Out of the 150 companies that presented at NCN Investor Meetings up to and including NCN 6 in April 2010, 61 (41%) had received funding or completed a transaction as of April 2011. Read about three companies in the health and wellness space that have secured the financing needed to support their growth plans.

Immaculate Baking
In 2009, Sherbrooke Capital, an NCN Founder’s Circle member, introduced its portfolio company Immaculate Baking to Nutrition Capital Network. This up-and-coming marketer of natural and organic refrigerated dough products applied for and was accepted to present its business plan at NCN IV, our 2009 Spring Investor Meeting in New York. At the meeting, Immaculate Baking met LFE Capital, which led to a $5 million financing round including existing investors Sherbrooke Capital and Dogwood Equity.

Zico LLC
In 2008, Zico LLC was a Presenting Company at the NCN III Fall Investor Meeting in San Francisco. Its goal was to raise capital to position as the definitive leader in the emerging coconut water category and to enter into a distribution alliance with a major strategic beverage partner. ZICO caught the eye of numerous potential investors, including one of NCN’s Cornerstone Investors, Coca Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands Unit (VEB). In Fall 2009, ZICO received a minority investment from VEB as part of a $15 million round of financing that also included brand builder Suite 850 and individual investors. Coca-Cola Co.’s venture arm is positioned to develop emerging beverage brands.

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea
Founded in 2001, Zhena’s Gypsy Tea (ZGT) is a rapidly growing brand recognized for fostering growth of the Fair Trade and organic movements and for tea and herbal products that meet consumers' growing demand for unique flavor profiles, health, and social responsibility. The company successfully applied for the NCN IV Spring Investor Meeting where it presented its market opportunity, financial model and strategic objectives, including building its growth platform, penetrating additional channels and remaining a game changer in the tea category. ZGT has since received a $3.2 million investment by Westland Ventures LLC. Partnership Capital Growth Advisors, an NCN Investment Banking Partner, served as the exclusive financial advisor in the transaction, which closed in the second quarter of 2009.