Headlines

Numilk Seeks National Expansion for Plant Milk Machines

Founded in 2017 by CEO Ari Tolwin and CPO Joseph Savino, Numilk has developed a proprietary vending machine capable of producing nearly any type of plant-based milk. Speaking with BevNET, Tolwin, who previously served as the founder and CEO of Happy Tree Maple Water, said the fountain model allows Numilk to immediately adjust to changing consumer and market demands.

BevNET Live Winter 2019: Health-Ade, SPINS on Selling Innovation With Data

In a video recorded at BevNET Live Winter 2019 in Santa Monica, California, Dew and Perteet Spencer, VP of CPG & enterprise sales at market research group SPINS, examined Health-Ade as a case study for effectively integrating data to scale in a fast-growing category, offering insight into how the kombucha brand was incubated in the natural channel and how analytics have helped it target the specific needs of health and wellness consumers.

BevNET Live 2019 Video: Brew Dr.’s Matt Thomas Talks Evolving While Scaling

In this video of his presentation at BevNET Live Winter 2019, Brew Dr. Kombucha founder and CEO Matt Thomas discussed how beverage entrepreneurs can adapt and thrive as they face the challenge of scaling, sharing the importance of adopting a mindset that embraces constant growth and reflected on his day-to-day work building the company over the course of 14 years.

Coca-Cola Acquires Full Ownership of Fairlife

The Coca-Cola Company has acquired the remaining stake in dairy producer Fairlife LLC, the company announced on January 3. The soda giant had been a minority investor in Chicago-based Fairlife since 2012, holding a 42.5% stake in the brand through a joint venture partnership with Select Dairy Producers.

Taste Radio Ep. 195: How ‘Customer First’ Fuels One Of L.A.’s Hottest Brands

Josh Zad, founder of trendsetting cafe chain Alfred Coffee, spoke about how the brand’s appeal is derived from its foundation as “a creative platform” focused on customer experience, why he believes that Alfred isn’t “doing anything groundbreaking” and how he’s attempting to replicate Alfred’s success with Calidad Beer, an upstart brand of Mexican-style lagers.

Borden Dairy Co. Files for Bankruptcy

On Sunday, Dallas-based Borden Dairy Co., at one point the world’s largest dairy producer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

OWYN Closes $7.5 M Round Led by Powerplant Ventures

Plant-based beverage maker OWYN has raised $7.5 million in a financing round led by Powerplant Ventures, the company announced today. Powerplant co-founder and partner Mark Rampolla will join the brand’s board of directors.

In the Courtroom: Circuit Court Backs Dr Pepper in ‘Diet’ Dispute

In this roundup of recent legal news, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District affirmed a lower court ruling dismissing a class action suit against Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. alleging Diet Dr Pepper’s use of the term “diet” implies it can help with weight loss or management. Meanwhile, a lawsuit between The Coca-Cola Company and the heirs of lemonade maker Hubert Hansen will move to a jury trial.

Taste Radio Insider Ep. 66: Next Level Advice On Investment, Goals, Profitability & More

This special edition of Taste Radio Insider highlights actionable insights and advice from interviews with six founders, creators and investors who joined us on the show during the second half of 2019. Our guests include Zico founder and Powerplant Ventures co-founder Mark Rampolla; Zoe Feldman, the director of the Chobani Incubator; Rick’s Picks founder and CEO Rick Field; Mike Cessario, the founder and CEO of Liquid Death; Harbinger Ventures founder Megan Bent and Chris Kirby, the founder of Ithaca Craft Hummus.

Smart Energy Takes C4 “Above the Neck”

Thanks to the addition of nootropic ingredients, the new product gives C4 a foothold outside of athletic performance or fitness-based use occasions, something that the brand’s consumers were already helping to drive.

BevNET Live Winter 2019: How Distributors Respond as Categories Evolve

In this video recorded at BevNET Live Winter 2019, KeHE’s Katie Paul and Alex Marx discuss how the distributor is embracing blurring category definitions and utilizing new technology to stay ahead of the industry, as well as how brands can act quickly and adapt to a constantly changing marketplace.