In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Ripple Foods, a maker of high-protein, allergen-free plant-based milk products, announced that it raised $17 million in a strategic financing round.
- Chromologics, which produces a perceived-as-natural food color called Natu.Red, announced that it raised €7 million.
- BSF Enterprise, a cellular agtech company, announced that it raised £15 million in an equity financing round.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is PINC Group.
- PINC is Paulig's (a Finland-based, family-owned food and beverage company) venture arm for early stage investments in the future of food.
- PINC's primary investment focus includes the following:
- Pre-seed & seed
- Scalable to 10-50+ MEUR within 5-10 years
- Nordics but open to Europe
- High degree of innovation in Taste, Health, Sustainability or Availability
- Lead or co-invest
- PINC's portfolio includes the following:
- OlsAro – Agtech startup securing wheat supply through AI-enabled crop-breeding
- WIN WIN – producer of the world’s first cocoa-free alternative to chocolate
- Melt & Marble – next generation of plant-based fat
- Kaffe Bueno – upcycling of coffee waste into high value ingredients
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Ritter Sport Group Acquires Colorado Chocolate Manufacturer
- Tyson Foods to Close Nebraska Beef Plant
- Unilever Sells Graze to Candy Kittens' Parent Company Katjes International
- Shepard Boy Farms Opens New Pet Food Processing Plant
- Seascape Aquatech Bets on Robotics to Reinvent Oyster Farming
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally NorCal
Naturally NorCal Holiday Bazaar: Happy Hour & Gift Fair
Tuesday, December 9 | 5–7:30 p.m. PT
Location: Sports Basement Presidio, 610 Old Mason Street, San Francisco, CA
Celebrate the season with Naturally NorCal! Join them for a festive evening of networking, shopping, and holiday cheer at the iconic Sports Basement in the Presidio.
Connect with members of their vibrant natural products community while you sip, snack, and shop unique gifts from 20+ local NorCal brands. Whether you're going to discover new products, connect with industry peers, or showcase your own brand, this is the party you don't want to miss!
Naturally New York
The Holiday Bazaar
Wednesday, December 10 | 4–8 p.m. ET
Location: Home Studios Inc., 873 Broadway (18th St), 4th floor, New York, NY
Join Naturally New York community members and CPG industry professionals for a festive evening of networking and holiday cheer inspired by the iconic Bryant Park Holiday Shops.
Here's what to expect at our most anticipated event of the year...
- Professional Networking: Connect with 250+ attendees from our vibrant community!
- Holiday Marketplace: Shop, sample, and take home products from our curated marketplace featuring 40+ Natural Brand Members!
- Delicious Treats: Enjoy complimentary food, refreshments, & cocktails!
- Custom Activations: Visit our Wellness Lounge and mingle with some very Special Guests!
Naturally Los Angeles
2025 Ugly Sweater Mixer
Wednesday, December 10 | 6–9 p.m. PT
Location: Bike Shed Moto Co., 1580 Industrial Street, Los Angeles, CA
It's time to dig deep into your wardrobe and dust off that delightfully tacky holiday sweater! Whether it jingles, sparkles, or looks like a DIY experiment gone wrong, it's your pass to the most festive mixer of the season. It's been a fantastic year here at NaturallyLA, and they want to end it with some fun! Join Naturally Los Angeles for a fun-filled evening of ugly sweaters and networking with all your CPG friends!!
Naturally Austin
I ❤️ Texas CPG Holiday Happy Hour
Thursday, December 11 | 6–9 p.m. CT
Location: PREP ATX Commercial Kitchens, East Anderson Lane 1300, Austin, TX
We're bringing the Texas CPG community together for a holiday happy hour like no other—complete with local flavors, Texas-sized energy, and all your favorite people in the industry! This year, we're teaming up with DFW CPG and SKU to make it extra special. Expect to connect with fellow CPG founders & builders while celebrating all the innovation happening right here in Texas.
Naturally San Diego
Holiday Hot (and cold) Brews + Treats!
Friday, December 12 | 9–11 a.m. PT
Location: Perfect Snacks HQ, 10505 Roselle St., San Diego, CA
Kick off the season with a laid-back Coffee & Convos! Grab a cup, enjoy some treats, and hang with awesome people – whether you want to chat about work, life, or just make a new friend. Pop in, relax, and connect (or just snag a pastry and say hi)!
Naturally Chicago
Morning Mingle
Tuesday, December 16 | 8–9:30 a.m. CT
Location: THE MART, West Merchandise Mart Plaza 222, Chicago, IL
Join Naturally Chicago for their next Mingle. This will be a great opportunity to connect with industry peers, partners and friends. If you attended the Morning Mingle comeback in October, you already know how much energy there will be in the room.
They have a spectacular new location for this Mingle: the stunning Miele Experience Center, a showroom for the company's kitchens and appliances, located on the first floor of the historic Merchandise Mart.
Enjoy complimentary coffee and light snacks courtesy of Miele. The Starbucks and other breakfast spots in the Mart will also be open for additional purchase options.
Naturally NorCal
Gen Z Decoded: How Modern Brands Design, Package and Communicate for Growth
Wednesday, December 17 | 12–1 p.m. PT
Join Naturally New England at The Substation in Roslindale for an afternoon of holiday cheer, local flavors, and community connections.
Gen Z is reshaping how brands earn attention and loyalty. Their expectations for design, packaging, and marketing are accelerating a shift in how consumer brands show up on the shelf and online. Join Naturally NorCal for an insight-rich session with experts from NIQ, Nuex Creative, and Trinity Brand Group. You will learn what Gen Z values, how they make decisions, and what actually drives engagement across the path to purchase.
Naturally Chicago
Selling Successfully at Grocery Retail — What It Really Takes
Wednesday, December 17 | 3–4 p.m. CT
You've secured retail distribution for your brand — congratulations! Now comes the hard part: how do you drive enough sales to stay on shelves and grow your business?
Naturally Chicago has assembled a panel of founders who've learned firsthand how to win at retail and build sustainable growth.
Panelists:
- Emily Groden – Founder & CEO, Evergreen
- Matt Wachsman – Co-Founder & COO, Kooshy
- Luke Saunders – Founder & CEO, Farmer's Fridge
Moderator:
- Greg Keller – Naturally Chicago and former Partner, Frontera Foods
What You'll Learn
- How packaging can make or break your success at retail
- Whether retail promotions really drive sales
- When demos and sampling make sense for your brand
- Retail media – what is it and does it work?
Join this practical and insight-filled session to hear from founders who have conquered the challenges — and unlocked the opportunities — of retail success.