In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Cauldron, an Australian fermentation technology startup, announced that it has raised $6.25 million in Series A funding.
- Acre Venture Partners, a California-based venture capital firm, announced that it has raised $140 million in funding to invest in agrifoodtech startups.
- Jumbotail, an Indian B2B ecommerce startup, announced that it has raised $18.2 million in an equity round.
- Poseidona, a Spanish female-led food tech startup, announced it has raised €1.1 million in a pre-seed round.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Rich Products Ventures.
- Rich Products Ventures (RPV), a division of the family-owned Rich Products Corporation, known for its expertise in frozen food, offers a mix of operational, technological, and investment expertise enhanced by its broad network and global footprint across the United States and China.
- RPV is committed to delivering maximum value to their portfolio companies through four key areas of focus:
- Nutrition & Health
- Sustainable Production
- Next Generation of Retail & Food Service
- Dynamic Supply Chain
- Some of its portfolio companies include the following:
- Atomo Coffee
- Byte Technology
- Good Eggs
- Grabango
- Kitchen United
- Thistle
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Pitchbook: Food Tech Funding Dropped Almost 60% in 2023
- Mad Capital Launches $50 Million Perennial Fund II to Scale Regenerative Organic Ag In U.S.
- Berry Leader Agrovision Gains Growth Capital Investment Led By Aliment Capital
- 3 Key Strategies for Transforming the Beef Industry
- Cultivated Meat Leader Meatable Achieves Landmark Breakthrough
- Bronx-Born Food Collective Goes From Trendy Dinner Parties to Target Shelves
- Proxy Foods Raises $2.3 Million to Grow AI-Based Recipe Formulation Platform
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally Boulder
Tour of Boulder County Recycling Center with Eco-Cycle!
Monday, April 1 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. MT
Location: Boulder County Recycling Center, 1901 63rd St., Boulder, CO
Join Naturally Boulder on a journey that will shift your perspective on waste, recycling, and our planet.
Guided by Kate Ivory from Eco-Cycle, the self-professed Miss Frizzle of Zero Waste, this unique tour of the Boulder County Recycling Center and the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials offers an insightful journey. Together, we'll delve into the inner workings of recycling and composting, gaining a deeper understanding of what items can truly be recycled or composted. Prepare to bid farewell to common misconceptions and embrace a more sustainable perspective.
Naturally New York, Chicago & New England
Kerry's 2024 Taste Charts & Trends
Wednesday, April 3 | 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT
Kerry's annual Taste Charts are your go-to toolbox for long-standing flavor favorites, soon-to-be discovered taste quirks and future taste trends.
In this session, join Amy Devitt, Kerry's Activation Marketing Manager, for:
- A presentation of the Taste Charts, forecasting the trending flavors for 2024 across Savory, Sweet, Salty Snack & Beverage
- An overview of five consumer & market macrotrends that are driving food & beverage category growth.
Speaker:
- Amy Devitt, Kerry's Activation Marketing Manager
Naturally Bay Area
Category Trends with Retail Buyers
Wednesday, April 3 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
With EXPO West fresh in everybody's mind, Naturally Bay Area has invited buyers from top retailers to reveal the industry trends they are excited about and share tips on how to be successful at their stores. Hear about the trends they're seeing, review timing and criteria, preferred marketing support tactics, and how to set yourself up for success.
Tune in live to submit your questions to our panel and join this exciting discussion.
Speakers:
- Thuy Nguyen, Category Manager at Thrive Market
- Tobi Seriki, National Category Director of Albertsons
- Patrick Wyman, Local Forager at Whole Foods Market
Naturally Boulder
Find Your Next Big Flavor Idea: Flavors and Innovations + Culinary Inspiration from Expo West
Thursday, April 4 | 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. MT
Location: Sterling-Rice Group, 1801 13th St., Boulder, CO
Join Naturally Boulder for an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion that delves into the intersection of ethnic flavors, culinary trends and retail within the natural and organic Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. Their esteemed panelists will share insights, experiences, and forward-thinking perspectives, offering a holistic view of how these elements shape the future of food. Hear how trends and insights get translated into innovation and then make it on the shelves.
Speakers:
- Jason Bidart, Vice President of Merchandising, Food at Thrive Market
- Shawn Edwards, Founder & Ceo of mindsight
- Bryant Ison, Managing Director of SRG
- Amy Shipley, Managing Partner at Sterling-Rice Group
Naturally San Diego
Coffee + Convos at Perfect Snacks
Friday, April 5 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PT
Location: Perfect Snacks HQ, 10505 Roselle St. Suite #102, San Diego, CA 92121
Join Naturally San Diego for coffee, snacks, and chat with other local natural products and CPG folks!
Coffee + Convos is always free for members, and $10 for non-members.
Naturally Minnesota
CPG Resource Round Up
Friday, April 5 | 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: FINNOVATION Lab, Fifth Avenue South 817, Minneapolis, MN
This one-of-a-kind networking opportunity brings together local food entrepreneurs and expert resource providers to help you gain the valuable connections and knowledge you need to build and sustain your business.
For an emerging small food business, the difference between success and failure can lie in having a conversation with just the right person. Naturally Minnesota is bringing together local food entrepreneurs and talented resource providers for this unique networking opportunity at FINNOVATION Lab.