- within Corporate/Commercial Law, Intellectual Property and Tax topic(s)
- 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
- Campbell's is purchasing a 49% stake in La Regina, the maker of Rao's pasta sauce, for $286 million.
- All G, an Australian startup, raised $6.6 million and formed a joint venture with French dairy ingredients expert, Amor Protéines, to commercialize human and bovine lactoferrin.
- Mars Inc. completes its $36 billion acquisition of snack maker Kellanova.
CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund
This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Rocana Venture Partners.
- Rocana Venture Partners is a U.S.-based venture capital firm exclusively backing consumer brands focused on health, wellness, sustainability, and better-for-you food and beverage products.
- Rocana Venture Partners focuses on investments in:
-
- mind-body wellness
- clean label and ingredient-forward foods
- better-for-you and functional beverages
- Its portfolio includes the following:
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- Kettle & Fire – a leader in slow-simmered bone broth products
- Hu Chocolate – a clean, paleo-friendly chocolate brand
- WTRMLN WTR – a plant-based beverage using "ugly" watermelons
Links to Relevant Content and Events
ARTICLES
- Horizon Family Brands Buys Maple Hill Creamery to Grow Better-For-You Portfolio
- AriZona Buys California Plant Shuttered by Troubled Beverage Company
- Cargill Confirms Investment in Beef Operations in Colorado
- FrieslandCampina Expands Protein Portfolio with Wisconsin Whey Protein Acquisition
- Mars Invests $20 Million to Bolster Sustainable Rice Production Amid Climate Challenges
- Prodalim Acquires French Beverage Flavours Company René Laurent From IFF
UPCOMING EVENTS
Naturally Chicago
Morning Mingle
Tuesday, December 16 | 8–9:30 a.m. CT
Location: THE MART, West Merchandise Mart Plaza 222, Chicago,
IL
Join Naturally Chicago for their next Mingle. This will be a great opportunity to connect with industry peers, partners and friends. If you attended the Morning Mingle comeback in October, you already know how much energy there will be in the room.
They have a spectacular new location for this Mingle: the stunning Miele Experience Center, a showroom for the company's kitchens and appliances, located on the first floor of the historic Merchandise Mart.
Enjoy complimentary coffee and light snacks courtesy of Miele. The Starbucks and other breakfast spots in the Mart will also be open for additional purchase options.
Naturally NorCal
Gen Z Decoded: How Modern Brands Design, Package and Communicate
for Growth
Wednesday, December 17 | 12–1 p.m. PT
Join Naturally New England at The Substation in Roslindale for an afternoon of holiday cheer, local flavors, and community connections.
Gen Z is reshaping how brands earn attention and loyalty. Their expectations for design, packaging, and marketing are accelerating a shift in how consumer brands show up on the shelf and online. Join Naturally NorCal for an insight-rich session with experts from NIQ, Nuex Creative, and Trinity Brand Group. You will learn what Gen Z values, how they make decisions, and what actually drives engagement across the path to purchase.
Naturally Chicago
Selling Successfully at Grocery Retail—What It Really
Takes
Wednesday, December 17 | 3–4 p.m. CT
You've secured retail distribution for your brand—congratulations! Now comes the hard part: how do you drive enough sales to stay on shelves and grow your business?
Naturally Chicago has assembled a panel of founders who've learned firsthand how to win at retail and build sustainable growth.
Panelists:
- Emily Groden – Founder & CEO, Evergreen
- Matt Wachsman – Co-Founder & COO, Kooshy
- Luke Saunders – Founder & CEO, Farmer's Fridge
Moderator:
- Greg Keller – Naturally Chicago and former Partner, Frontera Foods
What You'll Learn
- How packaging can make or break your success at retail
- Whether retail promotions really drive sales
- When demos and sampling make sense for your brand
- Retail media—what is it and does it work?
Join this practical and insight-filled session to hear from founders who have conquered the challenges—and unlocked the opportunities—of retail success.
Naturally Seattle
CPG Connect: Holiday Gathering @ Great Notion
Thursday, December 18 | 6–8 p.m. PT
Location: Great Notion Brewing - Georgetown, 6235 Airport Way
South, Seattle, WA
Join your PNW natural products community for some holiday cheer at Great Notion Brewery in Georgetown! Let's celebrate another year of innovation, connection, and impact in the natural products industry. Bring your product or piece of swag for our festive swap—it's a fun way to share what you're working on and discover something new from your peers. Come raise a glass, exchange gifts, and connect with fellow founders, makers, and allies shaping the future of natural products in the Pacific Northwest.
Naturally New England
Members Exclusive Workshop: "Entrepreneurial
Syndrome"
Thursday, January 8 | 12–1 p.m. ET
This interactive workshop helps founders of natural CPG businesses navigate the shift from startup to growth by developing leadership skills and empowering teams. Together, you'll explore strategies for sharing power, fostering healthy risk-taking, and moving through creative—not toxic—conflict.
Speaker:
- Flip Brown, CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of Business Culture Consultant
Naturally San Diego
Party @ Puesto!
Sunday, January 11 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. PT
Location: Puesto at the Headquarters, 789 W Harbor Dr., San Diego,
CA
Join Naturally San Diego for an exclusive evening of networking, incredible tacos, elite margaritas + celebration following day 1 of Specialty Food Association's Winter FancyFaire! Connect with buyers and leading natural product brands from across the country while enjoying the gorgeous space that is Puesto (also walking distance from the convention center!).
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