News for October 12, 2022

The Rounds raises $38M Series A funding

Sustainable household restocking service, The Rounds, is an online shopping and delivery service similar to Amazon Prime or Instacart in its timeliness, but boasting less of an environmental impact. Instead of disposable packaging, The Rounds uses a refill system when it drops off household goods. It also picks up customers’ empty containers to refill for next time. Redpoint Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz led the startup’s latest investment round.

Aura Bora brings total financing to $10M

The sparkling water brand recently closed a Series A funding round bringing its total funding to $10 million. Only last May, Aura Bora raised $2 million in seed funding for its canned beverages, naturally flavored with herbs, fruits and flowers. The latest funding round was led by Siddhi Capital, with participation from Consumer Ventures, Gaingels, Seaside Ventures and Simple Food Ventures. The new capital will increase operational capabilities, expand retail distribution and generate brand awareness.

Wicked Kitchen cooks up a $20M investment

Plant-based innovator Wicked Kitchen has had a busy year. Adding to it is this recent $20M investment, which included funding from actor and vegan advocate Woody Harrelson. Alongside announcing this latest funding, Wicked Kitchen reported that it has more than tripled its YOY sales growth. The company also recently expanded its portfolio by acquiring vegan seafood brand Good Catch. 

Gaia’s Farming Co. is shaking up the oat milk game by adding hemp

Launched in January 2022, Gaia’s is creating a sustainable hemp and oat milk beverage. The UK-based company recently raised £500,000 in seed funding, in addition to the £200,000 pre-seed round Gaia’s had last year. Investors were not disclosed, but Gaia’s says it will use the funding to expand its team and continue innovating in the hemp space. The company also recently partnered with Pledge 1%.

Pulp Culture raises $7M Series A funding

Pulp Culture, which creates functional beverages comprised of fermented juices, recently announced a new $7 million funding round led by The Kale Fund, Vibrant Ventures and Roger Lienhard. Marc Lustig, Kyle Vogt, Michael Mente and Raissa Gerona, Alexis Ohanian, Four Sigmatic, MUD\WTR and The Feed also participated. The new funds will be used to expand retail growth, grow in e-commerce and complete the construction of a new 13,000-square-foot facility. The company also recently opened a day club/juice bar with a 440-patron capacity called Siesta.

Investors are not swatting away this fly larvae protein powder

Livin Farms uses insect larvae as an alternative protein that it turns into a powder. Livin Farms recently announced a new $5.8 million in funding, in addition to its $3.8 seed funding. The startup currently has a 1,400 square meter farm in Austria, where it helps combat food waste by feeding it to the larvae. It takes about 11 days to turn the larvae into powder through proprietary technology, and what is left behind is used as fertilizer.

New capital is bringing vegan cheese to Spanish supermarkets

Mommus, a Spanish vegan cheesemaker, has partnered with Valencian Dasca Group to launch its vegan cheeses in Spanish stores. The new capital from Dasca will help Mommus increase production capacity and expand its distribution network. The company has an extensive vegan cheese portfolio and has won awards for its vegan camembert, which is created from 70% cashews and coated in camemberti penicillin (to replicate typical camembert’s white coating).

Maev announces $10M funding

Human-grade, unprocessed raw dog food brand Maev recently announced a successful $10 million funding round led by MG Partners with participation from BFG Partners, Willow Growth Partners, Springdale Ventures, DX Ventures, Contrary Capital, Good Friends and 1st Course Capital. Maev tripled its number of subscribers in 2022 alone, and has served up over 7 million pet meals since 2020. The new funding will support this rapid growth and product expansion, which is backed by veterinarian research.

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