After helping to build a category for biltong – jerky’s less-processed, softer and often healthier cousin – the founders of Kalahari Snacks believe the “next evolution” in the meat snack segment is a trio of crunchy beef crisps that it launched online...
Singapore-based TurtleTree Labs is in talks with leading dairy and infant formula brands to license its technology for the production of cell-cultured human breastmilk, and has articulated a longer-term mission to produce cow's milk as well.
A firm believer that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, the founder of Holmes Made Foods not only seized every chance he was offered to build his all-natural applesauce company, but he also unabashedly created his own opportunities through persistence...
Health-Ade – the fastest-growing brand in the $1bn kombucha market – is hoping to capture a slice of the $35bn soda category with the launch of Health-Ade Booch Pop, a sparkling organic beverage made with a base of kombucha and cold pressed juice, unlocking...
For emerging brands or companies with unfamiliar products that relied on chefs to introduce their food or beverages to mainstream consumers, the shuttering of restaurants during the pandemic has been especially devasting, but, according to the co-founder...
After years of steady decline, sales of cereal have rebounded dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic as consumers sheltering in place who once skipped breakfast in the face of long commutes now have time – and no other options – to eat at home.
At a time when many Americans are feeling emotionally, mentally and physically tapped by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and rising social unrest, Teeccino is launching two new “wellness” lines of its roasted herbal coffee that the founder says will...
The coronavirus pandemic may have brought to a standstill the large tradeshows where industry players traditionally came together, but thanks to new digital platforms – including Austin-based Fieldcraft – stakeholders not only can still meet, explore...
Dreams of a startup taking off like a rocket ship with broad distribution, strong sales and widespread brand recognition can quickly become a nightmare if entrepreneurs don’t first have in place effective strategies for hiring, financial management and...
With only 1% of venture capital going to Black led or founded companies last year, investors are being asked to finance more Black entrepreneurs as part of the anti-racism movement sweeping America, but to do so, the founder of TeaSquares advises, they...
Emerging brand Blake's Seed Based is filling a void in the snack bar category by providing consumers with a product that is free from the top eight allergens but also appealing to anyone looking for alternatives to nut-based and granola bars, says...
Three food companies – The Hershey Company, The Kellogg Company, and McCormick & Company – were included on DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, an annual list based on survey submissions from US companies with 1,000 or more employees.
Even though Andrew Abraham has helped millions of people live healthier, more vibrant lives first as a medical doctor and then for the past 12 years as the founder of the organic protein shake and bar brand Orgain, he wanted to help more consumers learn...
ZenWTR – a high pH, distilled bottled water packaged in recycled ocean plastic – has rolled out nationwide at Whole Foods stores after picking up regional distribution at chains from Walmart to Safeway over the past couple of months.
MycoTechnology – which is building a functional ingredients platform utilizing mycelia, the filament-like roots of mushrooms - has raised $39m in a series D financing round from investors* including plant-based meat specialist Greenleaf Foods to Tyson...
The high cost and opaque process of securing patents can be daunting for cash-strapped startups, but the CEO of the home hydroponic growing system GroPod advises entrepreneurs not give into the temptation to skip or delay this step until after fundraising.
Supply chain snags, consumer stockpiling and retailers reprioritizing what to stock during the initial phases of the coronavirus pandemic meant many consumers had to go without their favorite brands and switch to available alternatives, but according...
San Francisco-based startup Hooray Foods – which launched its allergy-friendly vegan bacon (no soy or wheat) in restaurants late last year – is now in talks with retailers looking to expand their plant-based meat set.
As stay-at-home restrictions ease across the US and Americans attempt to return to a post-pandemic normal way of life, the crisis and nationwide aid initiatives such as the Frontline Impact Project are far from over.
No longer able to rely on conferences, in-store demos or serendipitous meetings to raise awareness of a new business or product, entrepreneurs increasing are connecting with each other, mentors and consumers through subscription-based online platforms...
Many food and beverage companies are joining the fight against racism in America by temporarily pausing sales, using their voices and positions to raise awareness of systemic racism in the US, donating profits and pulling advertising from platforms that...
With the invention of peanut coffee, fifth generation peanut farmer James Harrell found a way to combine in one product the rich history and future of his hometown of Suffolk, Va., which as the headquarters for Planters Peanuts was once known as the ‘peanut...
Apeel Sciences – the Santa Barbara-based firm behind an invisible plant-based edible skin that can dramatically extend the shelf-life of fresh produce – has raised $250m in a funding round led by GIC that gives it a valuation north of a billion dollars.
Seaweed is well established as a source of thickeners and emulsifiers such as carrageenan and agar and has carved out a small segment of the healthy snacks aisle, but it could also give rivals a serious run for their money as a source of plant-based protein,...
Plant-based dairy brand Miyoko’s Creamery – which built an artisan cheese brand based on cashew nuts but has since introduced new products featuring legumes and oats - is experimenting with a novel ingredient that’s naturally high in protein, and developing...
The economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus has pushed many investors into a protective mode that precludes new deals, but raising capital during the pandemic still is possible – it just requires entrepreneurs to more clearly define their value...
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused brands to look at their direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses with fresh eyes, including emerging brand PeaTos, which launched its own DTC site, BetterSnacks.com, to fulfill Americans' at-home snacking needs and desire...
The middle of a global pandemic when many consumers are filling their grocery carts virtually may seem like a strange time to expand distribution in brick-and-mortar stores, but for the vitamin enhanced water brand KidsLuv the timing of its current rollout...
Hemp-infused beverage brand Recess (strapline: ‘calm, cool, collected’) has launched a new direct-to-business wholesale online platform and an updated direct to consumer site to make it as easy as possible to get the product into people’s hands.
Through a combination of donations, supply chain reinforcement and upcoming retail promotions, Chobani is staying true to its food philosophy – or “D.N.N.A.” to provide all Americans “delicious, nutritious, natural and accessible” food, despite mounting...
The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster ride for many small businesses. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Diana Levy, founder and CEO at Undercover Snacks, which makes chocolate covered quinoa snacks at its own SQF-3 manufacturing facility in New...
After weeks of working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, some companies are rethinking the value of central offices, but for the founder of Seed + Mill sharing space with other entrepreneurs at WeWork’s Food Labs in New York City before the outbreak...
San Francisco-based Smitten Ice Cream is the first food company to use ‘non-animal’ whey protein from Perfect Day in a commercial product, giving the market a glimpse of how foods featuring these ingredients might be marketed.
Waiting for a response from cold calls to retail buyers about placing a product on store shelves can feel demoralizing to emerging brands, but Brad Charron, the CEO of the plant-based bar and beverage brand Aloha, advises entrepreneurs not to take it...
The day any entrepreneur decides to sell his or her business is “always bittersweet” observed Jonathan Sebastiani after selling KRAVE Jerky to Hershey for $218m in January 2015. So how does it feel - five years later - to be back at the helm after buying...
In the past two weeks, more than a dozen food and beverage companies – many of which are small and struggling to operate during the pandemic – have teamed with the KIND Foundation’s and Project N95’s recently launched Frontline Impact Project to donate...
Synthetic biology specialist Conagen says it has come up with a cost effective way to produce lactoferrin protein that mirrors the nutritional properties of lactoferrin from breast milk, a potential game changer in the infant formula market.
A San Diego-based startup producing protein concentrates from lemna - a fast-growing aquatic plant that can be harvested all year round – says a $4.6m cash injection from investors,* including Kellogg’s venture arm Eighteen94 Capital, will enable it to...
Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is teaming up with baby and kids food manufacturers, early childhood educators, and other key stakeholders under its 'Shaping Early Palates Initiative', which aims to disrupt the marketplace of childhood...
The Israeli start-up discusses its new sustainability plans, why it sees cultured meat as a 'necessity' and also why the sector can live in harmony with the traditional meat industry.
WeWork is helping to level the playing field between emerging and established brands in the competitive food and beverage space with the recent unveiling of its flagship Food Labs in New York City and the graduation of its first food and ag focused accelerator...
Consumers in Chicago craving restaurant quality meals but without the overhead of delivery fees while staying at home during the coronavirus pandemic can enjoy internationally flavored soup kits created with local restaurants from the startup Soup Explorers....
As the pandemic unfolds, many investors are hitting pause on cash injections into early-stage brands. But for VC funds BFG Partners and BIGR Ventures, the crisis has made investment decisions more clear in terms of what separates an 'OK' brand...
Unlike many emerging brands, which have had to ramp up - on in some cases create from scratch - e-commerce capabilities during this pandemic, Magic Spoon has been a direct-to-consumer business from the outset, and sales are going through the roof, say...
Strong food & beverage brands with world class management teams will continue to attract funding, but valuations are “falling by the minute,” and the days of throwing money at emerging brands and seeing what sticks are over, at least for now, says...
Synapse, a ready-to-drink, stimulant-free, nootropic beverage brand which gained an early following with gamers and e-sports competitors, is now growing within a mainstream consumer audience who are looking for an alternative to caffeinated energy drinks...
As wait times for delivery windows from traditional grocery retail ecommerce sites stretch further into the future, Americans increasingly are buying products directly from manufacturers’ websites during the coronavirus pandemic, creating an opportunity...
The tech-forward distribution and logistics platform Pod Foods is offering a lifeline to emerging brands struggling to get on store shelves at a time when many retailers and traditional distributors are prioritizing more established, high-demand brands...
Israeli firm Hargol FoodTech – which is blazing a distinct trail in the embryonic edible insect sector by focusing on grasshoppers, rather than crickets – has completed a $3m financing round from existing shareholders, Singapore-based Sirius Venture Capital...
While there is something to be said about following your gut as an entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. advises that following the data often is a more reliable strategy for sparking retailer interest and launching products that...