NOSHscape: The Latest Food Brand News

Mezcla Raises $9.5M Series B To Fuel Brand Building, Distribution Expansion

Protein bar maker Mezcla has closed a $9.5 million Series B funding round led by Bluestein Ventures, with participation from Santatera Capital, Grupo DMI, Lever VC, Habitat Partners, Tonic Ventures and Steve Platt, former chief executive of BrightFarms and Icelandic Provisions. SG Credit Partners provided debt financing as part of the raise.

Mezcla markets a line of plant-based snack bars featuring a distinctive puff-crispy texture. The products are available in more than 9,000 retail outlets nationwide including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Publix, H-E-B and select Target, Albertsons, Kroger and Costco regions. Flavors include Pistachio Chocolate, Matcha Vanilla, Maple Blueberry, Hazelnut Chocolate and Frosted Strawberry.

According to founder and CEO Griffin Spolansky, Mezcla is at an inflection point: the product works, retention is strong, and consumers who try it “get it,” driving a 128% compounded annual growth rate since 2022.

The challenge has been communicating that clearly enough to earn a first purchase. Updated packaging, bigger flavor callouts and stronger food imagery are all part of reinforcing that positioning, Spolansky said.

Within the crowded bar set, Mezcla sits in a balanced middle ground – not a chalky, protein-maximizing functional bar, and not a candy bar disguised as a health snack. Each Mezcla bar delivers 10 grams of protein and 170 calories, made with pea protein, quinoa crisps, nuts, seeds and coconut oil.

“​​There are a lot of companies in the bar space that focus on numbers – ‘we have the best macros’ – but they don’t focus on the actual experience of eating food,” Spolansky told Nosh.

The brand is also evolving beyond its earlier, more niche “cultural flavors” identity toward a broader but still adventurous flavor strategy. The goal is to maintain excitement and uniqueness while expanding accessibility – offering bold, unexpected flavors alongside approachable ones.

The new funding will support distribution growth across natural, conventional, mass and club retail channels, as well as product innovation and brand building. Additionally, the company plans to expand its team across key functions including marketing, ecommerce and research and development.

Innovation, Spolansky noted, has historically been resource-intensive.

“When we want to focus on new flavors or improving the product, it’s been difficult because we have to bring in a food scientist who then has to learn the product,” he said. Building in-house expertise will help accelerate that process.

To date, the brand has raised a total of $16.5 million. Previous investors include an array of consumer products executives, venture capital firms and professional athletes.

As part of the latest round, Lindsay Levin, venture partner at Bluestein Ventures with prior senior marketing roles at PepsiCo and RXBAR, will join Mezcla’s board.

“Most protein bars ask consumers to trade off taste, texture, or functionality — Mezcla delivers on all three,” said Levin in a statement. “We’ve been tracking the brand for over three years and have seen exceptional performance across channels. We believe Mezcla is positioned to become a leading brand in the category as it continues to scale.”

Beyond brick-and-mortar, Mezcla plans to deepen its direct-to-consumer and Amazon businesses and expand partnerships with online retailers, including Misfits Market, where Spolansky sees significant untapped potential.

“We’re really excited to start exploring in much heavier depth,” Spolansky said.

HI-CHEW Parent Co. Morinaga Acquires My/Mochi Ice Cream

Morinaga & Co., the holding company of global confectionery manufacturer Morinaga, Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire My/Mochi Ice Cream for an undisclosed amount.

The transaction places My/Mochi, which has grown to the largest mochi ice cream brand in the U.S. after launching in 2017, into the portfolio of Tokyo-based Morinaga, a global corporation with annual revenues nearly $4 billion. Morinaga’s portfolio includes HI-CHEW, DARS chocolate, Choco Monaka Jumbo ice cream and Angel Pie.

“We are thrilled to partner with Morinaga & Co., a globally reputable company, whose scale and research and development capabilities will enhance our ability to innovate and grow,” said Craig Berger, president and CEO of My/Mochi, in a statement. “We’re looking forward to reaching a broader group of consumers and driving meaningful impact together in the years to come.”

While the brand launched in 2017 as My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream, its original mochi ice cream product was invented by Frances Hashimoto in the early 1990s. Today, My/Mochi produces a broad portfolio of mochi ice cream, non-dairy mochi ice cream and mochi sorbet products in flavors like Peach Mango, Salted Caramel and Dubai Chocolate.

In 2020, the Los Angeles, Calif.-based brand was acquired by Lakeview Capital, a Michigan-based family office, to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for bite-sized frozen novelties. The following year, My/Mo rebranded as My/Mochi and refreshed its packaging to unify its portfolio.

In the 52-week period ended January 25, My/Mochi achieved $80 million in sales, according to SPINS MULO data cited by the brand. However, the brand’s share of the frozen mochi category declined from 69.14% in 2024 to 64.30% in 2025, per Keychain.

The U.S. frozen novelty space is ripe with opportunity. According to Circana’s MULO + Conv 2025 52-week data, the category reached $8.6 billion in sales last year. As America is one of Morinaga’s priority global growth regions, the proposed transaction will enable the company to enter the U.S. frozen dessert market at full scale.

Following the acquisition, My/Mochi will remain headquartered in Los Angeles with Berger at the helm. The brand will leverage Morinaga’s expertise in frozen confectionery – which spans popsicles, ice cream bars and chocolate-coated ice cream – to enhance its product development capabilities and commercial strengths.

“In welcoming My/Mochi to the Morinaga family, we see a tremendous opportunity to build a sustainable snacking business positioned for future growth. We will honor the heritage and innovation behind My/Mochi while combining the strengths of our brands to bring even more fun and excitement to our consumers and customers across the U.S.,” said Teruhiro “Terry” Kawabe, president and CEO of Morinaga America, in a statement.

Harken Sweets Scores Major Kroger Expansion Backed by Selva Ventures

Harken Sweets, armed with new capital from Selva Ventures, is readying a major retail expansion with Kroger, adding roughly 2,000 doors and bringing its total retail footprint to around 7,500 stores.

The supermarket chain will carry the brand’s Lil’ Ones line, a snack-size spin on its low-sugar, high-fiber, plant-based candy bars, which feature date caramel and a creamy oat milk chocolate-flavored coating.

Lil’ Ones, which launched last year at Sprouts, has become Harken Sweets’ fastest-growing product line.

According to founder and CEO Katie Lefkowitz, the Kroger rollout marks a significant milestone after years of pursuing the retailer. The relationship began last spring during Kroger’s Nourishing Change Conference, where the brand was voted a top concept by Kroger employees, leading to a test in 500 stores ahead of the full rollout.

Lefkowitz said merchandising and growth strategy vary by retailer, with full-size bars in checkout lanes at chains like Walmart and Albertsons, while multipacks anchor other sets. Sampling and promotional support will play a major role in the Kroger launch, as trial continues to drive conversion, Lefkowitz emphasized.

The investment by Selva Ventures – no amount was noted – will support rapid retail expansion and team growth. Recent hires include a head of operations and strategy, a national sales director and a shopper and field marketing manager. The brand previously secured funding from Melitas Ventures.

“We feel incredibly lucky to have partners who really understand what we’re building and believe in the long game of better-for-you candy,” Lefkowitz said.

Kiva Dickinson, managing partner at Selva Ventures, said in an email to Nosh, “At Selva Ventures, we look for founders who are reshaping everyday consumer habits in ways that improve human health. Katie is doing exactly that — reimagining sweets so they can be both deeply satisfying and aligned with how people want to live today. Harken sits at the intersection of nostalgia, function and wellness, and we’re excited to support Katie as she builds what we believe can become a generational brand.”

Harken Sweets is also introducing 15-count multipacks of Lil’ Ones in Halloween and holiday packaging, a calculated extension within a category where nearly half of purchases are seasonal, Lefkowitz noted.

The occasions strategy focuses first on the natural channel, with broader rollout plans to follow and positions the company as a better-for-you alternative in a traditionally indulgent candy-driven space, she said.

“Halloween becomes this big guilt fest with your kids, where you want them to enjoy candy, but now they’re having, like, how many grams of sugar?” she said.

Prior to founding the business, Lefkowitz led operations at Caulipower for four years, growing the frozen food brand “from the early days to over $100 million” in sales and catapulting a white-hot cauliflower craze.

“That experience taught me how us little guys can really transform these comfort food categories by just thinking about them a little bit differently,” Lefkowitz previously told Nosh. “That’s the concept of Harken, but instead of pizza, it’s a candy bar, and instead of cauliflower it’s the date fruit.”

Dates have gained popularity in recent years as a nutritious, lower-glycemic sweetener often described as “nature’s candy.” The fruit is used in a variety of applications, including snacks, frozen desserts, beverages and condiments.