Dive Summary:
- Major silicon Valley investors have begun putting their money into food industry startups, including Blue Bottle Coffee and other boutique brands.
- These investors include the owners of Google, Instagram and other high profile investors looking for the next big thing.
- While opponents have attributed these investments to vanity, many of the investors have cited both moral concerns as well as the need to fight back against the dilution of mass produced products.
From the article:
"SAN FRANCISCO—There is a frothy new deal in Silicon Valley, and it gives a taste of where some investors are pouring money these days.
A group of well-known technology investors has bought a $20 million controlling stake in Blue Bottle Coffee, a specialty coffee retailer that is gaining fame among the Bay Area's hipsters. Among the group: Tony Conrad, a partner at True Ventures, Google Ventures, Twitter Inc. co-founder Evan Williams, and Kevin Rose, the founder of the Digg website."
