Dive Summary:

• Crowdfunding platform Circle Up raised $7.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Union Square Ventures and including Google Ventures, Maveron and Rose Park Advisors.
• The high-growth consumer product companies funded by Circle Up primarily include snack food makers like Brooklyn-based children's snack-maker Little Duck Organics and Austin-based kale chip maker Rhythm Superfoods.
• The company also has partnerships with P&G and General Mills aimed at providing young Circle Up companies with opportunities for mentorship and acquisition.

From the article:

... The platform offers investors the opportunity to invest in an asset class otherwise off limits to those without a substantial network, while increasing the speed and availability of capital raises for consumer-product companies. According CircleUp COO and cofounder Rory Eakin, consumer product companies often spend a year seeking capital from friends, family and other contacts. Those funded through the site typically close a round in eight weeks. Recent companies funded through the platform include Little Duck Organics, a Brooklyn-based maker of organic children’s snacks, and Rhythm Superfoods, an Austin-based maker of kale chips. ...