In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- Tidal Vision, a biotechnology company transforming critical industries with chitosan-based chemistries, announced the closing of an oversubscribed $140 million Series B financing round.
- Food Brewer, a Zurich-based startup producing cocoa via plant cell culture, announced that it raised $5.6 million from Lindt and Sparkalis and certain existing investors in a seed extension round bringing total funding to $11.1 million.
- US-based 80 Acres Farms has raised an additional $115 million, bringing its total funding to more than $370 million; the company plans to also focus on plant genetics for indoor agriculture with the acquisition of Israeli biotechnology company Plantae Biosciences.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Better Food Ventures.
- Better Food Ventures ("BFV") is a venture capital firm that was founded in 2013 and is based in Menlo Park, California.
- BFV seeks to invest in early-stage, scalable, game-changing technologies across the food and agriculture sectors.
- Portfolio companies include:
- Milk Moovement
- Breedr
- Four Growers
- Edifice Health
- Afresh Technologies
- Byte Technology
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- MyLand Clinches $23 Million Funding Round to Bring Greater Scale to Regenerative Ag
- JBS Spends $200 Million to Expand US Beef Production
- Ball Buys Florida Can Maker, Plans Oregon Plant
- Oobli, Ingredion Form Sweet Protein Partnership
New Lactoferrin Player Plans Precision Fermentation Site in US
- 80 Acres Farms Tackles Plant Genetics with Plantae Acquisition
UPCOMING EVENTS
Every Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday from 11:00 am - 12:15 pm PT
A series of in-depth conversations exploring the financing and mindset journeys of CPG companies, featuring CPG founders and industry experts. This event is FREE for all who register, allowing access to both the live events and the recordings through to May 31, 2025.
OSC/JEDI Peer Mentoring Circles for Women in Leadership in Natural Products
Applications are open for OSC's Women's Circles, a year-long peer mentoring circle designed to accelerate the advancement of female and/or women-identifying intersectional leaders through connection, shared experience, development, and peer to peer mentoring. For more information, visit their website.
Nominate someone amazing: Know a woman leader (Director-level+, excluding CEOs) who would thrive in this space? Nominate her here.
Naturally NorCal
Sales & Marketing Forum: Unlocking Data for Smarter Growth
Tuesday, February 25 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Getting ready for Expo West? Don't miss this session with Patrick Dougherty and Colleen McGinnis from NIQ, featuring a live walkthrough of Byzzer and how to access your 3 free reports as a Naturally NorCal member. Afterward, we'll break into Sales and Marketing discussions to explore how to use data for success.
Who Should Attend?
This session is for paid members of Naturally NorCal (formerly Naturally Bay Area & Naturally North Bay) who are CPG-focused Sales and Marketing professionals, as well as CEOs & Founders working in these areas.
Naturally New England
Members Exclusive Online Workshop: Why Aren't Your Meta Ads Working?
Thursday, February 27 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
Third-party cookie deprecation and iOS changes have slashed audience tracking by 40%, leaving many ad campaigns underperforming. Meta and Google ads rely on a strong data feedback loop to train algorithms and reach the right audiences. Without quality data, even the most creative and compelling ads can fall short.
Join Yiqi, Founder & CEO of Aimerce, for an insightful session exploring the critical role of quality data in ad success. Yiqi will break down what "quality data" truly means, why it's essential for high-performing campaigns, and how to overcome data tracking challenges in today's cookieless world.
Here's what you'll learn in this free training:
- Why changes to tracking technology are impacting your ad performance
- How to identify and leverage first-party data to improve Meta ads
- Practical strategies to build stronger data feedback loops for better campaign results
- Insights on staying competitive in an era of reduced third-party tracking
Naturally Seattle
Expo Ready: Mastering Expo West Prep and Beyond
Thursday, February 27 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. PT
Location: Foundations - Capitol Hill, Boylston Avenue 1605, Seattle, WA
Mastering Expo West Prep & Beyond is a hosted panel of industry experts who will share their many years of industry event experience to equip Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) entrepreneurs, startups, and businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to maximize their presence at Expo West and similar industry events. This essential session will cover everything from booth design and product presentation to networking strategies and securing retail and investment opportunities.
Speakers:
- Alex Apostolopoulos, Founder of Hellenika Cultured Creamery
- Craig Cayton, Director of Retail Division at Crown Pacific Fine Foods
- Debi Goldman, Executive Director of Naturally Seattle
- Greta Remington, CMO, Consumer/CPG Lead at Venture Mechanics
- Noah Smith, Grocery Merchandiser at PCC Community Markets
Naturally Chicago
Chocolate, Mezcal, Tequila and You
Saturday, March 1 | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Vosges Chocolate, 2950 N. Oakley, Chicago, IL
It's been a long, cold winter, and we're just starting to emerge. And what better way to brush off the cold with a tasting of gourmet chocolate and premium Tequila? Join Naturally Chicago for this tasting of four vegan truffles and four premium Tequilas.
Naturally Network
Expo West Power-Up Kick-Off Party
Tuesday, March 4 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PT
Location: Hilton Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
Start Expo West with an evening that's all about meaningful connections and valuable moments. More than just a happy hour, this event is designed to foster impactful relationships and lasting connections with the right people.