Do you have a Food & Beverage company that you’re looking to scale with investors? This is a list of the top financing sources that startups can use to raise capital, finance inventory, and scale distribution for your business.
Businesses in the Food & Beverage company that have garnered the interest of top investors in the industry include plant based foods (alternative proteins to meat), food delivery startups, environmentally friendly food sources, non-alcoholic beverages, food waste prevention, artificial sweetener solutions to curb sugar, affordable food options, and more.
These Food & Beverage Startup Investors share their expert insights on many of the most frequently asked questions in the industry.
Who is the Best Investors For a Startup?
What is an Investor For Startup Called?
What Do Investors Get in Return From Startup?
How Do I Invest in the Food Industry?
How do Small Businesses Invest in Startups?
Where do I go to Invest in Startups?
What are the 4 types of investors?
List of Food & Beverage Startup Investors
VC Investors in Food & Beverage Startups
Boulder Food Group (BFG) is a venture capital firm that seeks partnerships with early stage food and beverage consumer product companies. We work alongside exceptional entrepreneurs to ensure the business is able to deliver sustainable growth and outperform its competitors. In addition to providing our portfolio companies with capital, BFG provides teams with the advice most needed to make critical decisions and maximize opportunities. This advice spans operational strategy, tactical marketing, channel development, organizational design and capital planning.
VMG Partners (“VMG”) is a private equity firm specializing in building iconic consumer brands. Since it was founded in 2005, VMG has been at the forefront of consumer products investing, partnering with entrepreneurial companies, founders and co-investors to deliver a depth of experience to help grow, scale and prepare companies for exit.
Beyond capital, our value-added investment approach utilizes our deep experience, strategic guidance, and passionate focus to help our partners accelerate growth, scale brand awareness, and achieve their own definition of success.
Swander Pace Capital (“SPC”) is a leading private equity firm dedicated to investing in middle-market consumer products companies in North America and makes equity investments in manufacturers, marketers, and service providers across a wide spectrum of consumer industries.
Since 1996, we have been focused on building and growing world-class consumer businesses. SPC was founded by partners with a diverse combination of private equity, consulting, investment banking, and operating experience.
TA is one of the most experienced global growth private equity firms. We have more than 50 years of experience helping to scale companies in targeted sectors within our five core industries of technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services. TA invests in profitable, growing companies with opportunities for sustained growth. Since our founding, TA has raised $47.5 billion in capital and has invested in more than 550 companies around the world.
Founded in 2015, InvestBev Group has grown to be a top adult beverage private equity firm. Helmed by a 3rd generation industry veteran Brian Rosen, IBG has raised nearly $100M with AUM of over $500M. They specialize in short return windows while offering non correlated investing as a cornerstone of their strategy. InvestBev LLC is the Nation’s largest adult beverage only focused private equity firm.
CircleUp is a privately owned company on a mission to empower entrepreneurs with the funding and support that they need to thrive. Having facilitated investments for 500+ brands and counting, CircleUp uses their business technology platform, Helio, to increase the speed, quality, and objectivity of decision making in the private company landscape. Using a unique combination of data and machine learning technology, CircleUp makes it possible for underserved entrepreneurs to finally get the support they deserve. With a vast network of entrepreneurs, institutional investors, industry experts, and flexible financing solutions, CircleUp is shining a light on untapped human potential and transforming the world of private enterprise.
Shark Tank is an American business reality television series that premiered on August 9, 2009, on ABC. The show is the American franchise of the international format Dragons’ Den, which originated in Japan as Money Tigers in 2001. It shows entrepreneurs making business presentations to a panel of five investors or “sharks,” who decide whether to invest in their company.
The series has been a ratings success in its time slot, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program four times (2014–2017) in the first four years of that category’s existence. Prior to that (2012–13), it won Outstanding Reality Program.
Wild Ventures is an influencer-based fund focused on consumer health products and technology. We believe that the best way to combat chronic health conditions is lifestyle — not pills and surgery — so we invest in and promote companies that empower people to lead healthier lives.
Unlike most traditional VC funds, Wild Ventures is particularly good at online distribution and sales. We assemble investor syndicates that include some of the top figures and founders in healthy living who can, among other things, drive direct sales. But it has to be a product we love and believe in — made by founders who are true believers — otherwise we’re not going to put our reputations behind it.
Who is the biggest food and beverage Company?
Nestle is the world’s largest food and beverage company in the world 2021, maintaining its lead in the industry as sales of its frozen staples such as Hot Pockets, Stouffer’s, and DiGiorno increase alongside coffee brands such as Nespresso. This is relevant because of strategic acquisitions that happen in the food & beverage space where massive conglomerates buy stakes in smaller startups that are growing fast.
Food & Beverage Crowdfunding Platforms
Kickstarter helps creative projects come to life. Backers have pledged over $6B to projects on our platform, helping artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators make their ideas a reality.
In 2022, we’ll be experimenting with a work-from-anywhere policy, a four-day workweek, and new asynchronous work practices that support a fully virtual and flexible work environment.
Indiegogo is an American crowdfunding website founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California. The site is one of the first sites to offer crowd funding. Indiegogo allows people to solicit funds for an idea, charity, or start-up business.
StartEngine is one of the leading equity crowdfunding platforms in the U.S., where everyday people can find and invest in early-growth companies and startups, as well as a variety of alternative assets and collectibles. StartEngine has helped more than 500 companies raise $500M+ from a community of over 600,000 prospective investors. Based in Los Angeles, the company was created in 2015 by Howard Marks, co-founder of Activision, and Ron Miller.
We’re the Robinhood for pre-IPO startups. Everyone can angel invest $100 in a Community Round.
On May 16, 2016, it became legal for everyday people to invest as little as $100 in startups and small businesses. Since then, we’ve helped 1,860 founders raise almost $500M from their community – for flying cars, coffee shops, and everything in between.
We’re a Public Benefit Corporation with a mission to revitalize capitalism and keep the American dream alive. GDP growth is slowing. Wealth inequality is increasing. Entrepreneurship is dying across America; falling from 10.6% to 3.6% among those under 30 since 1989.
Upside Financing enables Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) businesses to take advantage of extended payment terms for their Inventory and PO purchases. In turn, this allows Brands and Manufacturers to grow at the speed of their business instead of traditional banking relationships or by resorting to dilutive equity raises.
Upside was created to address major pain points our founding team of CPG executives have lived, breathed, and experienced in previous companies.
The Specialty Food Association, Inc. (formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.) is a not-for-profit membership-based trade association in the United States representing 3,000+ businesses. The SFA was established in 1952 to foster trade, commerce and interest in the specialty food industry in the U.S.
The Association is a not-for-profit organization whose members are specialty food artisans, purveyors, importers and entrepreneurs, as well as distributors, retailers, and others involved in the specialty food trade. Overall specialty food sales in the U.S. totaled over $120 billion in 2015.
World’s leading natural, organic & healthy products events bringing together our industry to cultivate a high-integrity CPG and retail ecosystem that creates health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet. #NPEVCommunity: Virtual Platform, year-round #ExpoEast: Sept 28-Oct 1, 2022 #ExpoWest: March 7-11, 2023
SupplySide Network 365 is an intelligent, industry hub for health & nutrition professionals to discover, connect, meet, learn and source.
SupplySide Network 365 is not a single virtual event. It is an always-on industry hub that enables you to find and connect with people, companies, ingredients, services and expertise. It includes many virtual events throughout the year, each focused on unique topics and designed to enable you to connect with other members of the SupplySide community.
Big Idea Ventures is a venture firm: Our first fund is the New Protein Fund, we raised USD$50M to invest in the best companies in plant-based, cell-based and fermentation-enabled foods, ingredients and technologies. We combine capital and partnerships with global corporates, thought leaders and family offices to support the world’s most compelling entrepreneurs, scientists and engineers around the world. Big Idea Ventures is a leader in the global food ecosystem committed to ensuring we can support our people and planet in a sustainable way.
Sunrise Strategic Partners, LLC (“Sunrise”), based in Boulder, Colorado, provides growth capital and expertise to emerging brands in the healthy, active and sustainable living space that resonate with millennials, have a strong proof of concept and have reached approximately $10-$20 million in revenue. The Sunrise team is deeply experienced in scaling brands and supports these investments by adding strategic value and guidance on tactical priorities. Sunrise Strategic Partners was founded by Steve Hughes, founder of Boulder Brands, and Trilantic North America, a leading private equity firm.
emasek is an investment company headquartered in Singapore. Supported by 13 offices internationally, Temasek owns a net portfolio value of S$381 billion (US$283 billion) as at 31 March 2021.
Our portfolio covers a broad spectrum of sectors, including: financial services; telecommunications, media & technology; transportation & industrials; consumer & real estate; life sciences & agribusiness; as well as energy & resources.
PowerPlant Partners is a growth equity firm investing in emerging consumer food, beverage, foodservice, food-tech and personal wellness brands. We provide capital, strategic guidance and operating expertise to visionary teams building extraordinary companies that create a healthy, sustainable future for all. We are your growth partner for purpose-led companies building tomorrow’s iconic brands by solving today’s greatest challenges.
Danone Manifesto Ventures is our corporate venture arm, which partners with a tribe of disruptive entrepreneurs to serve the food revolution.
Revolution Rise of the Rest
Part of the DC-based venture capital firm Revolution, this fund invests in seed- and early-stage companies across multiple industries.
Goat Rodeo Capital
A venture capital fund focusing on opportunities in the Alcohol Beverage, Beverage, and adjacent technology industries.
Springdale Ventures
Springdale Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on consumer packaged goods.
Food & Beverage Angel Investors
Paul Hletko, Founder of FEW Spirits, Wilco Faessen, Co-Founder and Chairman of Whistlepig, Guillaume Cuvelier, Founder of SVEDKA Vodka, Co-Founder of Davos Brands (Aviation Gin, Sombra Mezcal, TYKU Sake), and Marc Bushala, CEO of Spirits Investment Partners, creators of Heaven’s Door, Stolen Spirits, and Playboy Spirits.
How do you market to angel investors in food & beverage startups?
An angel investor (also known as a private investor, seed investor or angel funder) is a high-net-worth individual who provides financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs, typically in exchange for ownership equity in the company. Often, angel investors are found among an entrepreneur’s family and friends.
Angel investors also attend events and conferences where they learn about new opportunities and deal flow. It is recommended to be a part of food & beverage specific events and conferences.
