Finances and Deals: Page 32


  • A technician with Shiru works on making and testing plant-based ingredients.
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    Permission granted by Shiru
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    How Shiru will use its $17M funding round to transform ingredients through science

    The California company uses advanced biotechnology, chemical engineering and fermentation to replicate the functional proteins in animal-based food using the plant kingdom.

    By Oct. 27, 2021
  • Hershey, a2, milk
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    Courtesy of Hershey
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    Hershey enters premium milk with a2 partnership

    The chocolate beverage, which is scheduled to hit retailers' shelves in January, is the confectionery giant's first collaboration with a premium milk company.

    By Oct. 27, 2021
  • Trendline

    Mergers and acquisitions

    Declining sales and slowing consumption have more companies divesting brands, opening the door for smaller players and private equity firms to expand their portfolios.  

    By Food Dive staff
  • Tattooed Chef
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    Courtesy of Tattooed Chef
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    Tattooed Chef buys private-label bar maker for $18M

    The frozen plant-based meals company will gain access to a 47,000-square-foot manufacturing facility where it can bring a new category of products to market.

    By Jessi Devenyns • Oct. 27, 2021
  • Cans of plant-based Loma Linda Tuno.
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    Courtesy of Atlantic Natural Foods
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    Above Food to buy Atlantic Natural Foods for more than $30M

    The vertically integrated Canadian plant-based company's acquisition of the maker of Tuno and Loma Linda can help lead it to new customers, especially in the United States.

    By Oct. 26, 2021
  • Vita Coco
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    Permission granted by Vita Coco
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    From its birth in a bar to an IPO, Vita Coco sets its sights next on dominating healthy beverages

    Co-CEO Mike Kirban said his company, which grew sales 9% in 2020, is looking toward innovation and M&A to expand its portfolio of better-for-you, functional and plant-based drinks.

    By Oct. 26, 2021
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    Scott Barbour via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Why the food and beverage industry is building toward the future in 2021

    Pandemic-related increases in consumption and a revitalization of CPGs are leading to more big facility construction projects, but challenges in staffing and supply chain may cloud the industry's growth.

    By Oct. 25, 2021
  • Mission Barns and Silva Sausage partnered on a plant-based sausage made with cultivated fat.
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    Courtesy of Mission Barns
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    Mission Barns partnership produces plant-based sausage with cultivated fat

    To announce the agreement with Silva Sausage, the companies made Mission Chorizo Sausage in a scaled production run. There is no target date for a launch yet.

    By Oct. 21, 2021
  • MyBacon, a product of Atlast Food Co., is made from mushroom mycelium.
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    Courtesy of Atlast Food Co
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    Swift to acquire Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats for $90M

    With the acquisition of the smoked meats specialist, the JBS subsidiary is expanding its geographic footprint at a time when demand for bacon is growing.

    By Oct. 18, 2021
  • AeroFarms vertical farming
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    Courtesy of AeroFarms
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    AeroFarms calls off SPAC deal after funding dries up

    The vertical farming company was set to go public after its merger with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. in a deal that would have valued the new entity at $1.2 billion, but investors appeared to second-guess its potential.

    By Samantha Oller • Oct. 15, 2021
  • Givaudan headquarters
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    Courtesy of Givaudan
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    Givaudan bulks up natural colors business with purchase of DDW

    The acquisition marks the latest in a series of deals for the Switzerland-based company as it responds to growing demand for better-for-you offerings.

    By Jessi Devenyns • Oct. 14, 2021
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    Retrieved from Vita Coco on September 02, 2020
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    Keurig Dr Pepper affiliated entity to buy $20M in Vita Coco stock as part of IPO

    The soda, water, tea and coffee giant is Vita Coco’s largest distributor customer, accounting for 19% of its total net sales in 2020.

    By Oct. 13, 2021
  • A steak made from Rhiza, Better Meat Co.'s fermented analog, sits on a cutting board with the company's logo.
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    Permission granted by Better Meat Co
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    Hormel partners with The Better Meat Co. to develop meat analog products

    The agreement is the first between a legacy food company and a startup that makes substitutes by fermentation. 

    By Oct. 6, 2021
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    Fiona Goodall via Getty Images
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    Speeding up serendipity: How Kingdom Supercultures will use $25M to create better foods through fermentation

    The company is transforming microorganisms into cultures that can change the taste of food, lower the alcohol content of beverages and boost the appeal of plant-based protein. 

    By Oct. 5, 2021
  • A cup of flour
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    Courtesy of Ardent Mills
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    Ardent Mills to buy gluten-free Firebird Artisan Mills

    The purchase price was not disclosed for the North Dakota business, which provides more than 40 flour products from pulses, ancient grains and starches.

    By Sept. 30, 2021
  • The Urgent Company launched a trio of animal-free cream cheeses using Perfect Day's dairy proteins in September 2021.
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    Courtesy of The Urgent Company
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    Perfect Day raises $350M and announces animal-free cream cheese

    The proceeds from the round, tied for the largest single fundraising in the alternative protein space this year, will go toward science, innovation, product development and helping other startups scale.

    By Sept. 30, 2021
  • sovos
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    Permission granted by Sovos Brands
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    Sovos Brands' CEO finds success in embracing 'one-of-a-kind' disruptive products

    The owner of offerings such as Rao's and Noosa, which went public last week, has rapidly grown by touting high quality, clean-label ingredients.

    By Sept. 29, 2021
  • ShineWater
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    Courtesy of ShineWater
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    Anheuser-Busch to distribute vitamin D-loaded ShineWater

    The beer giant will use its own network to expand the functional drink's availability as consumers latch onto products that do more than provide sustenance or refreshment.

    By Sept. 27, 2021
  • HumanCo acquired a majority stake in Against the Grain, which makes gluten-free pizzas, in September 2021.
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    Courtesy of HumanCo
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    HumanCo gets $35M and buys gluten-free pizza maker Against the Grain

    The better-for-you holding company's latest funding round is full of notable investors ranging from Indra Nooyi to Cindy Crawford.

    By Sept. 22, 2021
  • cheese
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    Retrieved from Kraft Heinz.
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    Justice Department requires Polly-O and Athenos divestitures after Kraft Heinz-Lactalis deal

    Both sales were in process, but the federal government filed a lawsuit ordering them to happen, saying action is necessary to avoid monopolies.

    By Updated Nov. 11, 2021
  • banza, chikpeas, beyond meat, follow your heart, pizza, plant based
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    Courtesy of Banza
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    Banza partners with Beyond Meat, Follow Your Heart on pizzas

    The fast-growing maker of foods from chickpeas moved into pizza last fall after previously adding rice to complement its line of pasta.

    By Jessi Devenyns • Sept. 21, 2021
  • Various cheese varieties on a board
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    "Cheese" by Jules Morgan is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    DSM acquires dairy flavoring maker First Choice Ingredients for $453M

    The manufacturer uses fermentation and enzymatic modification to create hundreds of clean-label ingredients for both traditional and plant-based applications.

    By Jessi Devenyns • Sept. 9, 2021
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Kraft Heinz paying $62M to settle SEC investigation over its accounting

    The agency said the CPG giant engaged "in a long-running expense management scheme" that resulted in the restatement of several years of financial reporting. The company did not admit to or deny the findings.

    By , Updated Sept. 3, 2021
  • Duckweed
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    Courtesy of Parabel
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    Kellogg's VC arm doubles down on duckweed in $21.5M funding round

    For the second time in a little over a year, Eighteen94 Capital has invested in Plantible, a startup that is developing a protein from the aquatic plant said to be indistinguishable from animal protein.

    By Jessi Devenyns • Sept. 2, 2021