Nestlé Research & Development’s Post

Bleu Capital had 2 majors fundraises in its portfolio the last 3 weeks. 🔥 We're seeing early signals that our climate strategy is working. Both in the food industry, a nice little throwback to my previous role as a food operator. Indeed, the 2 companies that raised 25Me and 15Me are both in the food sector and both in climate! LA VIE™ 🐷 ☘ No need to introduce you to the fast-rising plant-based startup that makes turning vegan finally cool and without taste compromise. As I often tell Nicolas Schweitzer ⓥ🥓, its CEO, he has developed much more than a solid, fast-growing plant-based business in Europe, but a company with three major assets:  1 - A very inspiring brand 2 - An exceptional management team 3 - Great internal systems that offers total sales visibility and exceptional execution This fundraising will help La Vie to further accelerate in France and the rest of Europe, leveraging its efficient partnership with Sodebo, which allows the team to focus on the sales/marketing execution to continue to promote more plant-based consumption. More to come but definitely one of our favorite investments. HUBCYCLE: Turning food waste into tomorrow's Ingredients. ♻ When we invested in the company less than 18 months ago, the company was still figuring out a great GTM strategy and was missing an experienced execution team around Julien Lesage to deliver his brilliant vision to focus on B2B upcycling. Things have now dramatically evolved; the product fit was found, and a number of great managers came on board. The $100M sales target is achievable in the coming years with their newfound positioning, market understanding, business model and global presence. This new fundraise, with ETF Partners, RAISE Venture, Techmind and all historical investors, will give them all the necessary support to make Hubcycle a fast-growing, profitable company, the Graal! We are pleased to have several companies with promising trajectories in our concentrated portfolio, which currently supports 13 active investments. However, as you're all aware, the past 18 months have been challenging for venture investors, including us. We continue to focus on execution and are committed to assisting our portfolio in navigating these difficult times with boldness and support. Special thanks to Marc OIKNINE and @Julien-Jack RAGAZ of ALPHA CAPITAL PARTNERS UK. Thanks to all our great co investors in these 2 companies for their active supports. ZINTINUS Capagro SONAE Partech Oyster Bay Management GmbH Seventure Partners Anne-Valérie Bach Fabio Ziemssen daphni Citizen Capital SWEN Capital Partners Julien Lepleux Pierre-Eric Leibovici Stanislas Lot Remy de Tonnac Stéphane PESQUE Olivier Tilloy Olivier Mougenot Anatole Maizières Laurence CHAMBAUD

🍏 Foodsi secures €1.2M in a seed extension, bringing the total round to €2.5M! 👉 https://ain.social/3AdmAQZ Polish marketplace Foodsi has secured €1.2M in a seed extension, bringing the total round to €2.5M. Supported by AIP Seed, SATUS Starter VC, and AC/VC Impact Fund, Foodsi’s platform connects customers with surplus food from over 6,000 venues across Poland, offering discounts up to 70%. This innovative model supports restaurants, stores, and manufacturers in reducing waste while giving consumers access to high-quality items at attractive prices. Co-founded by Mateusz Kowalczyk and Kuba Fryszczyn, Foodsi is one of the fastest-growing companies in AIP Seed's portfolio, achieving 30-fold growth since early investments. The new funds will support team expansion and operational efficiency as the company gears up for future funding rounds. #FoodTech #Sustainability #PolishStartups #SeedFunding #WasteReduction

Breaking! Venture capital firm Siddhi Capital raised $135 million for its second fund, which it will invest in food and beverage CPG brands with a mass appeal and food-tech companies creating novel ingredients and improving food-manufacturing infrastructure. The company has already deployed capital from Fund II, investing in brands like Mid-Day Squares, Magic Spoon, Momofuku, Aura Bora, Ark Biotech and more. In my latest FoodNavigator-USA article, I sat down with one of the firm’s Co-founders Melissa Facchina to discuss the recent round, the state of venture capital funding and how she is working to recreate the investor and investee dynamic. Click through to read more! #FoodandBeverageIndustry #VCfunding #FoodNews #BeverageNews #CPGstartups #GrowthEquity #FundingNews #CPGBusiness

Amazing news from Denmark 🇩🇰 On the mission to bring better food to more people, Kost Capital announced its first close of a €25 million target fund. According to the fund, the way humans have exploited & consumed resources is no longer an option. Climate change & a growing population require drastic change. Kost Capital will invest in pre-seed & seed Startups across Europe, focusing on B2B inputs in the future of food. They already made their first three investments in Estonian palm oil replacement company ÄIO, the French infant formula company Numi & the Danish ingredient company nutrumami. Great opportunity for food tech innovators! Share your PitchSee profile with them! #PitchSee #KostCapital #startupbusiness #venturecapital #foodtech 

Mars Inc. Snacking division launched a strategic partnership with Unreasonable Group in a three-year collaboration aiming to propel the transformation of their food system by tapping into the innovative potential of startups worldwide. With a focus on four key pillars – Shaping the Future of Food, Improving Farmer Livelihood, Transforming Food Supply Chains, and Reimagining Sustainable Packaging – Mars Snacking is committed to accelerating regenerative, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable practices across its operations. The partnership will curate a portfolio of approximately 40 cutting-edge solutions sourced from a diverse network of investment funds, pipeline partners, and growth-stage entrepreneurs. Selected startups will benefit from a tailored week-long program featuring mentorship from Mars Snacking's global leadership team. By joining forces with organizations like Unreasonable Group, companies can harness the collective expertise and creativity of startups to tackle complex challenges head-on. Are you considering a similar approach for your organization? How are you driving innovation across the organization and keeping up with startup capabilities? #strategicpartnerships #innovativeapproach #Sustainability #FoodInnovation #Partnerships #FutureofFood #MarsSnacking #UnreasonableGroup

Big companies partnering with startups to scale up innovative solutions is pivotal for achieving end-to-end (E2E) sustainability commitment to our Planet . By leveraging their vast resources, established networks, and industry expertise, large corporations can provide startups with the necessary support to develop and deploy innovative technologies & solutions on a global scale. This collaboration accelerates the transition to sustainable practices by combining the agility and creativity of startups with the operational capabilities and market reach of established firms. As a result, innovative solutions can be scaled more rapidly and efficiently, addressing critical environmental and social challenges. Ultimately, this synergistic approach ensures a comprehensive and impactful journey toward a sustainable future. 100+ Accelerator is all about that ☝️

💰 Bluestein Ventures closed a $45M food tech fund The firm specialises in early-stage investments in the food industry. It targets companies across the food supply chain, including consumer, software, and food tech businesses. The focus is on improving the food system's health, sustainability, and effectiveness. Ashley Hartman of Bluestein Ventures said that “there is tremendous opportunity for improvement” in the food industry. She highlights the importance of investing in innovative companies to accelerate health and environmental benefits. The firm believes in the alignment of impact and returns. “There shouldn’t be a tradeoff between impact and returns; in fact, 67% of our portfolio is making an impact in nutrition, 40% in sustainability, and 62% have a diverse founder.” Andrew Bluestein ✉️ Hungry for more updates on biotech shaping the future of food? Devour the free subscription: betterbioeconomy.com

Accelerator programs funded by venture capital firms or large #CPG corporations have gained significant popularity in the past decade. But despite their prevalence, it’s worth examining how farmers markets—arguably the O.G. natural industry incubators—have supported and continue to build young brands. Now in its 38th year of operation, the Boulder County Farmers Markets in downtown Boulder, Colorado, has had a particularly successful track record of launching some of the most beloved and well-known food companies in the natural industry. Read on: https://utm.io/ug1aK #naturalproducts #farmersmarkets #brands Justin's Frescos Naturales Pastificio Boulder

🔔 [#Supporter2024 NutrEvent] 🍋 Eatable Adventures, the leading Foodtech accelerator worldwide, strives to transform the food system prioritizing equity, #health, sustainability, and resilience for all. By partnering with startups, corporations, governments, and investors, the company drives #innovation from seed to table, embracing cutting-edge technological solutions in the Agrifood sector. 💯 With a thriving global presence, Eatable Adventures has achieved significant impact worldwide, boasting a vibrant community of 25,000 changemakers, 12 acceleration and incubation programs, over 50 corporate and government initiatives, and a €30M #investment fund to support early-stage projects. 💡 Each year, Eatable Adventures accelerates over 100 startups through its programs, driving the growth and consolidation of the #Agrifoodtech ecosystem on a global scale. 📤 If you wish to join them as a partner NutrEvent, contact: Célestine Fillon - Nicolas Lechevallier

#Munich-based Planet A Foods secures €14.2 million in series A round funding. The money will be used to support mass-market growth after a historic FMCG alliance was #revealed in 2023 and to lower the cost of ChoViva, a B2B #foodtech business that makes chocolate substitutes, even more. World Fund, one of the top climate venture funds in #Europe, led the round. Omnes Capital, Cherry Ventures, Mudcake, Nucleus Capital, TriplePoint Capital, Feast Ventures, and many more investors also participated. Following the round’s closure in 2023, Planet A Foods launched a number of items with REWE, a top European retailer, and is #currently getting ready to launch further products with #REWE as well as other #German and UK shops. With the help of the funds, the Planet A Foods team has already increased output at its factory, #enabling it to create 750 kg of ChoViva each hour in a highly efficient and IFS-certified #environment. The money raised will go toward improving their #production system and executing a debut into the UK this year. Additionally, the siblings are kicking up plans for worldwide development by having meaningful #conversations with important distribution partners in the US, #Asia, and other European countries. Drs. Max and Sara Marquart, who are twins, founded Planet A Foods in 2021 with the goal of providing chocolate lovers #worldwide with a sustainable cocoa substitute. Worldwide demand for chocolate is rising, but expanding traditional manufacturing is becoming more difficult and #expensive. Planet A Foods World Fund Omnes Cherry Ventures Nucleus Capital TriplePoint Capital Feast Ventures Dr. Sara Marquart Dr. Maximilian Marquart To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.co.uk #planetafoods #funding #eustartup