News for November 21, 2024
Recent Transactions in the Nutrition and Health & Wellness Industry:
Klim secures $27.6M to scale regenerative agriculture solutions
Berlin, Germany-based startup Klim has raised $27.6 million in Series A funding, marking Germany’s largest agtech Series A of 2024. Founded in 2020, Klim provides a digital platform empowering over 3,500 farmers—managing 700,000 hectares (5% of German farmland)—to adopt regenerative practices. The funding, led by BNP Paribas with participation from Earthshot Ventures, Rabobank and others, will support international expansion, platform upgrades and a financial services component to accelerate adoption.
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Shiru raises $20.1M to scale AI-powered ingredient discovery
California AI startup Shiru has secured $20.1 million in a Series B funding round led by S2G Ventures, with CPT Capital, Lux Capital, Nourish Ventures and Meach Cove Capital also participating. This brings Shiru’s total funding to $45.2 million and will fuel the expansion of its ProteinDiscovery.ai platform, which launched in May, and its ingredient portfolio.
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Happy Plant Protein raises $2M to scale sustainable plant protein technology
Happy Plant Protein, a spinoff from Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre, has secured $2 million in pre-seed funding led by Nordic Foodtech VC, with support from Butterfly Ventures and Business Finland. The funding will advance the company’s patented technology, enabling local food manufacturers to produce high-quality plant proteins using existing extrusion
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BelliWelli raises $10M to disrupt fiber market
Fiber brand BelliWelli has secured $10 million in Series B funding from Invus to expand its team and retail footprint. The brand’s Daily Fiber drink powder has doubled its Walmart distribution to 2,600 stores and enter Target. BelliWelli aims to “shake up big fiber” by offering clean, tasty products with added probiotics, collagen and electrolytes.
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OmniActive acquires ENovate Biolife to expand health ingredient portfolio
OmniActive Health Technologies has acquired ENovate Biolife, a Mumbai, India-based developer of clinically studied botanical ingredients. The acquisition builds on a successful 2019 partnership and strengthens OmniActive’s focus on innovative health solutions for sports nutrition, joint and back support, men’s health, heart health and emerging areas like muscle and digestive health. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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UpSnack Brands acquires Pipcorn and Spudsy to expand sustainable snack offerings
UpSnack Brands has acquired Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks, known for heirloom corn snacks, and Spudsy, a leader in upcycled sweet potato products. Joe DePetrillo, CEO of Pipcorn, will lead UpSnack as its CEO. Ashley Rogers, Spudsy’s founder and former CEO, will transition to CEO of Sprinkles CPG, another KarpReilly portfolio brand. The acquisition aims to strengthen both brands’ market positions and sustainability impact. Financial details were not disclosed.
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Celsius Holdings acquires Big Beverages facility to drive innovation and growth
Celsius Holdings has purchased a 170,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse facility from longtime co-packer Big Beverages for $75 million. The acquisition enhances Celsius’ flexibility and innovation capabilities in the competitive energy drink market, which is forecast to reach $30 billion in five years. The Charlotte, North Carolina, facility allows Celsius to adapt production to consumer demand and launch limited-time offerings.
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Molson Coors acquires majority stake in Zoa Energy to expand beverage portfolio
Molson Coors Beverage Company has acquired a majority stake in Zoa Energy, a brand co-founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman. The deal strengthens Molson Coors’ position in the growing market for better-for-you energy drinks, integrating Zoa into its beverage portfolio.
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Oddlygood acquires Rude Health to expand plant-based presence in UK and Europe
Oddlygood, a Nordic plant-based food and drinks company owned by Finnish dairy firm Valio, has acquired UK-based Rude Health to increase its market share in the UK and European plant-based drinks category. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Oddlygood plans to leverage Rude Health’s success in building a distinctive brand to accelerate its growth beyond the Nordic countries.
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Final Boss Sour raises $3M to expand sour snack brand with gaming appeal
Final Boss Sour, a gaming-themed sour candy brand, has secured $3 million in seed funding led by Science Inc., with participation from Aoki Labs, F4 Fund, GFR Fund, Uncommon Denominator, Jason Calcanis’ Launch Fund and The Syndicate. The funding will support scaling inventory, expanding the team and growing partnerships with creators and influencers. With Science Inc.’s backing, Final Boss Sour plans to meet growing demand and expand distribution.
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Dohler partners with Nukoko to scare cocoa-free chocolate from fava beans
Döhler, a global leader in food ingredients, has invested in UK-based startup Nukoko to industrialize the production of the “world’s first” cocoa-free chocolate made from fava beans. This collaboration aims to address the challenges of traditional cocoa production including rising prices, climate change impacts and socio-economic issues by offering a sustainable and
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Eatable Adventures invests $2.1M in startups driving sustainability
| Food-tech accelerator Eatable Adventures has invested $2.1 million in seven agri-food start-ups, expanding its portfolio to 16 companies: Beadroots, Afalbox, Alkelux, Asteasier, Nous, Vortex and Mama Science. The funding supports innovations in biotechnology, AI, IoT and genetics, addressing challenges like waste reduction and supply chain optimization with a focus on sustainability, resource efficiency and social impact. |
Disclaimer: NCN does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any NCN news item. Before relying on any NCN News item the information should be independently verified.
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