In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Ecorobotix, an agtech startup that produces smart spraying systems for crop protection products, announced that it raised $150 million across its Series C financing round in 2024 and Series D financing round in 2025.
- Phagos, a biotech startup developing an antibiotic alternative for livestock, announced that it closed its €25 million Series A financing round.
- Alec's Ice Cream, a probiotic ice cream company, announced that it raised $11 million in its Series A financing round.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Zentis Ventures.
- Zentis, based in Aachen, Germany, is a technology-driven company specializing in the processing and refinement of fruits and other natural raw materials. Zentis primarily serves the food industry, offering products and ingredients for dairy products, dairy alternatives, baked goods, and confectionery.
- Founded in 1893, Zentis has an international presence in 50 countries, allowing it to serve global customers. Its commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability has made it a preferred partner for many companies in the food industry from startups to established brands.
- Portfolio companies include:
- Neggst
- Sunbloom Proteins
- Haferkater
- Dörrwerk
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Syngenta Expands AI Partnership With Crop Intelligence Firm Taranis
- Coffee Holding Co. Closing Massachusetts Facility
- Bakery de France Kicks Off Maryland Plant Expansion
- Pipcorn Rebrands to Pip's Heirloom Snacks
- Climax Foods Rebrands to Bettani Farms
- Archer Opens New Meat Snack Manufacturing Plant Near Los Angeles
- Checkerspot, Huvepharma, to Make Human Milk Fat Analog at Scale
- Evolv Targets GLP-1 "Sweet Spot" With Biomimetic Yeast Supplement
- Kerry Group to Open First Pennsylvania Coffee Plant in Lehigh Valley
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally New York
Investor Bootcamp
Wednesday, October 22 | 3–7 p.m. ET
Location: Bank of America Pavilion, 1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York
Join Naturally New York to explore strategies for pursuing a capital raise and navigating the diligence process.
With fundraising becoming increasingly challenging in 2025 compared to prior years, this session will feature interactive panels with leading debt and equity providers from our NNY community.
Naturally NorCal
Naturally NorCal Celebrate! Community Awards + Party
Thursday, October 23 | 5:30–8 p.m. PT
Location: SOMO Village, 1400 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, CA
Join Naturally NorCal and 150+ fellow industry leaders at their annual Celebrate! Awards + Community Party — a vibrant evening recognizing the people, products, and planet-positive changemakers shaping the Northern California natural products community.
Naturally NorCal and Naturally New York
Smart Hiring: Building a Team for Brand Success
Wednesday, October 29 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT/1–2 p.m. ET
Your team can be your greatest growth asset if you build it strategically. In this session, explore how early-stage brands can make smart, high-impact hiring decisions that will allow your business to flourish. From deciding who to hire and when, to knowing when fractional talent makes more sense than a full-time role, this conversation will help you avoid common pitfalls and build a foundation for growth.
Naturally Seattle
Brew & Connect: A Supply Side Global Coffee Break
Wednesday, October 29 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m. PT
Location: Mandalay Bay Convention Center, 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV
Join hosts Non-GMO Project and Naturally Seattle for coffee, tea, bagels, and pastries and network at the Supply Side Global show in Vegas at booth #2431. Connect with PNW CPG brands & suppliers and enjoy a little break.
Naturally Colorado
Selling Your Brand on TikTok Shop
Wednesday, October 29 | 5–8 p.m. MT
Location: Interlocken Golf Club, 800 Eldorado Blvd, 80021, Broomfield, CO
This free event is open to members and non-members alike—a casual, fun way to connect with fellow natural products professionals, no golf swing required. Simply walk in the clubhouse to take in beautiful views while enjoying food and drink that will be available for purchase onsite.
Your host, Shawn Edwards, is a Naturally Colorado Board Member and the Founder and CEO of mindsight, a consumer and brand research firm that specializes in helping better-for-people-and-planet-brands scale. Come meet new friends and reconnect with familiar faces.
Naturally New England
Members Exclusive Workshop: Forecast with Confidence
Wednesday, November 5 | 12–1 p.m. ET
Location: Interlocken Golf Club, 800 Eldorado Blvd, 80021, Broomfield, CO
Whether you're just launching your first SKU or scaling a $200M brand, accurate sales and margin forecasting is the backbone of smart decision-making. Yet for many early-stage companies, aligning the needs of leadership, investors, co-packers, distributors, and customers can feel overwhelming.
In this members-only online workshop, Marc Bloomstein of MLB Advisory Group will introduce a practical, Excel-based forecasting model designed specifically for growing CPG brands. You'll learn how to:
- Project weekly sales and pricing across retail and online partners
- Calculate distributor, retailer, and brand margins with clarity
- Incorporate promotions and pricing strategies to plan for growth
Naturally Colorado
Packaging the Future: EPR & Beyond
Wednesday, November 5 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. MT
Location: Sleeping Giant Brewing, 2500 W 5th Ave, Denver, CO
Sustainable Packaging is one of the hottest topics in today's CPG environment; and specifically the newly introduced EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) laws. Oregon was the first state to implement the program and now Colorado is next on drafting the state's own EPR.
Over 60 countries globally have already established their own sustainable packaging programs. In Colorado it's the "Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act. Colorado's Department of Public Health & Environment has been working on the law since enactment in 2022. As of July 2025, a producer cannot sell or distribute products that use covered materials in Colorado unless they participate in the Producer Responsibility Program.
Speakers:
- Amber Papa, Project Manager at How2Recycle
- Matt Pillatsch, Account Specialist at Circular Action Alliance
- Marina Solis, Project Manager at How2Recycle
Naturally New England
Off the Beaten Path: Rebuilding New England's Grain Heritage
Thursday, November 6 | 4–6 p.m. ET
Join Naturally New England for an intimate evening with Amber Lambke, CEO of Maine Grains and finalist for the Naturally Network Conscious Business Awards. This exclusive Off the Beaten Path event invites Naturally New England members to connect over leadership insights and artisan food.
From 4 to 6 PM, enjoy a fireside chat with Amber, where she'll share her journey building Maine Grains into a conscious CPG leader. Following the conversation, explore a behind-the-scenes tour of Maine Grains' operations at their facility located in Skowhegan, ME.
Dinner will be served featuring their renowned flatbreads, paired with drinks available for purchase, including beer. This unique event is limited to 20 attendees to foster meaningful connections and conversation.