In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
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Onego Bio, a Finnish animal-free egg protein startup, announced that it has raised $40 million in Series A funding.
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Profluent, a California-based AI protein design company, announced that it has raised $35 million in funding.
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BurnBot, a wildfire-preventing technology company, announced that it has raised $20 million in Series A funding.
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Full Glass Wine, a brand acquisition management startup that targets wine marketplaces, announced that it has raised $14 million in Series A funding.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Thai Union Group.
- Founded in 1977, Thai Union has dedicated itself to mastering the seafood value chain, from the initial sourcing of raw seafood materials to the processing and manufacturing of finished products. It has 14 production facilities across 11 countries in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
- In 2016, Thai Union launched its SeaChange 2030 global sustainability strategy. This sustainability initiative focuses on enhancing seafood traceability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing ethical labeling standards, and supporting communities impacted by natural disasters and the pandemic.
- Some of its portfolio companies include the following:
- Genova
- Chicken of the Sea
- John West
- Sealect
- Parmentier
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally San Diego
Managing Customer Chargebacks with Floret
Tuesday, April 16 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PT
Deductions are one of our industry's most controversial and emotionally charged topics. Attend this session to learn the realities of chargebacks, along with how to interpret them, and manage them responsibly. Dive into these areas with the team at Floret, a leading industry solution in managing customer chargebacks.
Speakers:
- Tanay Kothari, Floret
- Greg Esslinger, Floret
- Adam Hertel (Moderator), Rudi's Rocky Mountain Bakery, NSD Board Member
Naturally North Bay
HR Forum- Maximizing the Performance Review Process
Tuesday, April 16 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Join Naturally North Bay's Human Resources Forum for a discussion that will offer tips and insight into performance management best practices, tips to avoid bias and rating pitfalls. Additionally, they will discuss how regular performance management, using measurable metrics supported by consistent procedures, provides managers with more opportunity to know employees, improve employee engagement and grow skills in the organization.
Naturally North Bay
Celebrate! Event
Wednesday, April 17 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PT
Location: Amy's Kitchen Inc., Kentucky Street 109, Petaluma, CA
Naturally North Bay's third annual Celebrate event is intended to recognize the extraordinary people, the remarkable products and those who are invested in preserving our planet.
Naturally New York
Strategic Synergies: The Intersection of Capital and Marketing
Thursday, April 18 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
Join Naturally New York for an engaging webinar to unlock winning strategies for all brands. Sabina Gault, CEO of Konnect Agency, an award-winning full-service marketing agency, and Justin Wong, VP at Alliance Consumer Growth (ACG), one of the most prominent capital partners in the CPG space, bring decades of expertise and share their success in employing the right marketing strategies at each stage of capital investment.
In this session, they will deep dive into the ideal marketing mix for every level of business growth that will drive results and capture consumer attention while understanding the ROAS expected by the investing partner.
They'll shine a light on what has changed in the dynamic marketing landscape, touching on the crowded marketplace, innovations in technology, and access to capital. As the capital space evolves and rates continue to shift, anticipating future challenges is crucial for sustaining brand growth.
Speakers:
- Sabina Gault, CEO of Konnect Agency
- Justin Wong, Vice President at Alliance Consumer Growth
Naturally Minnesota
Move It or Lose It: Improving Product Velocity at Distributors & Retailers
Friday, April 19 | 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: FINNOVATION Lab, Fifth Avenue South 817, Minneapolis, MN
Who should attend? Any founder and/or leadership team – with clarity that grocery retail is a channel you already have a focus on – or you know you want to pursue. A desire to truly understand this complex channel and have the baseline resources to successfully execute.
This workshop IS for you IF:
- You are focused on building brick & mortar retail sales
- You know that the grocery natural channel is a the right fit for your brand – with a specific emphasis on the natural channel
- You want to up your game – your understanding – your proficiency of/in retail management
- You want a velocity strategy that will increase your odds of successful distributor slotting and retailer placement
- You've got a few retail accounts already and want more
- You feel like you're mostly responding to opportunities vs actively going after strategic opportunities
- You want to manage your business like a boss
- You want to be in the 'know' so you can speak to retailers, brokers and distributors like an industry insider.
Tools you'll leave with:
- Retailer Roadmap - excel grid of all grocery accounts across the US, including channel segmentation, location, number of stores, and primary distributor partner
- Templates:
- Account Tracker
- Master presentation deck
- Sell sheets
- Spec sheet
- Retail incentives
- Annual promo plan
Naturally Los Angeles
April 2024 Mixer
Tuesday, April 23 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. PT
Location: Melrose Umbrella Co., Melrose Avenue 7465, Los Angeles, CA
Spring is in the air, and what better way to celebrate the season of renewal than by connecting with fellow nature and wellness enthusiasts? This is your perfect opportunity to mingle with like-minded individuals who share your passion for all things natural and sustainable. Whether you're looking to make new friends, find potential collaborators, or simply enjoy a relaxing evening filled with good conversation, our April Mixer is the place to be!
Naturally New York
Networking Collision Series at Sanitas Brewing Company
Wednesday, April 24 | 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. MT
Location: Sanitas Brewing Company, Frontier Avenue 3550, Boulder, CO
Join Naturally Boulder for their low-key, relaxed series of no-registration-required connection opportunities where you'll run into old friends and connect with new contacts. Want a chance to meet more folks in the natural and organic products industry? This is a free event; pre-registration is available but not required. Refreshments will be available to purchase at the venue on your own tab. Keep an eye out for our board hosts, Jenna Fitch and Randy Gilbride!