Entrepreneurs frequently put their heart and soul into their products, but for Perfy founder Vasa Martinez, the new functional soda brand is personal from the name to the ingredients. And when it comes to marketing, Perfy is focused on connecting with consumers in the Web3 and NFT community where the brand has already made an impact.
Better-for-you and better-for-the-planet products are rolling out in stores and online this week, including new seasonal flavors for the holidays, non-alcoholic drinks in time for Dry January, and functional upcycled drinks ready for drinking year round.
Arkansas-based coffee roaster and distributor Westrock has announced the construction of a new production facility that is set to bolster the company’s burgeoning ready-to-drink beverage business.
Taste Radio’s hosts reflected on a nine-day, three-event, four-competition extravaganza, discussed the value of in-person networking and connecting with entrepreneurs for the first time after two years of virtual meetings. They also chatted about the decision of a well-known entrepreneur to step down as CEO of his company and riffed on new products that came to market over the past month.
Having built its core business in Southern California, functional beverage brand VYBES is now aiming to capture one of the region’s biggest markets; Also, Angry Angel makes its debut in Publix, Rowdy Energy expands nationwide with 7-Eleven, and Wilfred's Non-Alcoholic Aperitif launches in the U.S.
The J.M. Smucker Company continued to cull its CPG brand portfolio today with the announcement of an agreement to sell its natural and organic beverage and grains business to venture group Nexus Capital Management in a cash deal valued at around $110 million.
Direct-to-consumer wellness brand Athletic Greens announced this week it has named Kat Cole as president and Chief Operating Officer. Cole, who most recently held the same position at Focus Brands, will also join the company’s board of directors.
Drinkworks, the at-home cocktail company launched as a joint venture between Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) and Keurig Dr Pepper, will go dry, the companies announced Wednesday.
All channel non-alcoholic beverage sales saw “robust” growth across categories in the period ending December 4, according to an analysis of NelsenIQ data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research. Beverage dollar sales were up 16.1% in the two-week period, compared to 13.8% in the four-weeks. On a two-year stack basis, total dollar sales rose 23.4%.
Canadian cannabis producer Tilray continued to expand its beverage interests with the acquisition of Colorado-based Breckenridge Distillery last week.
Where function had previously been paramount, the proliferation of the functional mushroom category — rising to $7.98 billion in 2020, according to Allied Market Research — means Four Sigmatic is making a slight pivot in messaging with its latest release.
Green Circle Capital Partners announced today it has raised $13 million for its first fund in a new venture capital division, Green Circle Foodtech Ventures (GCFV), with an anchor investment from Hormel Foods’ VC arm 199 Ventures. The new investment vehicle will target early stage, innovative foodtech companies working across a number of spaces, including food safety, sustainable packaging, sugar reduction, food waste and supply chain efficiency.
Over recent months, Mineragua has been rolling out its revamped packaging and refreshed identity, led by the tagline “Life With Sparkle,” which aims to position the brand as a bigger player in the $29.7 billion U.S. sparkling water market.
Maxine Kozler Koven, co-founder of LDR Ventures & Consulting, discussed the venture capital firm’s investment philosophy and portfolio, which includes stakes in Sweetgreen, Thrive Market and Shaka Tea, the importance of nurturing the development of early-stage founders, the relevance of innovation when evaluating new concepts and the historical lack of funding for female-led companies.
