SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., May 27 /PRNewswire/ — Sambazon, the pioneer and global market leader in acai beverages and food products, announced today that it has completed its financing round with southern California-based Rustic Canyon/Fontis Partners. RC/Fontis will join lead investor Verlinvest S.A. as Sambazon’s institutional partners.
“We are very excited about our partnership with RC/Fontis. Their experience and expertise in managing high growth companies and building brands will add tremendous value to our company,” said Ryan Black, CEO, Sambazon.
Since its founding nine years ago, Sambazon has continued to set the bar in the industry with quality organic acai products, and has created worldwide awareness of acai. Sambazon created the first vertically integrated supply chain for the acai berry and pioneered a sustainable agro-forestry business model in the Amazon Rainforest. Today, Sambazon products are found in thousands of supermarkets, health food stores and juice bars, including Whole Foods Market, Jamba Juice, and Kroger.
“Sambazon is the clear leader in the acai category, as well as a rapidly rising star in the broader beverage category. Sambazon has tremendous potential as one of the top lifestyle brands in the country,” said Renee LaBran, Partner in RC/Fontis and new Sambazon Director. “They are capturing market share at a rapid pace as they also broaden their distribution. As consumers continue to look for functional and nutritionally rich food and beverages, Sambazon’s future looks to be very bright”.
The transaction was advised by Partnership Capital Growth Advisors of San Francisco.
About Sambazon
Sambazon is the global market leader in acai – a delicious and powerfully nutritious purple berry that grows on palm trees in the Amazon Rainforest. Sambazon’s product portfolio of organic acai beverages, frozen acai puree products and acai supplements are enjoyed by world-class athletes and health-conscious consumers. In 2006, Condoleezza Rice awarded Sambazon the “Secretary of State Award for Corporate Excellence” for helping to create worldwide awareness and demand for the acai fruit while supporting local indigenous communities in Brazil. To learn more about Sambazon Acai, please visit www.sambazon.com
About Rustic Canyon/Fontis Partners
Rustic Canyon / Fontis Partners, LP (RC/Fontis) is a Southern California-based private equity fund, providing expansion capital for high growth companies with sales between $10M and $100M, in both control and non-control transactions. The fund has particular expertise in the rapidly-growing US Hispanic market, as well as other ethnic markets, and focuses on businesses in the consumer products (including food and beverage) and media industries, as well as business and consumer services. For more information, please visit www.rcfontis.com
About Partnership Capital Growth
Partnership Capital Growth Advisors is a San Francisco based boutique investment bank that provides full-service merger and acquisition, financing and capital structure advisory services to middle market companies in the area of healthy, active and sustainable living. www.pcg-advisors.com