Headlines

Soylent CEO: Acquisition is ‘The Next Step in Our Evolution’

When plant-based nutrition brand Soylent began in 2013, it adopted a tech-influenced approach, dubbing its products Soylent 1.1, Soylent 2.0, and so on. Now, after its acquisition by CPG portfolio company Starco Brands earlier this week, the food and beverage maker is in stable release.

KDP: Q4 Net Sales Drive Full Year Double Digit Growth

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) expects gross margins will expand in the coming year as pricing and inflation moderate, especially in the company’s coffee segment. It finished 2022 with $14 billion in net sales, a 10.8% growth year-over-year compared to 2021.

FDA: Dairy or Plant-Based, It’s All ‘Milk’ Per Draft Guidance

The FDA published long-awaited product labeling guidance this week that allows brands to identify plant-based milk products as “milk,” while recommending that they include an additional nutritional claim that indicates how the product compares to dairy milk.

Seven Questions For Petalfast CEO Jason Vegotsky

In January, route-to-market and incubator in the cannabis business Petalfast added SIP Elixirs to its brand portfolio, broadening its reach to include cannabis beverages alongside edible companies like Wana brands and a variety of flower companies. Just last week, it also began to work with Massachusetts-based, veteran led edibles company Freshly Baked.

Soylent Acquired by Starco Brands

Publicly traded consumer products company Starco Brands, Inc. has acquired plant-based food and beverage maker Soylent, completing the brand’s evolution from red hot food-tech startup to cross-category CPG platform.

Pronghorn Invests in Four More Black-Owned Spirit Companies

Venture firm Pronghorn, an initiative focused on boosting Black entrepreneurship in spirits, announced today new investments in four companies: Anteel Tequila, Common Ground Spirits, Delta Dirt Distillery, and Old Hillside Bourbon Company. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

CLEAN Cause Broadens Offerings with ‘Sparkling Pick-Me-Up’ Launch

CLEAN Cause is looking to spread its support for addiction recovery further with its latest product launch: Sparkling Pick-Me-Up, a functional sparkling water line infused with collagen and prebiotics. According to founder Wes Hurt, the new line was soft launched last year in Austin, Texas-area stores and is now available in about 200 doors as well as online direct-to-consumer.

Taste Radio: Yes, Investors Love Healthy Brands. But All The Ingredients Matter.

Prior to the investment firm’s second annual Global Health Forum, we spoke with Ross Iverson, Brent Drever and Steve Young of Manna Tree for a trio of conversations about the urgency of making healthy and affordable food available to more people, why entrepreneurs are faced with shifting expectations for profitability and top line growth, their assessment of consumer confidence and spending and what emerging food trends are on their radar.

Remedy Drinks Re-Ups With Existing Investors To Fuel Retail Growth

Australian kombucha maker Remedy Drinks has closed a Series B funding round led by L Catterton and Australian investment firm Kin Group during Q4 2022. With this cash infusion, the brand plans to drive retail expansion with new and existing partners across the U.S.