In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Above Food, an agriculture, ingredients and plant-based company based in Canada, announced that it plans to go public through a SPAC deal valued at $319 million in the second half of 2023.
- Pluckk, a fresh-food emerging brand based in India, announced that it acquired KOOK, an Indian startup that offers efficient meal kits, for a deal valued at $1.3 million.
- KoRo, a ‘better-for-you’ foodtech company, announced that it raised 20 million Euros in its Series B offering.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured food business incubator and accelerator is Rutger’s Food Innovation Center.
- The Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University is a unique food business incubator and accelerator that is a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). The Center supports established early stage entrepreneurs and existing food companies from concept to commercialization.
- Rutger’s Food Innovation Center provides business, marketing, food safety, product design and scale up expertise within FDA and USDA certified facilities.
- Some companies that have been assisted by Futger’s Food Innovation Center:
- Topos Teas
- The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
- Dr. Schar USA, Inc.
- First Field
- Caldo Hot Sauce
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Western Growers Study Shows Huge Agtech Investment
- Cure Hydration Raises $5.6 Million in Series A Round
- Frozen Comfort Food Brand Snags Seed Funding
- The New Plant-Based Reality: Bridge2Food Panel Discusses Market Obstacles, Opportunities
- Chunk Foods Gears Up For US Launch Of Plant-Based Whole Cuts Following $15 Million Seed Round
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally Bay Area
What She Said: Celebrating Women in Culinary
Thursday, May 4, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT
Location: W San Francisco, 181 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA
W San Francisco invites you to the latest installment of What She Said, an evening celebrating Women in Culinary, co-presented by Naturally Bay Area. Join them for an intimate conversation with key players in the food and beverage world.
Speakers:
- Christine Keller, CEO/co-founder of Moodify
- Na'ama Moran, CEO/co-founder of Cheetah
- Kathy Fang, chef/co-owner of Fang
- Imana, chef and owner of Hi Felicia
- Dawn Taylor-Cole, executive chef at W San Francisco
- Moderated by Robyn Rutledge, CEO and Founder, SBG Growth
Naturally Bay Area
5th Annual Pitch Slam + Community Celebration
Wednesday, May 10, 3:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Square Uptown Station, 1955 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Let's celebrate the Bay Area's up-and-coming Natural Products Industry brands with a community celebration and pitch competition. A select group of entrepreneurs will pitch to the industry's premier investors, retailers, and industry peers for a chance to win prizes worth tens of thousands of dollars, including a booth at EXPO East and the opportunity to pitch on the national stage!