Oregon-based Riff Cold Brewed announced last week that it has named Adam Hertel as chief revenue officer; DAHlicious Organic announced that it has appointed former Mondelez International senior director Pamela Goldberg as CEO; Goldstein leaves Organic Valley for CMO role at cannabis cultivator and dispensary INSA
The food and beverage industry continues to step up and lend support to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this roundup, we highlight brands’ efforts to give back, including Kate Farms’ and Upwell’s donations to at-risk seniors in Native American communities, Califia Farms’ support for baristas and cafes and a pop-up grocery store for healthcare workers featuring Bolthouse Farms products.
Packing 14 servings of organic, fair trade coffee per 6 oz. glass bottle, Jot Coffee, a new brand of concentrated “ultra coffee” co-founded by REBBL’s Palo Hawken and Andrew Gordon of Square Organics, aims to use a combination of convenience and quality to open new opportunities in e-commerce.
Flow Alkaline Spring Water announced today it has closed a $45 million Series D funding round, backed by a group of individual investors that includes pop star Post Malone and former MLB champion Chase Utley. The financing will go towards the company’s goal of scaling distribution and production and doubling its consumer base by next year.
B2B food tech startup Plantible announced this week the close of a $4.6M seed round, co-led by Hong Kong-based early-stage venture capital group Vectr Ventures and New York-based Lerer Hippeau, along with Kellogg’s venture arm eighteen94 Capital and San Francisco-based Food for Thought Worldwide (FTW) Ventures.
While their latest venture, Earth & Star, is a sharp departure from BluePrint, co-founders Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss are applying the same principles that proved so successful in juice as they look to put their spin on a new product: functional mushroom-infused oat milk lattes.
BevNET and NOSH’s interactive streaming video series, Office Hours, is returning on Tuesday, May 5 at 3 p.m. ET. This edition will focus on the COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions to the review and reset process for categories and products, and the steps brands can consider when reaching out to retail buyers.
We spoke with Bubble founder & CEO Jessica Young about how she drew upon her experience as a chef and product developer to launch the health-focused online marketplace, how Bubble is enhancing visibility and sales for small brands via the platform and how she assessed opportunities and challenges for the company and thoughtfully communicated each to investors.
In a webinar, three leaders in the natural grocery space -- KeHE Distributors VP of category management and growth solutions Kate Paul, Independent Natural Food Retailers Association interim CEO Pat Sheridan, and Natural Co-Op Grocers senior director of purchasing Ben Nauman -- discussed how distributors and retailers are responding to the fast-changing environment and what brands can do to stay on top of the crisis.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many high-profile sustainability initiatives have taken a back seat to single-use packaging, with many grocery stores banning reusable bags and Starbucks no longer accepting refillable mugs. Despite this, Loop is going all in on reusable packaging, launching its waste-free CPG delivery platform nationwide through retailers Walgreens and Kroger with heavyweight brand partners including PepsiCo, Nestlé and Unilever.
Dominica Bay is the founder and CEO of Vibe Life Hemp Kombucha, a startup company based in Vancouver, Canada. The brand employs a longer fermentation process and uses fermented stevia to craft a low sugar product. Other ingredients include fermented hemp, botanicals and cold-pressed juices for flavor and functionality.
April’s new product launches were all about caffeine and CBD, with energy-boosting launches from Talking Rain and Moonlight Beverage Co and hemp-infused offerings from Aprch, Tempo and CBD Living. Check out the gallery for notable April releases, including the latest flavor from MTN DEW and Pathwater’s charitable Earth Day bottle.
Despite being one of the established veterans of the functional beverage set, Neuro is still looking for ways to expand its product range. Along with introducing powdered products, the California-based company is this month introducing its eighth SKU, Probucha, a shelf-stable probiotic drink intended to promote gut health.
Does being the biggest brand in a beverage category, as well as the one that brought it into the public sphere, give you the right to reorganize it as it evolves? If you’re GT Dave, founder of GT’s Kombucha, the answer is “yes.”
