Waterloo Sparkling Water announced today it has been acquired by a group of investment firms led by Flexis Capital and including Eurazeo Brands, Moore Strategic Ventures, JW Levin Management Partners and Waterloo Capital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Although federal CBD regulations remain in limbo, some retailers are pushing forward to capitalize on consumer interest in the ingredient. This month CBD retail chain American Shaman opened its first ‘store-within-a-store’ concept inside of Kansas City, Mo.-based grocery store Price Chopper.
Flavored water maker Hint, Inc. announced this week it has raised $25 million in a series D funding round that will help support the company’s continued growth over the next several years. The round was led by prior investor Springboard Growth Capital (SGC), a firm focused on funding mid-stage CPG companies founded by women, and also includes investments from Philippe Laffont, Gingerbread Capital and Medina Heights Capital Partners.
Facing major disruptions to its traditional business model, New York-based coffee maker Wandering Bear announced today the launch of a new suite of products designed to bring the formerly office-focused brand into the at-home coffee space.
“New Girl” actor Max Greenfield and serial entrepreneur Mike Constantiner, co-founders of dad-centric consumer products and lifestyle company Dadz, spoke about how they’re attempting to reach a “new generation of dads,” the importance of a strong founding team and why it offers a “shortcut” to a fast start and how the brand is being communicated to the trade and consumer press.
Fast-growing beverage maker Lemon Perfect today announced the closing of a $6.6 million funding round that brings its total seed financing from pre-revenue stage to $11.6 million. The round was led by CPG-focused private equity firms Skyview Capital, Beechwood Capital and The Big Squeeze.
Atomo Coffee, maker of “molecular coffee” made not from coffee beans but from upcycled ingredients, announced last week the close of a $9 million seed funding round. S2G Ventures, whose portfolio includes Beyond Meat and Ripple, along with AgFunder and Bessemer Venture Partners participated in the round.
Brands big and small benefit from maintaining good relationships with investment bankers, who often help them navigate important decisions when it comes to fundraising and valuation. On Thursday, September 3rd, brand leaders will have the opportunity to participate in 1-on-1 virtual meetings with investment bankers that have expertise facilitating dealmaking in the food and beverage industry.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) announced yesterday that it had collected a $575,000 fine from stevia producer Pure Circle USA, a division of PureCircle Limited, for importing sweetener that was made by prison labor in China.
On the next episode of Office Hours we'll discuss valuation trends in the natural products industry and the overall changes in fundraising and operational strategy that can help guide brands as the capital cycle changes. This look at valuations and at the overall investment market for rising food and beverage brands will be part of a special three-part content and networking series.
Hannah Crum, co-founder and president of influential trade association Kombucha Brewers International, spoke about how she manages a membership group comprised of “frenemies,” the recent launch of a Code of Practice for brewing kombucha and why it’s important to support the category’s evolution despite the misgivings of some within the space.
A proposed rule by USDA, ‘Strengthening Organic Enforcement,’ aims to curb organic fraud via more oversight of the organic marketplace, including production, handling and sales. If implemented, it would be the largest update to organic oversight in 20 years.
Health Ade Kombucha is set to debut its second new product line this year with this month’s launch of Health Ade Plus, a seven-SKU line featuring functional ingredients aimed at specific needs and use occasions.
Beer distributors widely anticipate Monster Energy to enter the hard seltzer category as early as next year, according to a survey conducted by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
