In This Issue:

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

Food Venture Financing Trends

• Astor Group, a consumer-based advisory firm and merchant bank, announced that Taguchi & Co. Ltd., a prominent Japanese bakery, has acquired Astor Group’s portfolio company, Brooklyn Brands, a dessert manufacturer that develops and acquires Brooklyn-based bakeries. The transaction represents the first Japanese purchase of a significant US dessert manufacturer.
• BetterBrand, a foodtech company that creates high-protein, low-carb products, announced that it raised $6 million in its Series A round.
• Hyfé, a startup company that processes wastewater into feedstocks for biomanufacturing, announced that it raised a $9 million seed round.
• BranchOut Food, a foodtech company that develops plant-based dehydrated foods, announced that it completed its initial public offering at a price per share of $6.00.
• Guardian Agriculture, an agritech drone startup for farms, announced that it raised $20 million in its Series A round.

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

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