating in this national webinar. Deb succeeded Brandon Barnholt, in a carefully planned succession process for KeHE. She previously served as a board member for KeHE and President & CEO of Reddy Ice company.
Deb will discuss KeHE's future strategy to support brands and retailers for success, as well as the company's ongoing integration with DPI Specialty Foods, a leading fresh distributor across the Western United States. This purchase signaled growth and commitment in KeHE's focus on fresh and the perimeter experience.
The webinar will also include a presentation by two leading KeHE staff members: Jeremy Adams, Executive Director of Category Management, and Rachelle Radcliffe, Senior Director of Supplier Experience.
They will discuss how KeHE supports new and existing suppliers; KeHE CONNECT® platform capabilities and its technology; how they have invested to make it easy to do business with the company; KeHE's business-building events, including award-winning trade shows and TRENDfinder™ events; and its continued drive for innovation, new products, and new suppliers.
The webinar will conclude with a discussion of KeHE's four support programs for emerging brands including KeHE elevate™, DIVERSEtrade®, CAREtrade ®, and ECOtrade™.
Speakers:
- Deb Conklin, President & CEO of KeHE
- Jeremy Adams, Executive Director of Category Management at KeHE
- Rachelle Radcliffe, Senior Director of Supplier Experience at KeHe Distributors
- Jim Slama (moderator), Managing Director of Naturally Chicago
Naturally Boulder
Fall Get Together
Thursday, October 19 | 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. MT
Join Naturally Boulder this fall for a great night of networking, conversation, and community. Enjoy a panel discussion from some of the founding members of Naturally Boulder and the local natural products industry, moderated by former Naturally Boulder Board Chair and current SVP and Market Leader at New Hope Network, Carlotta Mast.
Naturally Bay Area
Bay Area Sales & Marketing Forum: Selling Your Sustainability Story
(Members Only)
Tuesday, October 24 | 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. PT
Location: Culinary Artistas, 851 Beach Street, San Francisco, California
Join Naturally Bay Area for a discussion about Selling Your Sustainability Story.
The data is clear: today's consumers care about sustainability more than ever and want to support brands that are doing good for the planet. How can brands cut through the noise on the crowded shelf and connect with consumers in an effective way? In this round table discussion we’ll hear about your challenges and successes and share ideas on effective ways to sell your sustainability story through packaging, partnerships, social media, and more.
Naturally San Diego
Capital Markets in 2024: Finance Special Session
Thursday, October 24 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PT
Join Naturally San Diego for a special session on Capital Markets in 2024 with BFG partners, Selva and Amberstone Capital to discuss their outlook going into Q1 of 2024, and what that means for your CPG bottom line.
Speakers:
- Matt Clifford (Moderator), CEO of CanDo
- Kiva Dickinson, Managing Partner at Selva Ventures
- Dayton Miller, Managing Partner at BFG Partner
- Nick Mindel, Partner at Amberston
Naturally San Diego
People + Culture Forum: How will AI shape the future of work?
Thursday, October 26 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. PT
Location: Bitchin' Beach Club, 4509 Adams Street, Carlsbad, California
Join Naturally San Diego for another People and Culture Forum to discuss AI and how it will shape the future of work.
- Basics of AI - What is it?
- Talk about companies that have gone through this change already - IBM
- What skills will be valuable in the future- Empathy, social skills, etc.
This event is open to those who work for a natural products brand, or those who work in the P&C departments at NSD sponsor companies.
Speakers:
- Amanda Miles, Chief of Staff at Bitchin' Sauce
- Matt Karp, Co-Founder of PxB