All in Conscious Consumer Goods
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond-based venture capital firm NRV has made investments in two companies — a Norfolk-based startup that makes software for industrial robotics, and a Nashville-based company that specializes in making nutritional frozen foods.
The Counter
Rather than make the expensive upgrades required by big poultry companies, some chicken farmers let their barns fall out of use. Shenandoah Valley Organic sees a business opportunity in all that neglected infrastructure.
Forbes
Rent The Runway, the designer women’s fashion rental service, is private and doesn’t publish earnings but it would be surprising if it was profitable. It is valued at a cool $1 billion.
Stitch Fix, the online personal styling service, makes money but its earnings are erratic. It is valued at $2 billion, over 50 times EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).
Farfetch, the luxury fashion boutique marketplace, has never made a profit and every year it loses more money than the year before. It is valued at nearly $4 billion.
How do these new fashion companies convince investors to buy in at these values?
VegNews
Snack brand Beanfields develops “Vegan Cracklins,” its first non-chip product, in two bold flavors.
Business Wire
HARRISONBURG, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO) announced it closed a $15 million funding round led by NRV with participation from Open Prairie, as well as existing investors S2G Ventures and Middleland Capital’s VTC Innovation Fund.
PR Newswire
Manna Tree Partners, a Vail, CO-based asset manager that invests growth capital in companies that produce, process and distribute healthy food, today announced it has closed a growth investment in Nutriati, a Richmond, VA-based developer and manufacturer of plant-based ingredients, including protein, flour and oil.
FORBES
"The accelerator, which the M&M’s maker launched at the Natural Products Expo West 2019 in March, is designed to help food startups 'fast track growth and live their purpose to build a healthier and more sustainable future,' according to a prepared statement."
Taste Radio
"'Whether it’s food or beverage, in our world, in the CPG world, it’s a romance industry,' [CEO Arnold Ventura] said. 'And you win a consumer one bag at a time, one bottle at a time.'"
Forbes.com
"I think it's awesome that a private-equity backed, high-growth CPG [consumer packaged goods] company can create incredible value not only by innovating with good-for-you food but also tilt at windmills for important missions," says Health Warrior CEO Shane Emmett.
Style Weekly
Founded in just 2010, Health Warrior has grown exponentially with their Chia Bars becoming one of the most popular snack bars with health-concious consumers. Read more about how Health Warrior got to where they are today.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
NRV's portfolio company, Health Warrior, just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign, which surpassed their funding goal of $40,000. The money raised will go toward helping the Tarahumara people of Mexico to restore their chia farms.
Food Tech Connect
The food industry needs to step up their game when it comes to innovative new products. Many large food companies today rely heavily on marketing rather than research and development of new products to attract customers. However, this is becoming less effective as the average consumer is rapidly changing. Health Warrior, one of NRV's portfolio companies, is recognized as an innovative food company for its development of unique products, such as Chia Bars, which are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Rockin' Baby's Kathryn Wiley, her husband, and their six children are embarking on a cross-country family road trip that is doubling as a marketing blitz for the children's wear company. The family will promote Rockin' Baby and their mission through random acts of giving.
Food Dive
"Kellog CEO John Bryant outlines three disruptive trends causing manufacturers to re-think strategies and look to the future of the consumer: the growth of e-commerce, how consumers consume media and marketing messages, and changing consumer views on food and the definition of health and wellness."
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Chief executive officers Shane Emmett and Peter Harrison, representing Richmond-area companies Health Warrior and Snagajob, have been announced as Mid-Atlantic region finalists for the 2016 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award.
Emmett founded Health Warrior — a Richmond-based manufacturer of snack bars made from chia seeds — in 2010 along with college friends Dan Gluck and Nick Morris.
PR Newswire
Health Warrior, a natural food brand with top-selling Chia Bars and Superfood Protein Bars, today announces the launch of its Movement For Good Tour. Created to further the Health Warrior mission to inspire healthy diet and exercise habits, the brand has teamed up with national non-profit KaBOOM!, selected for its dedication to ensuring that all children have the balanced and active play they need to thrive.
Beginning May 14, the Movement For Good Tour will visit supermarkets across Southern California including Whole Foods Markets, Vons, and Pavilions.
Huffington Post
Picking out new clothes for you and your children is nothing out of the ordinary in the UK.
But in Uganda second-hand garments passed down over many years account for 81% of all clothing purchases, according to research by Dr Andrew Brooks, author of Clothing Poverty.
