Finances and Deals: Page 3
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Deep Dive
With a portfolio of iconic snacks, Hostess Brands sweetens its business for another century
Just a decade after bankruptcy, the Twinkies maker is thriving under CEO Andy Callahan, who has prioritized innovation and moving its iconic offerings into faster-growing occasions.
By Christopher Doering • March 30, 2022 -
Plant-based food sales hit $7.4B in 2021
Statistics from SPINS, the Good Food Institute and the Plant Based Foods Association showed the segment's growth moderated last year, but continued to increase at a rate three times larger than food in general.
By Megan Poinski • March 30, 2022 -
Ynsect expands to the US with mealworm farm addition
This gives the France-based company a foothold toward making ingredients for human food in America, which are likely to be targeted to the sports nutrition and health markets.
By Megan Poinski • March 29, 2022 -
After a record 2021, food tech investments will keep coming, conference panel says
At Future Food-Tech in San Francisco last week, several investors detailed why people are getting excited about the space and what will lead the dollars to continue to flow.
By Megan Poinski • March 28, 2022 -
CP Kelco makes plant-based a priority with Shiru partnership and new ingredients line
The ingredient company is targeting meat alternative makers that want cleaner labels with more natural options, and working with the tech startup to develop and commercialize similarly functioning proteins in plants.
By Megan Poinski • March 24, 2022 -
Local Bounti to acquire indoor farming operator Pete's for $122.5M
The company's first acquisition since going public last November will allow it to expand its retail distribution footprint from roughly 500 stores to more than 10,000.
By Samantha Oller • March 16, 2022 -
Tender raises $12M to make more realistic plant-based meat
After its beginnings creating scaffolding for cultivated meat, the company is now spinning plant fibers like cotton candy to develop analogs that have a more similar texture to animal meat.
By Megan Poinski • March 15, 2022 -
Nearly 80% of food and beverage companies have passed on higher costs to customers, survey finds
According to Mazars' research, 83% of respondents expected sales to increase in 2022, while 54% identified higher shipping costs as their primary concern.
By Christopher Doering • March 14, 2022 -
How Yali Bio plans to revolutionize alternative fats
The startup, which recently closed a $3.9 million seed round, is using precision fermentation to recreate naturally occurring fats for plant-based meat and dairy products.
By Megan Poinski • March 10, 2022 -
Ginkgo Bioworks partners with Phytolon on natural colors
The biotech powerhouse will work to improve and scale processes of the Israel-based company that uses precision fermentation to make yellow, purple and pink pigments.
By Megan Poinski • March 3, 2022 -
Disruption has drawn ingredient suppliers and food manufacturers closer, Ingredion CEO says
Jim Zallie said reduced R&D budgets, changing consumer tastes and an urgency to get products to market faster has created "more intimate relationships" between the two sides.
By Christopher Doering • March 3, 2022 -
Kind founder's fund leads $7M Belgian Boys investment
Through the money and a partnership, Daniel Lubetzky's Equilibra Ventures will help the European-style sweet snacks and breakfast company expand globally.
By Megan Poinski • March 1, 2022 -
Good Culture raises $64M for cultured foods expansion
The cottage cheese brand has attracted funding from investors including actress Kristen Bell as it looks to bring health benefits like probiotics into new product categories.
By Chris Casey • Feb. 24, 2022 -
Wildtype receives $100M investment
The cell-based seafood company plans to use the funding to expand production of sushi-grade salmon as it prepares for a U.S. launch.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 23, 2022 -
Kraft Heinz enters joint venture with NotCo
The partnership will develop and produce plant-based co-branded products, combining the CPG giant's vast portfolio and reach with the startup's ability to reimagine animal-derived food.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 23, 2022 -
Deep Dive
Once an afterthought, brand licensing reaps billions for CPGs hungry for growth
Hershey, Conagra and Post are a few companies using the strategy to expand their business, build equity and keep products relevant.
By Christopher Doering • Feb. 22, 2022 -
Kerry buys 2 biotech companies for more than $226M
The acquisition of Germany's C-LEcta and Mexico's Enmex will help the Irish ingredients company expand its enzymes and precision fermentation business.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 17, 2022 -
Food tech saw $39.3B in VC investments last year, says PitchBook
Companies making alternative protein products and ingredients received $6 billion — a 93.4% increase over 2020, the report found.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 17, 2022 -
Change Foods raises $12M and partners with Upfield and Sigma
The animal-free dairy company will collaborate with the plant-based butter giant and the global cheese maker to develop products, scale production and increase distribution.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 15, 2022 -
Next Gen Foods raises $100M and expands to US
The Singapore company's much-hyped Tindle plant-based chicken is now available at 12 restaurants and major foodservice distributors, and the funds will go toward more expansion and R&D.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 15, 2022 -
After divestiture by Nestlé, sales heating up at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream
The company, which posted its fastest growth rate in years in 2021, is investing half a billion dollars to boost manufacturing, marketing and innovation for brands like Häagen-Dazs and Drumstick.
By Christopher Doering • Feb. 14, 2022 -
Molecular spirit maker Endless West raises $60M for tech scale-up
The funding will go toward expanding the company's Blank Collective B2B manufacturing platform in the U.S. and overseas, while increasing production up to 20-fold.
By Samantha Oller • Feb. 11, 2022 -
IFF adds Icahn-recommended member to board
Church & Dwight Chief Marketing Officer Barry Bruno will be one of eight new board members of the ingredients giant, which will also get a new CEO next week.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 10, 2022 -
Cell-based chocolate maker California Cultured gets strategic investment from Cult Food Science
The West Coast company grows cocoa from cells in bioreactors, bypassing the human rights and environmental problems associated with the ingredient's production.
By Megan Poinski • Feb. 10, 2022 -
Beer industry scrutinized by Treasury Department following wave of consolidation
In a new report, the department said the DOJ and FTC should examine the way they review mergers in the sector while paying "particular skepticism to claims of efficiencies" in assessing future deals.
By Christopher Doering • Feb. 10, 2022