In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Second Nature Brands is acquiring Tillamook Country Smoker, a clean-label meat snacks brand, for an undisclosed amount.
- Solar Foods, a Finnish food-tech startup, secured $89.2 million to support a commercial-scale facility producing protein from air.
- Diamond Brew, maker of brewless coffee pods, closed an oversubscribed seven-figure pre-seed financing.
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 refining 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
- POMOM
- Rettergut
- The Oater
- QUARKWERK
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Second Nature Brands Adds to Portfolio with Tillamook Acquisition
- Ayana Bio and Brevel Partner on Plant-Based Bioactive Ingredient Production
- Hoffmann Scoops Up Cedar Crest Ice Cream
- Yum Brands to Sell Pizza Hut in $2.7 Billion Deal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally Minnesota
Manufacturing Tour: Solidify
Thursday, June 25 | 4–6 p.m. CT
Location: 19730 S Diamond Lake Rd., Rogers, MN
Join Naturally Minnesota for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Solidify Manufacturing, a Minnesota-based food certified PET manufacturing company. By helping food and beverage companies reduce costs, improve logistics, and strengthen local supply chains, Solidify is helping shape the future of food and beverage manufacturing in Minnesota.
Naturally Austin
Naturally Rising Austin: The Conscious Business Pitch Competition
Thursday, June 25 | 5:30–9 p.m. CT
Location: SXSW Center, 1400 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX
Cheer on local founders as they pitch their emerging natural products to a panel of experts. The winner will walk away with a booth at Newtopia Now, access to valuable mentors and retailers, and a spot in Naturally Network's national competition.
Naturally NorCal
Naturally NorCal Coffee Meetups: Petaluma, Oakland & SF
Friday, June 26 | 9:30–10:30 a.m. PT
Location: Oakland, San Francisco, Petaluma
Naturally NorCal is officially launching their Coffee Meetups as a recurring event: coffee meetups on the last Friday of each month, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. For June, they'll be meeting at 3 locations across NorCal. Choose the location that works for you and enjoy relaxed, drop-in networking with fellow Naturally NorCal members.
Naturally New York
MARGS & MOMENTUM: A Summer Fancy Food Show Celebration
Sunday, June 28 | 5:30–8 p.m. ET
Location: Tacombi- Empire State Building, 23 W. 33rd Street, New York, NY
Join Naturally New York after the Summer Fancy Food Show for a spicy summer evening of margaritas, momentum, and meaningful connection at Tacombi's 34th Street location!
Naturally New York is teaming up with their friends at Tacombi and Vista Hermosa to bring together the CPG community for good vibes, bold flavors, and a little business mixed with pleasure.
Whether you're a founder, operator, foodie, or just love a strong marg and a stronger network—this one's for you!
Naturally Minnesota
Breaking Into K-12: Navigating MN Public School Breakfast & Lunch Programs
Tuesday, June 30 | 3–4 p.m. CT
Location: Online Webinar
Curious whether your food product could land on a school menu? Join Naturally Minnesota for a practical virtual session featuring Angela Richey from Minneapolis Public Schools as she demystifies the process of getting products into K-12 breakfast and lunch programs.
Through real-world case studies, attendees will learn how Minnesota brands like Hoyo Sambusa, and Amazing Chickpea successfully navigated school nutrition requirements and procurement processes. Angela will walk through the key nutritional, regulatory, packaging, and documentation standards that determine whether a product qualifies for school meal programs, while also sharing insights into the types of products schools are actively seeking.
Whether you're a food maker, CPG entrepreneur, or ecosystem supporter, this session will provide valuable guidance on evaluating your product's fit for the K-12 channel and understanding the opportunities available within one of the state's largest institutional food markets. Participants will also learn how to connect with school nutrition leaders through a future one-on-one matchmaking opportunity.