Dive Brief:
- General Mills'301 Inc.领导A$1.25 million Series A funding round recently closed byTio Gazpacho, which manufactures chilled, RTD vegetable soups.
- CircleUp, which has beeninstrumentalin food and beverage startup funding, hosted the funding round. Other private investors from CircleUp's marketplace and the Growth Fund, an investment fund CircleUp oversees, also contributed.
- Tio Gazpacho的产品目前在纽约地区可用，但该初创公司计划扩展到新市场。
潜水见解：
301 Inc. has been on a roll this year, with other investments including superfood snack makerRhythm Superfoods和Good Cultureorganic cottage cheese products. Those are in addition to plant-based proteins producerBeyond Meat, which General Mills bought a minority stake in about two years ago.
Between plant-based proteins, superfood snacks, and cottage cheese, 301 Inc. investments fund promising companies in segments that are suggesting sustainable fast growth based on established consumer trends, such as snacking, protein, and plant-based foods.
But with Tio Gazpacho, 301 Inc. is entering a new segment of a wavering category. Canned soup sales have lagged for major producers in recent years. But Tio Gazpacho has reinvented soup by making a soup-beverage hybrid. The brand makes soup more portable and convenient while also incorporating better-for-you elements like高压处理和organic ingredients.
Tio Gazpacho将常见的食物选择达到不同的水平，这意味着如果汤爱好者可以超越价格更高的价格，他们可能会咬人。创始人兼首席执行官奥斯汀·艾伦（Austin Allan）告诉Bevnet，Tio Gazpacho的真正机会是较小的格式，价格较低，这将为更多寻求优质食品和饮料选择的消费者打开大门。
