Dr. Michael Lloyd’s Post

There has been a lot to digest (pun intended) in the #chocolate candies industry lately as cocoa is one of the food products most challenged by climate change (along with coffee... making a big one-two bunch to comfort foods!). Packaged Facts analysts have been following innovations such as whole-fruit innovations, and sustainable sourcing and full traceability, as well as developments in candy offerings, whether emphasizing elements such as caramel, fruit, nuts, creams, or cookie or shifts to gummy offerings (e.g., Nerds Gummy Clusters as a big hit for 2024). Link to our most recent research in the comments... read on to learn more!

Nosh.bio, a B2B foodtech startup specialising in fermented fungi-based ingredients, has announced a groundbreaking commercial partnership with the zur Mühlen Group (ZMG), one of Europe’s largest sausage producers. Through this partnership, the partners are able to introduce a new line of clean-label products called Koji Chunks. The Zur Mühlen Group, a division of the Tönnies Group, a prominent player in the European meat manufacturing industry, plans to launch Koji Chunks in Germany by utilizing its vast store network. The non-GMO, non-novel fungi used to create Nosh.bio's Koji Chunks will come in five different flavors. Founded in February 2022, Nosh.bio GmbH is a startup located in Berlin. Tim Fronzek, Axel Knau, Oliver Schneider, Guillaume Galtié, Jonas Blaschke,   Read more - https://lnkd.in/e-MBrJiF To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.co.uk #Noshbio #foodtech #B2B #foodtechstartup #Partnership #news #startup

Investments in the food tech start-up sector comes from a range of sources. “Some interesting businesses seem to be pushing through with venture capitalists. Our client Spacegoods, a mushroom-based supplements and nootropics brand, recently received VC funding … In the UK, it is common to see food tech start-ups attracting crowdfunding and angel investors as they can see and taste products, and in doing so, have another means to understand any potential risks to their capital.” Emerging companies lead and partner, Amy Pierechod, provides her experience in food tech startups in a recent article in The Grocer. Read more by visiting the link below 👇 https://bit.ly/3Kh2JSl #foodtech #startups #investment #venturecapital

Top 10 FoodTech Capital Raises in the U.S. - October 1st-15th, 2024 Several interesting transactions closed in the FoodTech sector. If you would like more info on these deals or would like to discuss the capital raising market for your company, please contact me. Merger/Acquisition and Corporate 1. SIMULATE, producer of vegan chicken nuggets intended to offer an alternative to animal-based nuggets, was acquired by Ahimsa Companies. 2. Betterbin, developer of a recycling platform designed to harness the power of data, was acquired by Better Earth. Later Stage VC 3. Plantible, producer of sustainable plant-based protein intended to revolutionize the food industry, raised $30 million of Series B venture funding from Pulse Fund. 4. El Guapo, producer of artisan syrups and bitters intended to provide a variety of cocktails to customers, raised $2.5 million of venture funding from The Angel Roundtable. 5. Luke's Local, provider of food delivery service intended to help users get food delivered to their doorsteps, raised $1.39 million of venture funding from undisclosed investors. Early Stage VC 6. Sunnie, producer of pre-packaged snacks intended to provide child nutrition and encourage good health, good living, and a positive environmental impact, raised $1 million of venture funding from SWAT Equity Partners and Fulcrum Collective. Angel, Seed, and Grant 7. Broad Street Farms Freeze Dried Candy, producer of candies, raised $55,500 of angel funding. 8. Cupcakin' Bake Shop, operator of an online bakery shop intended to offer cupcakes baked from scratch daily using fresh ingredients, raised $150,000 of angel funding. 9. Familia Kitchen, provider of online food recipes intended to collect, curate, and celebrate Latinx culinary heritage, raised $50,000 of angel funding. 10. GoodSam, operator of a chocolate brand intended to manufacture cocoa products from regenerative farming practices, raised $6.48 million of seed funding. #castleplacement #capitalraising #privateequity #venturecapital #investment #FoodTech

Hungry for more: Food deals trending on startup street Investors are hungry to invest in new-age food brands, chasing them aggressively–whether it’s your cappuccino, burger, or even dosas. A slew of brands with niche offerings is in the crosshairs of investors, with a shift towards regional and even single-city labels. South Asia and India focused venture fund Beenext is set to invest in FirstCoffee that focuses on the food truck and takeaway model while specialty coffee chain AbCoffee, which closed a funding round in March, is seeing a rush of investors for new funding, people aware of the matter said. By Digbijay Mishra & Ratna Bhushan Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gyWdTKda

Bloomberg covers the retreat in #Consumer #VC investing over the past couple of years, highlighting Chomps ($100M > $500M/Sales in 3 years) and Siete Family Foods ($150M > $400M/Sales in 3 years) as case studies in just how quickly #Consumer #startups can scale. The Farmer's Dog grew from $500M > $800M/Sales from 2022 to 2023. #Petcare accounts for a disproportionate share of #growth and one of the highest #eCommerce shares in #CPG. We remain bullish on #SeriesA and #SeriesB #Consumer #Petcare #startups led by great #founders with differentiated #products and strong #brands. It's a great time to be backing the next generation of #brandbuilders. Mars Mars Petcare Nestlé Nestlé Purina North America Hill's Pet Nutrition Colgate-Palmolive General Mills Blue Buffalo Post Consumer Brands Digitalis Ventures Leap Venture Studio & Academy Kinship UNLEASHED by Purina 301 INC Sonoma Brands Capital Rocana Venture Partners Lerer Hippeau New Fare CAVU Consumer Partners #Petfood #Food #Beverage #CPG #FMCG #PetHealthcare #Nutrition #DTC #Omnichannel https://lnkd.in/g9h38b-F https://lnkd.in/griUXRBk

🍫 With everything we hear at the moment about chocolate and cacao, we have decided to make a cacao and chocolate series of video to explain you the process of cacao beans and how to make a great chocolate! 🤩 📽️ Our third video is an introduction to cacao harvest and its impact on cacao quality! 🗨️ Let me know what you think in the comment section! #Cacao #Cocoa #Chocolate #ClimateChange #SustainabilityMatters #FoodScience #Flavours #ProductDevelopment #StartUp #SME #FoodAndDrink

Exclusive news from the #ExpoWest 2024: Mondelēz International has wound down its innovation hub SnackFutures, alongside its CoLab Program, through which the consumer behemoth had been helping accelerate early-stage snack brands for the past five years, and subsequently launched a corporate VC, SnackFuture Ventures. The new entity was created as part of Mondelēz’s efforts of doubling down on investments in growth-stage companies positioned to be the “disruptors of the future,” according to Richie Gray, VP and Global Head of SnackFutures. The goal is to help scale up businesses aligned with Mondelēz’s existing categories and markets before rolling them up into its portfolio. SnackFutures Ventures has invested in two Israeli startups so far: Celleste Bio Ltd. Bio, a cocoa ingredients producer using cell culture methods; Torr FoodTech that leverages its proprietary iWeld™ technology to replace unhealthy binders such as added sugar in snacks, and will continue sourcing deals globally. Interested in applying? Check out their detailed investing criteria, benchmarks, and categories below in my latest Forbes piece:

FoodTech Capital Raises in the U.S. - November 1st-15th, 2024 Several interesting transactions closed in the FoodTech sector over the past 2 weeks. If you would like more info on these deals or would like to discuss the capital raising market for your company, please contact me.   Merger/Acquisition and Corporate 1. EatMise, developer of restaurant delivery platform intended to simplify the cooking experience of home cooks to create restaurant-quality meals at home, was acquired by WECO. 2. Grab, operator of a self-service platform intended to help airport travelers order food on the go, was acquired by Graymatter Software Services, a subsidiary of Reply. 3. OvaInnovations, producer of egg protein products intended for the pet food, livestock, and consumer goods sectors, was acquired by VEOS Group. Later Stage VC 4. Hazel Technologies, developer of agricultural and postharvest technologies designed to mitigate agricultural waste and improve the efficiency of the fresh produce supply chain, raised $8.16 million in venture funding. 5. Mr Bing Foods, producer of sauces and condiments intended to offer traditional northern Chinese street crepes, raised a venture funding from Branded Hospitality. 6. Premium Peanut, operator of a peanut shelling facility intended to produce quality peanut products for customers through operational innovation, raised $3.9 million in venture funding. 7. Shiru, provider of artificial intelligence-powered protein discovery and development services intended to create novel ingredients for food and consumer products, raised $16 million through a combination of Series B-1 and B-2 venture funding in a deal led by S2G Ventures. 8. VidaFuel, producer of clinical nutrition products and convenience foods intended to improve the nutritional status and health outcomes of at-risk populations, raised $3.40 million in venture funding. 9. Wonder, operator of a cloud kitchen platform intended to provide high-profile chef recipes, raised $950 million in Series C venture funding from GV, American Express Ventures and Alpine Group. #castleplacement #capitalraising #privateequity #venturecapital #investment # FoodTech

🍫💰🌍 PLANET A FOODS BAGS $30M INVESTMENT TO TAKE COCOA-FREE CHOCOLATE GLOBAL To take its cocoa-free chocolate business to the next level, Planet A Foods has closed a $30M Series B investment, the largest sum secured by a European alt-chocolate innovator. The funds will be used to create new products, scale up manufacturing capacity by over sevenfold, and expand distribution for its ChoViva brand across the globe. The round – which takes Planet A Foods’s total funding pot to $53.4M – was co-led by Burda Principal Investments and ZINTINUS, with additional participation from AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, Bayern Kapital, Cherry Ventures, Omnes, Tengelmann Ventures, and World Fund. “This Series B round marks a major milestone for us. With 30 million dollars in fresh funding and an industry-leading product, Planet A Foods is no longer just a startup – we’re now on the way to becoming a leading food tech player reshaping the sustainable food industry,” Dr. Maximilian Marquart, CEO and co-founder of Planet A Foods. “Our mission remains unchanged: to provide sustainable food ingredients that are decoupled from price volatile and limited resources such as cocoa,” he added. “This funding will enable us to further expand into new markets, ramp up production, and deliver at scale to global confectionery giants.” Other innovators working with cocoa-free chocolate include Italy’s Foreverland Food, UK-based Win-Win and NuKoKo, and US startup Voyage Foods. But bar the latter, Planet A Foods is the most well-capitalised business in the sector. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eZAK_uJX #GreenQueen #cocoafreechocolate #foodtech #innovation #futurefoods #sustainability #vegan