- within Corporate/Commercial Law, Intellectual Property and Tax topic(s)
- in United States
- with readers working within the Retail & Leisure industries
In This Issue:
- Food Venture Financing Trends
- CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
- Links to Relevant Content and Events
Food Venture Financing Trends
- NextFoods announced that it raised $10 million in a Series 3 round.
- Smithfield Foods announced that it has agreed to acquire Nathan's Famous for $450 million.
- Octarine Bio announced that it closed its €12.8 million Series A round.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Pascual Innoventures.
- Pascual Innoventures is an innovation arm of Pascual, one of the largest Spanish food and beverage corporations. It creates alliances with startups that share the same philosophy: anticipating global food needs and giving back to society.
- Pascual Innoventures launched the first global incubation program for cellular agriculture technologies in the dairy industry called "Mylkcubator."
- The Mylkcubator 2.0 Program aims to support highly innovative startups specializing in the transformation of the food value chain using cellular agriculture for the production of dairy, egg, coffee, lipids, and cocoa alternatives, and sodium and sweetener replacements.
- Each year, the most disrupting startups are chosen to join a six-month hybrid incubation program. Once selected, the participants will be able to test their products. The program details are available at mylkcubator.com.
- The portfolio companies include:
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- Ergo Bioscience
- Zero Cow Factory
- DeNovo Foodlabs
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Coco5 Secures $10 Million to Accelerate Growth and Expand Beyond Sports Drink Category
- Foodberry and Bel US Announce Partnership to Expand Better-For-You Snacks in US
- New Horizons Baking to Shutter Toledo Facility
- NextFoods Inc. Raises $10 Million
- Tropical Cheese Acquires Cibao Meat Products to Expand Hispanic Refrigerated Foods Portfolio
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally Minnesota
February Founders Forum
Thursday, February 5 | 12–2 p.m. CT
Location: JT Mega Food Advertising, 4020 Minnetonka Boulevard,
Minneapolis, MN
Join Naturally Minnesota for their February Founders Forum—a welcoming, founder-first gathering designed to spark honest conversation and meaningful connection. In a moment when uncertainty feels especially present and many founders are carrying more than usual, coming together in community matters more than ever. This forum is an opportunity to step out of isolation, share space with peers, and remember that you don't have to navigate this journey alone.
Founders will come together in an interactive, peer-driven discussion to share challenges, exchange insights, and learn from one another. Whether you're navigating early-stage decisions, scaling your business, or simply looking to connect with others who "get it," Founders Forum offers a supportive space to workshop ideas, ask questions, and leave with practical takeaways—and new connections—to move your business forward.
Speaker:
- Simon Solis-Cohen, Founder of Huxley
Naturally Seattle
Naturally Rising Seattle Info Session
Thursday, February 5 | 1–2 p.m. PT
Location: Online Webinar
Thinking about pitching your brand but not sure where to start? Join Naturally Seattle for an insider look at Naturally Rising Seattle—their regional pitch competition where emerging brands compete for cash prizes, mentorship, and a chance to advance to the national stage in August at Newtopia Now in Denver.
Naturally Colorado
Morning Meetup: Nature Hike
Friday, February 6 | 8–9:30 a.m. MT
Location: Sanitas Valley Trail, Sunshine Canyon Dr, Boulder,
CO
Join Naturally Colorado for a relaxed morning meetup at Sanitas Valley Trail in Boulder! Despite the chilly February weather, we'll be hitting the trails for some fresh air, good conversation and a walk with friends new and old. Please look for their lovely hosts, Jenna Fitch and John Simmons, leading this event!
Naturally San Diego
Coffee + Convos at Jimbo's
Friday, February 6 | 9 a.m. PT
Location: Jimbo's Carmel Valley, 12841 El Camino Real, San
Diego, CA
Join Naturally San Diego for your morning coffee and chat with other local natural products and CPG folks!
Naturally Colorado
Women in CPG: Food for Good
Tuesday, February 10 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. MT
Location: The Women's Bean Project, 1300 W Alameda Ave.,
Denver, CO
Food has the power to nourish, connect, and transform lives. Few Colorado organizations embody this more fully than the Women's Bean Project, the host for this year's February event. For more than three decades, the Women's Bean Project has served as a pioneering social enterprise, providing employment, wraparound support, and life-stabilizing skills for women facing barriers to work. Through meaningful jobs in food production, the organization helps women build confidence, independence, and pathways to long-term economic mobility.
Keynote speaker, Shelby Mattingly, Executive Director of the Women's Bean Project, will share her leadership journey and illuminate how food can drive systemic change when paired with dignity, opportunity, and community support. She'll offer insights on what it takes to run an impact-driven enterprise and how our industry—startups, established brands, and service providers alike—can embed social good into everyday business decisions.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
