Investments & Finance

Yumi Secures $67M to Expand Organic Plant-Based Baby Food

Yumi, a direct-to-consumer company specializing in organic infant and toddler foods, successfully closed a $67 million in Series B funding, bringing the company’s total funding to $79 million, according to Forbes

The Los Angeles-based brand initially launched in California in 2017, before expanding nationwide in 2019. Since then, the company has experienced phenomenal growth, reportedly now feeding 3% of all babies in the US and anticipating nearly  $100 million in sales next year.

Yumi offers a completely plant-based product line designed to nourish babies and toddlers in the most critical growth stage of life, the company says. Its subscription-based model delivers weekly, highly customizable meals and snacks directly to families’ doorsteps. Since the start of the pandemic, Yumi has delivered more than 10 million meals.

yumi baby food
©Yumi

Angela Sutherland, Yumi’s co-founder and CEO, says the brand was created to provide a convenient, wholesome alternative to the common but tedious task of making homemade baby food.  In the past five years, the $71 billion baby food industry has seen massive increased demand for fresh, clean-label products free from synthetic chemicals and heavy metals. While several startups now offer healthy baby food options, Sutherland told Forbes that Yumi’s use of algorithms to help parents choose customized meal plans gives the brand a major technological advantage. 

Shaping new generations

Yumi sells baby and toddler foods in both simple and elaborate formulas, made for different stages of a child’s development, ranging from single-flavor zucchini, raspberry and pumpkin to dragonfruit and pear, adzuki mushroom soup, and sweet potato cheesecake. The company says it worked with a nutritionist to create nutrient-dense flavors that meet the strictest clean-label certification. 

Yumi plant-based
©Yumi

The funds raised in the round led by Jazz Ventures Partners, AF Ventures and Anne Wojcicki of 23andme, will expand the company’s products into omnichannel distribution. 

Though the baby food industry is still heavily influenced by legacy brands such as Gerber and Beech-Nut, Sutherland told Forbes the opportunity to create positive change is vast: “We know we are in a space dominated by massive incumbents…But we are inspired by the science and the notion that success here could shape generations to come.”

Bookmark
ClosePlease login
See all bookmarks

Share