ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners, LP (ACAP) announced today a $3.7 million investment in NurturMe, which produces organic quinoa-based baby food and toddler snacks. Dedicated to providing capital to companies in food and agribusiness industries, ACAP has selected NurturMe – a startup founded by Austin, Texas-based entrepreneurs Caroline Freedman and Lauren de la Rosa – as the first company within the baby food category to receive support from the fund. The investment will help NurturMe accelerate its rapid growth as the first and only brand to offer pure organic quinoa products for babies and toddlers, as well as expand its innovative family of naturally gluten-free, organic ancient grain-based baby and toddler foods.
“We created NurturMe as a healthier and more sustainable alternative to the traditional options on the baby food aisle,” said Caroline Freedman, cofounder and CEO of NurturMe. “We’re dedicated to finding innovative new ways to ensure children are forming healthy eating habits right from the start and are excited to continue revolutionizing the way modern, health-conscious parents feed their little ones.”
A certified B Corporation, NurturMe has experienced rapid growth since launching its first line of organic quinoa-focused products in 2014. By end of year, NurturMe baby and toddler foods will be available in more than 5,000 stores nationwide, including major retailers such as Babies“R”Us® and buybuy BABY, as well as Whole Foods Market and Safeway.
“NurturMe paved a new path with its innovative quinoa-based products and is working to set the standard for ancient grain-based, gluten-free baby and toddler food ingredients,” said Tyler Mayoras, Principal at Advantage Capital. “A greater focus on nutrition is driving a boom in the baby foods market as parents look to start early to influence babies’ food habits. This is a company with a great growth trajectory, doubling its sales in the last two years, and we look forward to watching its continued success.”
In addition to providing healthier, more nutrient-rich baby and toddler foods that are certified-organic, naturally gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher, NurturMe is committed to influencing social and environmental change. In 2015, the company launched NurturNiños, a charitable initiative to support the health, education and other basic needs of children in the farming communities and surrounding rural areas where its organic quinoa is sourced.
“I’m thrilled that the Rural Business Investment Company is maintaining momentum to deliver private sector investment in rural America,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “Matching private investors with businesses in rural communities helps companies get the capital they need to grow and create jobs. We are excited to see this fund continue to support businesses like NurturMe and look forward to seeing more partnerships like this come to fruition in the coming months.”
ACAP is a $154.5 million fund that is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC). The fund is a partnership between Advantage Capital and nine Farm Credit organizations, established to bring together resources and people focused on providing more private capital, small business investment and quality jobs to rural America. Farm Credit supports rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent access to credit and financial services.
About Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners, LP (ACAP)
Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners, LP (ACAP) is a $154.5 million fund that is licensed as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which focuses on businesses involved in the production, processing and supply of agricultural products. It is a partnership between Advantage Capital Partners and nine Farm Credit organizations: AgCountry Farm Credit Services (Fargo, N.D.); AgStar Financial Services (Mankato, Minn.); AgriBank (St. Paul, Minn.); Capital Farm Credit (Bryan, Texas); CoBank (Denver, Colo.); Farm Credit Bank of Texas (Austin, Texas); Farm Credit Services of America (Omaha, Neb.); Farm Credit Services of Mid-America (Louisville, Ky.); and United FCS (Willmar, Minn.).
About Farm Credit
Farm Credit supports rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services, today and tomorrow. Farm Credit has been fulfilling its mission of helping these areas grow and thrive for a century by providing farmers, ranchers and others in rural America with the capital they need to make their businesses successful and by financing vital infrastructure and communication services. Because a steady flow of capital means more jobs and economic growth, Farm Credit is able to invest in the vibrancy of communities throughout rural America. For more information about Farm Credit, visit www.farmcreditnetwork.com.
About NurturMe
NurturMe is the first and only family of gluten-free ancient grain-based meals and snacks for little ones. The company’s innovative Quinoa Infant Cereals, NurturMeals Baby Food, Quinoa Squares and Yum-a-Roo’s toddler snacks help parents feed their children better from first bites to first steps, and everywhere in between – creating healthy eating habits right from the start. A Certified B Corporation, all NurturMe baby and toddler foods are certified-organic, naturally gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher, without any added preservatives or sugars. Only the good stuff. For more information on NurturMe’s gluten-free family of baby food and toddler snacks, visit www.nurturme.com.
Advantage Capital is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. The information in this release is not intended to be an advertisement concerning investment advisory services or an offer to buy or sell securities of any type. Only accredited investors within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933 (Reg. D) will be permitted to review offering materials or subscribe for interests in private funds referenced in documents prepared by Advantage Capital. In order to qualify as accredited investors, individuals and institutions must provide certain information and satisfy the criteria of Rule 506(c) under Reg. D. Advantage Capital has not admitted any new investors to Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners since the fund closed in 2014 and has no intent to open the fund to new investors during the life of the fund.