After owning its backyard market of Chicago, dairy-free 'nice cream' brand Frönen is expanding to the West Coast in Nugget Markets and soon, New York City along with two new flavor launches.
Rather than hit pause during the ongoing pandemic like many other investors, global venture capital fund SOSV’s Food-X accelerator is moving full steam ahead by welcoming to its 11th cohort eight companies that are directly tackling challenges coronavirus...
Perfect Day, a startup producing milk proteins via microbial fermentation (minus the cows), has secured a coveted 'no questions/objections' letter from the FDA in response to its Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) determination for 'non-animal'...
When it comes to creating snacks that are irresistible to children and parents alike, the mission-based brand This Saves Lives says its recipe for success combines equal parts indulgent flavors and whimsical packaging for kids, plus for parents a pinch...
Even as packaged food and beverage companies scramble to meet increased consumer demand while also compensating for setbacks during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many are shifting already limited resources to employees, customers in need and the broader...
The challenges of feeding healthy food to children who are notoriously picky eaters often are compounded when an allergy is added into the mix – which is why when the founder of the gluten-free baked goods brand Mikey’s introduced a line of stuffed pockets...
While the number of women launching businesses is growing at an exponential rate, their access to venture capital, mentors and other resources still lags far behind that of their male counterparts – a unique challenge that will require players across...
Still smarting from the sting of pivotal trade shows cancelling due to the coronavirus, many natural and better-for-you brands are pivoting to deliver their message of healthy eating straight to shoppers rather than relying on retailers to communicate...
The CEO of the organic dried fruit brand Peeled Snacks is optimistic that challenges related to the coronavirus will not slow the company’s fast growth thanks in part to a suite of new products, channel diversification plans, and an infusion of funds...
Businesses across the country are adapting with lightning speed to adjust business plans, and in some cases, change their business model overnight, in order to adapt and survive as large swathes of the population go into lockdown.
As measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus also slow the economy, many venture capitalists and others have hit the pause button on investments, but not Frito-Lay – earlier this month it moved forward with its inaugural WomanMade Challenge...
Last week, FoodNavigator-USA held its Beverage Trends webinar where we quizzed a panel of beverage industry insiders on what the future holds for the beverage market, especially amid a public health crisis such as coronavirus, which has no firm end date...
News that investors have just pumped $80m into a firm growing protein-packed food from microbes with a fraction of the environmental footprint of meat or dairy, serves as a reminder that the fundamental challenges facing the food industry - how to feed...
Staying true to its mission to “find people where they are in the daytime,” RISE Brewing Co. is pivoting from distributing its nitro infused cold brew coffee in offices and at events to reach people instead in their homes as more Americans practice social...
Inventory planning is the name of the game right now in packaged staples as brands dealing with sudden surges in demand owing to COVID-19 try to predict how long current buying patterns might last.
We continue to speak with food startups and emerging brands about what’s weighing on their minds as COVID-19 has many cities and communities going into various stages of lockdown, upending typical consumer shopping behavior.
Should prolonged social distancing measures generate mass unemployment, premium priced natural and organic products will likely not be top of most people’s shopping lists, while private label sales will likely rise, although packaged foods will continue...
While there may not be a handbook on how to carry on with international expansion amid a global health pandemic, CEO and founder of Eat JUST, Inc. Josh Tetrick is compartmentalizing the endeavor into near- and long-term priorities while taking a page...
While many packaged food brands are enjoying surging sales as shoppers stock up and hunker down as COVID-19 control measures kick in, emerging brands are having to rewrite business plans, modify marketing messaging, and reconsider go-to-market strategies...
With instore demos and sampling events off the table; consumers not in the mood for trying new things; and retailers more focused on keeping shelves stocked than discovering new brands; this isn’t a great time for food startups to raise awareness – or...
Startups looking for capital to fuel their next phase of growth may find there's a gap in the market for investors who are willing to write smaller checks, says Jason Starr, founder and managing director of Chicago-based investment firm CompanyFirst....
The old adage that it isn’t just what you know, but who you know could not be truer than for company founders in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, according to the serial entrepreneur behind the seed-stage company Farma Genetix.
Emerging brand Lemon Perfect is seeking mainstream recognition with its shelf-stable lemon water, which contains the cold-pressed juice and pulp from half of an organic lemon (5% juice), and launching a new line of sparkling water in cans.
As Chobani’s Incubator continues to buck the status quo by welcoming one of its most diverse cohorts yet into its Spring 2020 class, it also continues to reimagine its program’s structure to better meet the needs of a entrepreneurs from different regions...
Cleveland Kraut has managed to brighten the image of sauerkraut by launching fermented products that are "crunchy, delicious, and vibrant," said co-founder and CEO Drew Anderson.
NutteeBean, which was recently selected for PepsiCo's Greenhouse accelerator, says its high protein and fiber fava bean snacks are making healthy eating easier. "Snacks do not have to be junk food," says its CEO.
Creating an entirely new product or launching a business may feel impossible at times, especially when so-called experts say something can’t be done, but according to the co-founders of Hidden Gems Beverage Co. anything is possible with the right network...
Even though women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing, very few companies include women on their boards – a mismatch that hurts brands’ ability to connect effectively with their core consumer and could hinder their ability to make smart investments...
Frito-Lay hopes to chip away at some of the inequity that female entrepreneurs face with the launch of a live pitch slam at Natural Products Expo West that will give 10 women a chance to win $100,000 in grants to support their companies.
While its CEO says engaging in an increasingly heated debate over the merits of plant- vs animal-based meat can be a “zero sum” game, Beyond Meat plans to go on the offensive this year with digital and media campaigns that celebrate its ingredients and...
With a subtle name change from Country Archer Jerky Co. to Country Archer Provisions, the meat snack brand is opening the door for expansion into new categories, while at the same time reinforcing its stronghold in jerky with the introduction of a new...
BlueNalu, a startup hoping to make a splash in the cell-based seafood market, has raised $20m in a Series A round that will help fund a pilot production facility in San Diego to produce small quantities of product for commercial launch in late 2021.
As consumer demand for and sales of non-dairy milk alternatives continue to climb, so too are the number of players and variety of products in the space – making it more difficult for newcomers to standout unless, like Canadian-based YoFiit, they offer...
Humm Kombucha is tapping into consumer demand for low and no sugar options in the beverage aisle with the launch of an industry first: shelf-stable, zero sugar kombucha that it hopes will attract new consumers into the category.
When most people think about curling up with a cup of hot tea they don’t think about opening their freezer first – but that is exactly what the makers of Millennia Tea are asking consumers to do, and in exchange they promise a beverage that is packed...
Lavva – which stands out in the burgeoning plant-based yogurt category with a no added sugar product fueled by Pili nuts and plaintains – is testing its wares in Target and several Kroger banners, and gearing up for the launch of Molten Lavva, a ‘decadent’...
With the help of $1.25 million in seed funding, the creator of the first ready-to-eat “skinless popcorn” is relaunching a rebranded version of his better-for-you snack after overcoming logistical hurdles related to a failed business partnership.
There’s the audacity of hope, and then there’s the hard data proving that most new food and beverage brands are quickly consigned to the dustbin of history. But some do manage to ride that magical CPG skate curve. So what are they doing differently?
Pipcorn has grown into a full-fledged snack brand with an expanding product portfolio that now includes popcorn, corn dippers, cheeseballs, and coming soon, crackers made from the corn flour byproduct leftover after the extrusion process for its cheeseballs....
As the number of food accelerators and incubators has increased in recent years, the barrier for entry into the market has decreased – and while this makes launching a new product or company easier, it has made cutting through the competition and finding...
When launching a new product or brand, entrepreneurs may be tempted to target everyone in order to capture more sales, but the cofounder of the new sprouted nut brand Daily Crunch warns this can cause founders to lose focus and, if they are not careful,...
While a new cell-based meat company emerges from stealth mode almost every month, the amount of money invested in the embryonic sector to date pales in comparison to the megabucks poured into plant-based meat over the past couple of years. So is slaughter-free...
Plant-based food brand Alpha Foods has raised $28m in a funding round led by VC fund AccelFoods and supported by New Crop Capital, Green Monday and Blue Horizon, bringing its total funding to around $40m.
Claimed to be more versatile than granola and with more antioxidants than many other grains, crunchy sprouted buckwheat by Lil Bucks is introducing buckwheat into more Americans' diets through new distribution with Midwest Whole Foods stores this...
The long-held consumer perception of convenience stores as a last resort for a fast in-and-out trip to grab a six-pack of beer and, if they weren’t too picky, a few staple ingredients, is quickly being replaced by a new class of elevated – and digitally-integrated...
After more than a decade working in the food industry, Hector Saldivar knew the lay of the land better than most aspiring entrepreneurs when he quit the day job in 2016 to start his own food brand, Tia Lupita, and part of that was knowing the power of...
Canadian startup Noblegen has unveiled ‘the egg’ - its first consumer product under the eunite brand showcasing the ‘ancient microorganism’ euglena gracilis, which it claims can produce proteins with exciting functional and nutritional characteristics......
‘Authenticity’ has become a popular marketing buzz word to attract consumers who want to know more about their food and experience something ‘real,’ but for the better-for-you Mexican-American company Siete Family Foods ‘authenticity’ is a pivotal component...
The quest to precisely mimic the taste and texture of meat and dairy is driving innovation in the next generation of ‘plant-based’ foods. But there is also growing demand for less ‘processed’ products made from whole foods, says the CEO of Cool Beans.
