In This Issue:

• Food Venture Financing Trends
• CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds

Food Venture Financing Trends

• Skyy Partners, a private equity firm co-founded by Kim Kardashian, announced an investment in Truff, a truffle-infused condiment brand, for a minority stake in the company.
• Brown-Forman announced that it plans to acquire The Duckhorn Portfolio’s chardonnay producer Sonoma-Curter for $400 million in cash and equity.
• Mars Snacking, owner of Snickers, announced that it plans to acquire Hotel Chocolat, a UK-based chocolate producer, for $665 million.

CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund

This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is 1st Course Capital.

• 1st Course Capital ("1CC") is an early stage venture capital firm that invests in innovative business models and technologies that change "how we grow, produce, and distribute food."
• The portfolio companies include the following:
  • BlueCart – Powering B2B e-commerce solutions for the foodservice industry
  • Bobbie - Infant formula produced using clean and transparent ingredients
  • Ellement – Personalized prenatal supplements and customized support
  • AgriDigital - Commodity trading platform remaking the supply chain for improved traceability and margins for farmers
  • Dispatch Goods - Reverse logistics company offering re-usable packaging for restaurant delivery and takeout
  • Maev - Building the future of dog care

[View source.]