The New York-based chocolate brand HU Chocolate has entered into an investment partnership with Sonoma Brands. As a result of this strategic alliance with Sonoma Brands, HU Chocolate will be able to expand the market for its vegan Paleo chocolate bars.
“We look forward to the support that this relationship will bring to drive our sales and commitment in the coming months,” said Jason H Karp, co-founder of HU Kitchen and HU Products.
According to HU Chocolate, this partnership has also attracted capital from other “notable strategic investors,” including Dr. Mark Hyman, Tim Ferriss, Nelson Peltz and Dr. Peter Attia. However, the size of the investment and the terms of Sonoma’s financing were not disclosed.
Karp continued: “With the support of Sonoma Brands, along with several other highly strategic investors, we will hasten the discussion on the need for more vegan, paleo and unprocessed foods and strengthen our position as a mission-driven health and wellness company.”
HU Chocolate
HU Chocolate is an American clean label manufacturer and has its origin in New York’s “HU Kitchen”, whose range does not contain any dairy products, soy or emulsifiers and is free of GMOs and gluten. The vegan dishes are also produced and prepared according to the Paleo Diet principles. The “HU” in the company name is based on its slogan “Get Back to HUman”. This refers to the manufacture of its products according to Paleo guidelines.
The chocolate from HU Chocolate is therefore purely plant-based. The company also uses unrefined organic coconut sugar instead of refined sugar. The company’s special focus is also reflected in its diversity. HU chocolate bars are available in various unusual flavours with ingredients such as quinoa, banana, mint, almond, cashew and hazelnut butter. And of course, the chocolate is made from organically grown cocoa.
Sonoma Brands
Sonoma is an incubator fund for food companies led by Jon Sebastiani, founder of Krave Jerky, which is now part of the Hershey Company.
Sebastiani comments on this partnership as follows: “We believe that HU will change standards in a variety of product verticals by guaranteeing strict control of ingredients and transparency. We are pleased to be a part of this future and the story of HU.”