Food Venture Financing News - Weekly Issue No. 132
In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Liberation Labs, a precision fermentation startup, announced that it raised $20 million in seed funding. The company plans to use the funds for operations development.
- Mondelēz International announced that it plans to sell its gum business to Perfetti Van Melle Group, a leading European gum producer, for $1.35 billion.
- Moolec Science, a molecular farming tech company, began trading on Nasdaq on January 3, 2023 after the completion of its SPAC deal.
- International Flavors & Fragrances announced that it plans to sell its Savory Solutions Group to PAI Partners, a global private equity firm, for approximately $900 million.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund is Lotus Bakeries' Corporate Venture Fund – Fast Forward 2032.
- Belgium-based Lotus Bakeries, owner of the Nakd snack bar and BEAR snacks brands, launched an incubator fund called Fast Forward 2032 ("FF2032") to invest in emerging U.S. and EU-based brands and growth companies.
- FF2032 primarily focuses on companies that specialize in sustainability and food technology innovation.
- The portfolio companies include the following:
- The Good Crisp Company, a US savory snacking brand
- Peter's Yard, a British brand of artisanal sourdough crackers, crisps, and crispbread
- Oot Granola, a Netherlands-based organic granola startup
- Partake, a US brand of gluten-free and allergen-friendly cookies
- Love Corn, a US crunchy corn snacks brand
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- McKinsey: High Crop Prices Encourage Farmers to Invest in Agtech
- Impact Investing Moves From Niche to Norm in Agtech & Foodtech
- Robotic Agtech Startup Closes $217K Equity Raise for 'Barnstorming' Autonomous Tractor Swarms via Fort Worth's Harvest Returns
- Agritech and Foodtech Sectors Suffer Funding Slump: Venture Capital Investments in the Segments Plunge 44% in 2022 as Rising Costs and Interest Rates Bite
- Lotus Bakeries invests in Nutrition Bar Brand
- Major Dairy Ingredient Supplier to be Acquired
- Liberation Labs Closes $20 Million in Seed Financing
- Mondelēz International to Sell Gum Business For $1.35 Billion
- Molecular Farming Company Moolec Science Starts Trading on Nasdaq After Successful Closing of Business Combination
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Naturally Bay Area
Quick Bites: Supply Chain as a Competitive Advantage - Opportunities in Upcycled Food
Wednesday, January 11, 12:00 – 12:45 p.m. PT
Learn about the Upcycled Food movement and how this unique supply chain can be the key to your competitive advantage.
Speakers:
- Angie Crone, CEO of Upcycled Food Association
- Caroline Cotto, Co-Founder & COO of Renewal Mill
- Matt Kreutz, CEO of Firebrand Artisan Breads
- Dan Kurzrock, Founder & CEO of Upcycled Foods Inc.
Naturally Bay Area
Thursday, January 19, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. PT
Location: Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, 50 California St., 23rd Floor, San Francisco, CA
Naturally Bay Area
Quick Bites: Generating Actionable Insights from Data Harmonization
Thursday, February 9, 12 – 12:45 p.m. PT
In this Quick Bites session, you'll hear from Bedrock Analytics along with several CPG sales & marketing leaders about how unifying multiple data streams can save time and improve outcomes. You'll learn how syndicated data, retail portal data, eCommerce, and distributor reports can be pulled together to get a clear picture of your performance and uncover insights that will help your business grow.
Naturally Bay Area
Sales & Marketing Forum Kickoff Meeting
Thursday, February 9, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. PT
Location: Bedrock Analytics, 350 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Suite 500, Oakland, CA, US, 94612
Naturally Bay Area is kicking off the first session of their new Sales & Marketing Forum with an in-person meetup at Bedrock Analytics in Oakland. This session will be a great opportunity to network with fellow sales and marketing professionals and learn about resources that can support your professional activities.
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DWT will continue to provide up-to-date insights and virtual events regarding COVID-19 concerns. Our most recent insights, as well as information about recorded and upcoming virtual events, are available at www.dwt.com/COVID-19.