Coconut Collaborative has expanded distribution to more than 1,000 stores since launching in the US last year, and according to co-founder Edward Averdieck, the brand is hitting its stride just as the plant-based yogurt market is showing signs of becoming...
Nitro cold brew company RISE Brewing Co. is hoping the same strategies it used to successfully carve out a niche in the highly competitive ready-to-drink-coffee segment will help it win again, but this time in the increasingly crowded oat milk category.
After helping to pioneer the nascent drinkable soup segment, the startup ZÜPA NOMA is ready to expand into adjacent categories with a fresh look, different name and new products.
‘We’ve had pushback [over genetic engineering] for years now, but the conversation has to change’
If printing out DNA sequences that instruct yeast or bacteria to express proteins identical to those in eggs or milk in big fermentation tanks sounds a little ‘unnatural,’ consider how natural, sustainable, or indeed ethical, it is to continue to produce...
Armed with $5 million in series B financing and the belief that moringa will follow the lead of matcha and turmeric to become the next big superfood, Kuli Kuli plans to take the ingredient beyond its diverse portfolio of CPGs and into foodservice as well...
As recently as a few years ago, the words food and tech were incongruous together, but today they signal a booming industry that is ripe for innovation, and according to the VP of business development at the Israel-based incubator The Kitchen, the combination...
For new entrepreneurs with limited funds trying to make ends meet – or plant-based minced meat as in the case of Israeli startup Rilbite – focusing first on foodservice, rather than retail, can offer a more economic path to market.
In an effort to find the ‘next big thing’ as early as possible, ingredients firm IFF Frutarom is considering expanding into other markets a version of its unique Israeli-based innovation lab FoodNxt, which launched about one year ago following a tender...
Like many emerging brands that began with a more narrowly functional look and feel to their packaging, protein-fueled Protes has refreshed its packaging, replacing the clinical white background of its popcorn and the black backdrop of its chips with bright...
Chickpea-fueled brand Banza is hoping it can emulate its success in the pasta aisle with a chickpea rice that delivers three times the protein, double the fiber, and 30% fewer net carbs than brown rice.
The future of baby food – according to some brands at least – is fresh. But which business models make the most sense for new players in this small, but rapidly growing, chilled segment of the market?
MyPlate – the government’s visual aide for healthy eating – features fruits, vegetables, grains, and a fourth segment simply called ‘protein.' Today, this might come from plants or animals, but tomorrow, it could come from a suite of microscopic...
When seeking investor support or trying to woo customers, companies not only need to describe their product, but they also need to explain the problem that the product or brand solves, according to the CEO of SmartCatch.
Producing high quality cheese sustainably and at an affordable price is the central mission of industry newcomer Craigs Creamery, which is currently rolling out in stores in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
No one likes factory farming. But most people still eat meat regardless. Put another way, persuading consumers to change their behavior hasn’t really moved the needle, says cell-cultured meat enthusiast and author Paul Shapiro. Offering a technological...
While it’s hard to visualize what a commercial cell-based meat plant might look like as no player in this embryonic field is yet producing it at scale, delegates at a conference in San Francisco were given some insights into how firms are approaching...
When thinking of gut healthy foods, chocolate may not come to mind right away. However, Australian brand Gutsii is forging a spot within the functional foods market with its prebiotic chocolate line.
Coffee smells amazing, says Atomo CEO Andy Kleitsch. But it can be bitter, and two thirds of Americans add sugar or creamer to make it taste as great as it smells. So what if you could reverse engineer your morning joe, and make an awesome cup of coffee...
Fundraising is different for every company, every time they do it, but according to Luke Saunders, the CEO and founder of Farmer’s Fridge, which recently closed a series C round, there are two common denominators that entrepreneurs must understand in...
While some retailers are more cautious than others about using the term 'CBD,' many leading food and drugstore chains are actively exploring building dedicated segments in store devoted to hemp/CBD following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill,...
Iconic plant-based brand Yves Veggie Cuisine’s new packaging featuring “mouthwatering” photos of its veggie-forward products aims to show consumers that “cheating on meat” doesn’t have to be a sacrifice.
What is piquing the interest of food & beverage investors as we approach Expo West? Not surprisingly, CBD is high on the list, along with brands disrupting the kids’ food category, according to New York based venture fund AccelFoods.
The latest innovation from LiveKuna – which works directly with Ecuadorian farmers to produce chia- and quinoa-packed products – is a line of ready-to-eat cereals that reflect the brand’s mission to create more convenient ways to consume superfoods.
Startups selected to pitch at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! event in San Francisco this March include a petfood start-up pioneering a novel approach to meat protein production via acellular agriculture, a snack food brand popping waterlily seeds, and a company...
An injection of $5 million in Series A funds will help the fast-growing, ecommerce-based startup Your Super introduce the power of superfoods to more Americans who want to eat healthy but either don’t know how or don’t have access through traditional...
Conventional investors focused on the bottom-line or high returns may not be a good fit for small companies that are unwilling to compromise their values to increase their margins – but that doesn’t mean mission-based businesses are limited to bootstrapping,...
Curation Foods (formerly Apio) is targeting the growing plant-forward consumer base with a portfolio of five branded product lines with core ingredients being fruits and vegetables, which CEO and president of parent company Landec, Molly Hemmeter, believes...
Many entrepreneurs describe their startup as their baby, but just like parents they need to learn to say no sometimes and to let go – lessons that the founders of I Heart Keenwah learned early.
Renewal Mill spent 2018 proving that its business model of upcycling tofu byproduct discarded by large food manufacturers was viable, according to COO Caroline Cotto. Now armed with a $2.5m seed round investment led by HG Ventures, the company is heading...
With the launch of Dr. Praeger’s new Pure Plant Protein line late last year, the frozen food company edges closer to mock-meat competitors while still keeping a foot firmly planted in the vegetable-focus plant-based space where it has played for more...
After three years of research, development and sensory testing with more than 8,000 consumers, Sparkling Ice is relaunching its entire portfolio of carbonated water with natural colors and flavors and an updated look that it predicts will give it a competitive...
The kombucha category continues to chalk up double-digit growth, but not everyone likes the sour, vinegary taste associated with the fermented tea beverage, says the firm behind KÖE organic kombucha, billed as an “easy drinking” brand serving as a “bridge...
Tempting though it can be to jump on every culinary or nutritional trend, from adding collagen or CBD to embracing keto or Paleo diets, successful snack brands tend to have a longer-range strategy, says the founder and CEO of Folsom, CA-based chips brand...
Demand for plant-based proteins and oils is increasing steadily, while the arable land available to grow them is constrained. But what if you could grow something like soy – but with a far higher yield - on trees?
RISE Brewing Co. is looking to attract more coffee drinkers to its nitro cold brew products entering the mass channel this April with new distribution at 2,000 Walmart locations.
For most company founders, the thought of handing over – or even just sharing – control of their startup with an ‘outsider’ is a non-starter, but bringing in a ‘hired gun’ who knows the industry ropes can help a young brand scale successfully more quickly,...
Soom Foods spent over five years educating American consumers on the versatility of tahini (sesame paste) that can be used in anything from milkshakes and smoothies to a popcorn topping and as a salad dressing. The company’s next conquest is silan, a...
Launching online and in Erewhon and Lazy Acres stores in Los Angeles this month, Lumen hemp elixir is a HPP (high pressure processed) superfood shot with a 60-day shelf life featuring cold pressed hemp juice and on-trend ingredients such as ashwagandha...
From new sources of plant-based protein (pongamia, bambara) to novel biomaterials extending the shelf life of foods (Cambridge Crops), the Winter Fancy Food Show – organized by the Specialty Food Association - showcased a wide range of innovations, although...
Laird Superfood, maker of fortified non-dairy coffee creamers containing a full range of MCTs, has closed $32m in a private funding round led by co-working tech company WeWork, which the company intends to use for product development and to make small...
Olipop – a sparkling soda featuring 9g fiber per 12oz can – is targeting consumers seeking low sugar beverages with functional benefits and a more accessible flavor profile (and price tag) than kombucha, say the founders, who recently raised $2.5m to...
While there will always be a place in consumers’ hearts – and cups – for freshly brewed classic teas such as English breakfast and tisans like chamomile, shoppers increasingly are looking for premium, innovative options and formats that allow them to...
The fresh, pared-down look of Tempo Tea’s trio of recently launched sparkling teas in slim cans reflects the brand’s less-is-more approach to caffeine as well as a larger emerging trend in packaging design that maximizes white space and excises superfluous...
First time entrepreneurs often lament that if they had known how much work it would take to launch a startup they might not have done it, but the husband and wife duo and long-time industry veterans behind the plant-based protein brand Sweet Earth Natural...
Snackable egg brand PECKISH - the latest innovation to emerge from California-based brand incubator and investor Sonoma Brands – is expanding into the refrigerated snack section at select retailers, gyms, and corporate cafeterias across the country after...
A pioneer in the premium natural sweetener segment, NuNaturals is moving in a “more youthful direction” with new products and positioning that appeal to a broader consumer base than the company historically courted following a leadership transition from...
Detoxwater, an aloe-infused water brand, has entered over 4,000 CVS stores nationwide as part of the retailer’s ‘Better Inside & Out’ in-store health program, placing the functional water alongside other premium beverages such as sparkling waters...
The food and beverage industries are undergoing a massive renaissance with fresh ideas continuously entering the market, but with a dismal failure rate for new CPGs of upwards of 85% in the first two years, it can be difficult to identify from the outset...
An ongoing capital raise of $500,000 is helping Boulder, Colo.-based Rollin Greens “take on the freezer category” and give American comfort foods “a healthy twist,” by helping it expand its distribution, revamp its packaging to appeal to more mainstream...
Since launching last October, Brooklyn Bites gluten- and dairy-free cookie brittle has gained distribution in 600 stores with the goal of becoming a national brand, co-founder Barbara Dayan shared.
