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Food + Beverage

Food Venture Financing News – Weekly Issue No. 281

04.29.26
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In This Issue:

  • Fermeate, a California-based startup using light to turbocharge cell productivity in biomanufacturing, raised a $2 million seed round.
  • Laird Superfood is acquiring Terrasoul Superfoods, a maker of nuts, powders, baking ingredients, and functional beverage mix-ins, for $48 million.
  • Nestlé is selling its Blue Bottle Coffee business, including its cafes and CPG business, to Centurium Capital for an undisclosed amount.

CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund

This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is AgFunder.

  • AgFunder is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, California.
  • The firm invests in the agri-tech, food tech, robotics, big data, and life sciences sectors.
  • Portfolio companies include:
    • Brightseed
    • Alpha Foods
    • GreenLight Biosciences
    • IntegriCulture
  • AgFunder's mission is to invest in technologies to rapidly transform the food and agriculture system. It has leveraged technology, media and research to build a global ecosystem of over 85,000 members and subscribers.

ARTICLES

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Naturally Minnesota
PURIS x Naturally MN Flash Happy Hour

Thursday, April 30 | 3:30–5:30 p.m. CT
Location: 811 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

Naturally Minnesota invites you to join them for a Flash Happy Hour at PURIS, celebrating local connections, innovative Minnesota-made brands, and a milestone moment for one of our community partners. Hosted at PURIS, this relaxed, come‑and‑go gathering brings together food and beverage professionals for an evening of networking and vodka-forward cocktails and mocktails inspired by PURIS's 40th Anniversary Vodka. Drinks for the evening highlight creative collaboration with standout Minnesota beverage brands.

Register

Naturally Minnesota
Cracking the Retail Code: A Free Virtual Lunch & Learn for CPG Founders

Tuesday, May 5 | 12–1 p.m. CT
Location: Online Webinar

Retail isn't a mystery. But most of what founders learn about it comes from the outside looking in.

This free session is different. You'll spend an hour with Kate LaBrosse—a CPG industry veteran who has spent 17 years working as a buyer, a broker, and a brand. She's been on every side of the table, and calls with her are one of the best places founders in this community can get their questions answered.

What will be covered:

  • How retail actually works—and what buyers are really evaluating
  • The most common mistakes early-stage brands make before they're ready to scale
  • What CPG Academy offers founders who want to build their retail strategy with rigor
  • A full overview of the Retail Launch Lab—Naturally Minnesota's cohort program for founders serious about getting into retail and staying there profitably

Speaker:

  • Kate LaBrosse, CEO of Kate LaBrosse Coaching & Consulting

Register

Naturally New England
Amazon Best Practices

Thursday, May 7 | 12–1 p.m. ET
Location: Online Webinar

Amazon is one of the largest retail platforms in the world—but for many emerging brands, it can feel overwhelming, expensive, and difficult to navigate.

In this virtual workshop, Amazon consultant Victor Villaseñor will walk Naturally New England members through the core strategies and best practices needed to successfully launch and grow on Amazon.

This session is designed specifically for CPG founders and operators looking to better understand how Amazon works—and how to make it work for their business.

Speaker:

  • Victor Villaseñor, Founder & Consultant of Vendor & Seller

Register

Naturally Minnesota
CPG Resource Round Up 2026

Thursday, May 7 | 5–7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Broadhead, 411 North Washington Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

Join Naturally Rising Minnesota's Pitch Slam, the ultimate event celebrating their region's most promising, purpose-driven brands! Whether you're looking to network with industry leaders, discover the next big thing in conscious business, or stay ahead of the latest trends, this is the place to be.

Finalists will take the stage, delivering retail-ready, impact-driven pitches to a distinguished panel of judges and a live audience. The winner will earn a coveted booth at Newtopia Now, access to top mentors and retailers, a direct path to Naturally Network's national competition, plus additional prizes.

Register

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