In the United States, an estimated 6% to 7% of Americans have a gluten allergy, 6% are vegan, and 9.4% have diabetes. As a whole, many consumers are thinking about how their food affects their bodies. Startups are responding.
In 2022, startup trends for the food and beverage industry include developing plant-based foods, discovering valuable and functional ingredients, and catering to gluten-free diets. Startups are helping conscious consumers eat and drink healthily and be responsible for the environment.
Investors with a taste for industry or with a passion for health and sustainability are in luck.At KingsCrowd, we captured five food and beverage startups raising capital online.
Uprising Food is a modern diet food company that delivers gluten-free, low-carb, and prebiotic fiber bread and chips. Its reimagined staple foods are healthy and sustainable. Uprising Food has been featured by the press, including BuzzFeed, Insider, Kitchn, Mashed, and so on. More impressively, founders Kristen Schumacher and Willam Donald Schumacher III pitched their startup idea on Shark Tank, gaining extra exposure on social media.
Uprising Food is conducting a Series A round on StartEngine with a valuation cap of $11.2 million. The fundraising campaign started in August 2022 and will close in November 2022. The proceeds will be used for research and development, inventory, and equipment.
Natural Way Food Group is a food company that offers innovative nut butters made with olive oil. Harvesting palm oil, an ingredient sometimes used in nut butters such as peanut butter, results in deforestation and destroys the homes of animals like tigers, elephants, and orangutans. By using olive oil instead, Natural Food Way Group offers a more sustainable alternative. The company’s nut-based products sell at major retail stores, such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway, Albertsons, and more. Furthermore, the company has a solid customer base through social media platforms.
Natural Way Food Group is a seed-stage company with a pre-money valuation cap of $4 million. In July 2022, the company began its fundraising campaign on Wefunder, and it ends in April 2023. The funds will be used for advertising, cost of goods, purchasing new equipment, hiring, investing more into its presence on Amazon, current retailer support, and partnerships.
Sazi Food creates delicious and natural hemp seed-based snacks, including cookies and chips. On top of adding flavor, hemp plants help regenerate the environment. The company is starting with an e-commerce and food truck business model, and then it will expand to retail marketing. Moreover, Sazi Food is a member of the Global Hemp Association and Hemp Open Space association.
Sazi Food is raising a pre-seed round with a valuation cap of $1.9 million. Its Netcapital campaign began in March 2022 and ends in November 2022. The proceeds will go toward the growth of inventory and production, marketing, and general and administrative expenses.
Diesel Beverages sells sparkling water and coffee flavored with strain-specific cannabis terpenes. Its beverages are the first to have strain-specific cannabis terpenes without cannabidiol (CBD) or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and consumers can still enjoy the medical benefits. At present, the company has launched three flavors of both sparkling water and coffee and is selling on Amazon.
Diesel Beverages is a pre-seed company with a valuation cap of $6 million. The Wefunder campaign started in April 2022 and ends in April 2023. The funds will be used for production costs, staffing, cash on hand, and marketing.
The3rdBevco is an alcohol-free beverage company that offers a diverse portfolio of beverages, including energy drinks, CBD-infused drinks, and non-alcoholic spirits. The company intends to sell its products — all with zero to 10 calories, zero carbs, and zero sugar — to Gen Z and millennial customers. Additionally, the company is looking to have a direct listing on Nasdaq in 18 to 24 months or be acquired.
The3rdBevco launched its Series A round on its company website with Dalmore Group as a broker dealer. The campaign began in March 2022 and will end in December 2022. The proceeds will be invested in research and development, marketing, working capital, salaries and benefits, and more.
