Hormel Foods-owned Justin’s has entered into the refrigerated bar category with the launch of a new range of Almond Butter Protein Bars in the US. Available in three varieties – Almond Butter, Honey Almond Butter and Dark Chocolate Chip Almond Butter – the brand claims that the bars have 40% less sugar than leading refrigerated bars. Each bar contains 10g of plant-based protein and is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and Non-GMO Project Verified. The Almond Butter variety is made with organic maple syrup, while the Dark Chocolate Chip and Honey varieties are made with organic honey. The new protein range expands Justin’s snacking portfolio that includes organic nut butters, nut butter cups and nut-butter covered nuts. "I'm excited to raise the bar on protein and share my latest take on plant-based snacking with our Refrigerated Almond Butter Protein Bars," said Justin Gold, founder of Justin's. He added: "We've heard from our fans that they wanted us to make a plant-based protein bar, and we can't wait to hear about all the adventures they'll fuel with our new bars." Justin’s Almond Butter Protein Bars will be available to purchase at Whole Foods and Target stores nationwide beginning this month.

Plant-based beverage company Califia Farms has appointed Dave Ritterbush as its new CEO, following the retirement of company founder Greg Steltenpohl. Former CEO and founder of Califia Farms, Greg Steltenpohl, will remain on the board as an executive director. Most recently, Ritterbush has served as president and CEO of Quest Nutrition. During this time, he guided the company through its $1 billion acquisition by The Simply Good Foods Company last year. Prior to this, Ritterbush held the position of CEO at better-for-you snack company Popchips, and served as president and CEO of Premier Nutrition. He has also served as vice president and general manager of Red Bull North America and had a long tenure at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream. “With Califia’s innovation and commitment to helping people and the planet, there is endless potential for continued growth, especially as an increasing number of consumers seek plant-based options,” said Ritterbush. He added: “I look forward to building on Greg’s vision and continuing the company’s commitment to innovation. Having Greg on the board will allow us to tap into his deep knowledge and passion, which will be invaluable.” Steltenpohl also founded Odwalla Juice Company – which was later acquired by The Coca-Cola Company – before launching Califia Farms in 2010. “I am super proud of what we’ve accomplished at Califia since we launched the brand ten years ago. Now is the perfect time in the company’s evolution for this next step,” said Steltenpohl. He continued: “We were committed to finding the right person to serve as our next CEO, and I couldn’t be more excited to hand over the reins to such a talented and well-respected leader. With his deep experience in CPG and nutrition, Dave is the ideal person to continue taking the company forward as a leader in the plant-based food and beverage space.” In January, the US company secured $225 million in Series D financing led by the Qatar Investment Authority to fuel its innovation and growth. Since then, Califia Farms has expanded its plant-based milk portfolio with the launch of Protein Oat. #CalifiaFarms #plantbaseddairy #US

Plant-based beverage company Califia Farms has appointed Dave Ritterbush as its new CEO, following the retirement of company founder Greg Steltenpohl. Former CEO and founder of Califia Farms, Greg Steltenpohl, will remain on the board as an executive director. Most recently, Ritterbush has served as president and CEO of Quest Nutrition. During this time, he guided the company through its $1 billion acquisition by The Simply Good Foods Company last year. Prior to this, Ritterbush held the position of CEO at better-for-you snack company Popchips, and served as president and CEO of Premier Nutrition. He has also served as vice president and general manager of Red Bull North America and had a long tenure at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream. "With Califia's innovation and commitment to helping people and the planet, there is endless potential for continued growth, especially as an increasing number of consumers seek plant-based options," said Ritterbush. He added: "I look forward to building on Greg's vision and continuing the company's commitment to innovation. Having Greg on the board will allow us to tap into his deep knowledge and passion, which will be invaluable." Steltenpohl also founded Odwalla Juice Company – which was later acquired by The Coca-Cola Company – before launching Califia Farms in 2010. "I am super proud of what we've accomplished at Califia since we launched the brand ten years ago. Now is the perfect time in the company's evolution for this next step," said Steltenpohl. He continued: “We were committed to finding the right person to serve as our next CEO, and I couldn't be more excited to hand over the reins to such a talented and well-respected leader. With his deep experience in CPG and nutrition, Dave is the ideal person to continue taking the company forward as a leader in the plant-based food and beverage space." In January, the US company secured $225 million in Series D financing led by the Qatar Investment Authority to fuel its innovation and growth. Since then, Califia Farms has expanded its plant-based milk portfolio with the launch of Protein Oat.

Good Karma Foods, a US producer of plant-based dairy alternatives, has repurchased its majority ownership from Dean Foods and secured new investment from Valor Siren Ventures (VSV). Since 2017, Dean Foods has made multiple investments in Good Karma and the dairy company became a majority shareholder in 2018, as it was looking to delve more into the dairy-free space. However, in November 2019, Dean Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it struggled with continuing declines in consumer milk consumption and private label competition. Good Karma is not the only company that has repurchased itself since the majority of Dean’s assets were purchased by Dairy Farmers of America. Original founder of Uncle Matt’s Organic, Matt McLean, acquired the juice brand back in May this year. Following its buyout, Good Karma said it will refocus on its ‘Inspiring Goodness’ mission with the support of new investors. The producer of flaxseed-based milk and yogurt alternatives said it raised ‘significant’ new capital in a funding round from VSV and existing investor 2x Consumer Products Growth Partners. According to Good Karma, its partnership with VSV will enable it to accelerate its distribution expansion into new and existing channels, innovate in a variety of plant-based categories, as well as grow its brand-building and consumer awareness programmes. “We could not have found a better partner than Valor Siren Ventures to help us bring more plant-based goodness to more places, and are honoured to be among the mission-driven teams and brands in their portfolio,” said Doug Radi, CEO of Good Karma. Jonathan Shulkin, VSV fund manager and partner at Valor Equity Partners, added: “We are delighted to welcome Good Karma into our Valor Siren Ventures portfolio as the brand has a demonstrated track record of delivering innovation in categories in need of inspiring plant-based options.” Following the transaction, Good Karma will continue to operate as a Colorado-based independent company led by its existing leadership team. No financial details of the transactions were disclosed. #DeanFoods #US #plantbaseddairy #ValorSirenVentures #GoodKarmaFoods

Good Karma Foods, a US producer of plant-based dairy alternatives, has repurchased its majority ownership from Dean Foods and secured new investment from Valor Siren Ventures (VSV). Since 2017, Dean Foods has made multiple investments in Good Karma and the dairy company became a majority shareholder in 2018, as it was looking to delve more into the dairy-free space. However, in November 2019, Dean Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it struggled with continuing declines in consumer milk consumption and private label competition. Good Karma is not the only company that has repurchased itself since the majority of Dean’s assets were purchased by Dairy Farmers of America. Original founder of Uncle Matt’s Organic, Matt McLean, acquired the juice brand back in May this year. Following its buyout, Good Karma said it will refocus on its ‘Inspiring Goodness’ mission with the support of new investors. The producer of flaxseed-based milk and yogurt alternatives said it raised ‘significant’ new capital in a funding round from VSV and existing investor 2x Consumer Products Growth Partners. According to Good Karma, its partnership with VSV will enable it to accelerate its distribution expansion into new and existing channels, innovate in a variety of plant-based categories, as well as grow its brand-building and consumer awareness programmes. “We could not have found a better partner than Valor Siren Ventures to help us bring more plant-based goodness to more places, and are honoured to be among the mission-driven teams and brands in their portfolio,” said Doug Radi, CEO of Good Karma. Jonathan Shulkin, VSV fund manager and partner at Valor Equity Partners, added: “We are delighted to welcome Good Karma into our Valor Siren Ventures portfolio as the brand has a demonstrated track record of delivering innovation in categories in need of inspiring plant-based options.” Following the transaction, Good Karma will continue to operate as a Colorado-based independent company led by its existing leadership team. No financial details of the transactions were disclosed.

Climax Foods, a developer of plant-based food technology, has secured $7.5 million in seed funding as it aims to unlock smarter methods to create plant-based food. Founded in 2019, the start-up uses data science with the intention of finding a smarter and simpler way to convert plants into food. It aims to find methods which require less processing and results in products with the same or better taste as its animal-based counterparts at a accessible price. Investors that participated in the round include At One Ventures, Manta Ray Ventures, S2G Ventures, Prelude Ventures, ARTIS Ventures and Global Founders Capital. The start-up says the funding will fuel research in taste, flavour, texture, and nutrition of the most desired animal-based food categories, beginning with cheese. Based in California, Climax Foods uses artificial intelligence tools to discover how plants can be optimally used to replace diets currently centred around animals. “Climax Foods is tackling the same opportunity to change the market and the food system, but they are doing it with an entirely novel technological approach,” said Sanjeev Krishnan, chief investment officer of S2G Ventures, which invested in Beyond Meat. He added: “They are using data science to produce a new category of foods that will not merely compete with, but has the potential to out-compete, traditional proteins in terms of taste, nutritional density, and price. The machine intelligence approach Climax Foods is pioneering is critical for harnessing the vast number of ways raw ingredients and natural processes can be used to create the ultimate digital recipes.” Oliver Zahn, Climax Foods CEO, started the company with the intention of creating a more sustainable food system. He said: “Today, more than 90% of all mammalian animals and more than 70% of all birds on the planet exist for the sole purpose of metabolising plants and being turned into food. “This industry is complex and wasteful, creating as much climate change as all modes of transportation combined, and using more than a third of the earth’s water and usable land. By speeding up food science innovation, Climax Foods is able to convert plants into equally craveable foods without the environmental impact.” Tom Chi, founder of At One Ventures, added: “Climax Foods is unlocking a frontier of how expressive we can be with plant-based foods. They are laying the foundation for a future where healthy, affordable, plant-based foods rival or even surpass the flavour of the animal-based foods they are replacing.” #US #S2GVentures #AtOneVentures #sustainability #ClimaxFoods #plantbased

Frozen food producer Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods has introduced a new meat alternative patty, the Perfect Turk’y Burger. Free from gluten and soy, the Perfect Turk’y Burger is made with carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, and contains 20g of plant protein. In 2019, the New Jersey-based brand launched the first product in its Perfect meat alternative line, the Perfect Burger. Dr. Praeger’s claims that its new Perfect Turk’y offering has the look, taste and texture of a turkey burger, without the meat. “At Dr. Praeger’s we’re always innovating and looking to create new products that fill the needs of our ever-evolving community,” said Dr. Praeger’s CEO, Larry Praeger. “As the average consumer seeks out more options for meatless protein with real ingredients, we knew it was time to expand our Perfect product line. With few other meatless ‘turkey’ burgers on the market, we knew we needed to deliver. “I’m proud to say the Perfect Turk’y Burger now offers variety to the lineup to add an extra meat’y option to help Americans easily consume less meat while still eating clean and getting their vegetables in.” The Perfect Turk’y Burger is available in the US, for $4.99 per two-pack, at grocery stores nationwide, including Kroger, Sprouts, Wegmans and Publix. #DrPraegersSensibleFoods #US

Climax Foods, a developer of plant-based food technology, has secured $7.5 million in seed funding as it aims to unlock smarter methods to create plant-based food. Founded in 2019, the start-up uses data science with the intention of finding a smarter and simpler way to convert plants into food. It aims to find methods which require less processing and results in products with the same or better taste as its animal-based counterparts at a accessible price. Investors that participated in the round include At One Ventures, Manta Ray Ventures, S2G Ventures, Prelude Ventures, ARTIS Ventures and Global Founders Capital. The start-up says the funding will fuel research in taste, flavour, texture, and nutrition of the most desired animal-based food categories, beginning with cheese. Based in California, Climax Foods uses artificial intelligence tools to discover how plants can be optimally used to replace diets currently centred around animals. “Climax Foods is tackling the same opportunity to change the market and the food system, but they are doing it with an entirely novel technological approach,” said Sanjeev Krishnan, chief investment officer of S2G Ventures, which invested in Beyond Meat. He added: “They are using data science to produce a new category of foods that will not merely compete with, but has the potential to out-compete, traditional proteins in terms of taste, nutritional density, and price. The machine intelligence approach Climax Foods is pioneering is critical for harnessing the vast number of ways raw ingredients and natural processes can be used to create the ultimate digital recipes.” Oliver Zahn, Climax Foods CEO, started the company with the intention of creating a more sustainable food system. He said: “Today, more than 90% of all mammalian animals and more than 70% of all birds on the planet exist for the sole purpose of metabolising plants and being turned into food. “This industry is complex and wasteful, creating as much climate change as all modes of transportation combined, and using more than a third of the earth's water and usable land. By speeding up food science innovation, Climax Foods is able to convert plants into equally craveable foods without the environmental impact." Tom Chi, founder of At One Ventures, added: "Climax Foods is unlocking a frontier of how expressive we can be with plant-based foods. They are laying the foundation for a future where healthy, affordable, plant-based foods rival or even surpass the flavour of the animal-based foods they are replacing.”

Frozen food producer Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods has introduced a new meat alternative patty, the Perfect Turk’y Burger. Free from gluten and soy, the Perfect Turk’y Burger is made with carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, and contains 20g of plant protein. In 2019, the New Jersey-based brand launched the first product in its Perfect meat alternative line, the Perfect Burger. Dr. Praeger’s claims that its new Perfect Turk’y offering has the look, taste and texture of a turkey burger, without the meat. “At Dr. Praeger’s we’re always innovating and looking to create new products that fill the needs of our ever-evolving community,” said Dr. Praeger’s CEO, Larry Praeger. “As the average consumer seeks out more options for meatless protein with real ingredients, we knew it was time to expand our Perfect product line. With few other meatless 'turkey' burgers on the market, we knew we needed to deliver. “I’m proud to say the Perfect Turk’y Burger now offers variety to the lineup to add an extra meat’y option to help Americans easily consume less meat while still eating clean and getting their vegetables in.” The Perfect Turk’y Burger is available in the US, for $4.99 per two-pack, at grocery stores nationwide, including Kroger, Sprouts, Wegmans and Publix.

US snack brand PeaTos has raised $7 million in a Series A funding round as it aims to continue to disrupt the junk food snack market. The round was led by Jackson Springs Management Partners (JSMP) and Connetic Ventures, with additional investment from celebrities such as Hall of Fame basketball player Tracy McGrady. Established in 2018, PeaTos offers a portfolio of snacks made using peas and natural ingredients. While it aims to resemble ‘junk food’, the snacks are gluten-free, Non-GMO and contain no added MSG or artificial ingredients. Available in two styles – crunchy curls and crunchy rings – the snacks claim to contain double the amount of protein and three-times the fibre than its corn-based counterparts. “So many survey respondents have communicated to us that they like the taste and crunch of PeaTos more than their old school counterparts. Kids love PeaTos and moms can trade out traditional ‘junk food’ brands like Cheetos and Funyuns with PeaTos,” said Nick Desai, founder and CEO of PeaTos. According to the start-up, in less than two years, it has experienced “massive growth” in both the ecommerce space and in retailers such as Krogers, Safeway and Costco. Desai continued: “While the global pandemic has been a very challenging time for so many, PeaTos has been fortunate to see strong growth in all channels. We are ecstatic to have received such an enthusiastic response to our raise as well as to welcome Greg Pearlman of JSMP to the board.” Co-founder Greg Pearlman of JSMP added: “We are excited to be working with Nick and the PeaTos team to help drive the growth of this exciting and on-trend product.” Previous investors include Apu Mody, former president of Mars Food North America, Carlos Barroso, former head of global R&D for Frito Lay, and Carl E. Lee Jr, former president and CEO at Snyder’s Lance. #US #ConneticVentures #PeaTos #JacksonSpringsManagementPartners #peaprotein

US snack brand PeaTos has raised $7 million in a Series A funding round as it aims to continue to disrupt the junk food snack market. The round was led by Jackson Springs Management Partners (JSMP) and Connetic Ventures, with additional investment from celebrities such as Hall of Fame basketball player Tracy McGrady. Established in 2018, PeaTos offers a portfolio of snacks made using peas and natural ingredients. While it aims to resemble 'junk food', the snacks are gluten-free, Non-GMO and contain no added MSG or artificial ingredients. Available in two styles – crunchy curls and crunchy rings – the snacks claim to contain double the amount of protein and three-times the fibre than its corn-based counterparts. “So many survey respondents have communicated to us that they like the taste and crunch of PeaTos more than their old school counterparts. Kids love PeaTos and moms can trade out traditional ‘junk food’ brands like Cheetos and Funyuns with PeaTos,” said Nick Desai, founder and CEO of PeaTos. According to the start-up, in less than two years, it has experienced “massive growth” in both the ecommerce space and in retailers such as Krogers, Safeway and Costco. Desai continued: “While the global pandemic has been a very challenging time for so many, PeaTos has been fortunate to see strong growth in all channels. We are ecstatic to have received such an enthusiastic response to our raise as well as to welcome Greg Pearlman of JSMP to the board.” Co-founder Greg Pearlman of JSMP added: “We are excited to be working with Nick and the PeaTos team to help drive the growth of this exciting and on-trend product.” Previous investors include Apu Mody, former president of Mars Food North America, Carlos Barroso, former head of global R&D for Frito Lay, and Carl E. Lee Jr, former president and CEO at Snyder's Lance.

Danish company Plant Jammer, creator of an AI-driven cooking assistant, has raised €4 million in an investment round. Using a combination of artificial intelligence, deep data, and food and flavour science, the Plant Jammer app instantly and dynamically creates plant-based food recipes based upon available ingredients. The Danish company’s recipe technology allows users to pick and substitute ingredients, allowing for personalisation along the lines of health, taste or sustainability. This new injection of capital comes from Danish investment firm Vækstfonden, Dr. Oetker and Miele Ventures. “Our declared mission is to help one billion people across the globe eat sustainably,” said Michael Haase, founder and CEO of Plant Jammer. “Traditional sustainability is often supply-driven, where for example factories produce plant-based meats, electric cars, or more effective power plants. “Plant Jammer takes a different approach: we provide the end consumers themselves the inspiration and tools they need to make a proactive choice, to enable them to break habits and create a greener lifestyle – and to share their experience with their friends.” Eric-Alan Rapp, partner in VF Venture, the direct investment arm of Vækstfonden, added: “Plant Jammer is helping people move towards plant-based diets and reduce food waste – two of the largest and most important issues on the planet that we have to address in order to reach our global climate goals. “Many people want to do this, but few people know how – or where to start. Michael and his team know how; they are applying deep science in a unique way to help make health and sustainability part of people’s daily lives.” According to Plant Jammer, more than 100,000 households in Germany, the UK, Denmark and the US are already using its recipe technology. #Denmark #DrOetker #PlantJammer