US-based hummus brand Little Sesame has successfully closed an $8.5m Series A funding round, led by InvestEco Capital.

Founded in New York in 2016 by Nick Wiseman and Ronen Tenne, Little Sesame’s range of organic fresh hummus products are available in nearly 3,000 stores across the US including Sprouts, Whole Foods Market and Erewhon.

The brand said it will use the Series A financing to significantly expand its manufacturing capabilities, product development and talent acquisition. In addition to InvestEco, the round saw participation from Watchfire Ventures, Santatera Capital, Beliade Consumer Partners and other CPG investors.

With the funds, Little Sesame plans to open a new 23,000-square-foot manufacturing site by the end of 2025. This will include a test kitchen for product innovation and in-house high-pressure processing capabilities. The new facility will increase production capabilities by 400%, enabling Little Sesame to produce up to 400,000lbs of hummus each week.

The added capacity will also help scale partnerships with regenerative chickpea farmers, supporting the company’s goal of transitioning 10,000 acres to regenerative management by 2027.

Additionally, Little Sesame’s investment in product innovation will support the development of new healthy snacking options, including an expansion of its Hummus for Kids line.

Nick Wiseman, CEO and co-founder of Little Sesame, said: “always believed in the power of hummus to connect people and bring joy to everyday eating. With this investment, we’ll be able to amplify that mission through expanded innovation, team growth, and a new world-class facility that brings our culinary vision to life at scale.”

Little Sesame has seen year-over-year growth surpassing 100%, contributing 46% of category growth at Whole Foods Market and expanding into over 1,000 new retail stores in 2024.