Crowdfunding Archives - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

abillion Launches Community Investment Round After Seeing 20X Growth in Two Years

February 1, 2023

Sustainability-focused social media and e-commerce platform abillion has announced a community investment round on crowdfunding service Wefunder. The round will give retail investors and abillion’s one million members a chance to invest in the company — something which would normally only be possible following an IPO. Nicholas Cator, who has previously led funding rounds in Oatly, Chewy, and Lazada, will be the lead investor. 500 Global, which led abillion’s seed round, will also participate. The minimum investment amount is $100, and investors do not need to be accredited. The news comes as abillion reports that the platform has grown by twenty times over the past two years. The community now features more than 2.5 million user-generated product reviews, while 4,700 Software-as-a-Service customers are on recurring …

Organisations and Brands:abillion

©Hooray Foods

Investments & Finance

Hooray Foods Opens First-Ever WeFunder Campaign to Reach Price Parity with Animal Bacon

January 18, 2023

Plant-based meat innovator Hooray Foods announces the launch of its first WeFunder equity crowdfunding campaign. Officially opening Jan. 25th, Hoorays says the Community Round gives its customers and fans an opportunity to invest for as little as $100 in exchange for company equity and product perks. Ahead of the public launch, the brand says its campaign preview is now live for the company’s biggest supporters. Wefunder is a platform that allows the general public to invest in pre-IPO startups alongside venture capitalists. Upon reaching this Community Round’s goal of securing $500,000, Hooray says it plans to expand distribution for its innovative plant-based bacon. The company will also increase research and development efforts to help it fill the market gap for indulgent plant-based meats. Achieving price …

Organisations and Brands:Hooray Foods WeFunder

Flave restaurant burgers, nuggets and salads on top a table.

Investments & Finance

Australia’s Flave Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Fuel International Expansion

November 29, 2022

Flave, an Australian plant-based burger and healthy bowls restaurant in Sydney, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support its goal of expanding across Australia and internationally. Investors will receive equity ownership “in the hottest food movement going,” says Flave, adding that investments can range from $50 to over $100,000. The campaign is being conducted via Birchal, an Australian equity crowdfunding platform. Star-studded cast Samantha Cook, Flave’s co-founder & co-CEO, said, “As an investor, you will be joining a star-studded cast of champions, including Beyoncé’s former personal chef and the same management team that scaled restaurant chain Zambrero to over 100 locations. On top, you will be joining leaders from Australia’s most successful food brands, such as Milky Lane, Betty’s Burgers, Guzman y Gomez, and Grill’d.” …

Organisations and Brands:Flave

Investments & Finance

NONA Vegan Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Expand Italian Cream and Meat Sauces

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

Canadian sauce maker NONA Vegan Foods announces a new $300,000 crowdfunding campaign through FrontFundr, Canada’s leading equity crowdfunding platform. The company, which sells Italian plant-based cream and meat sauces, plans to use the funding to expand its market presence in Canada and the US. In addition to the fundraising campaign, NONA recently won the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) and Wells Fargo pitch competition. Following this success, CEO Kailey Gilchrist says the company is ready to invite investors to join in its growth. “We’re raising $300,000 on FrontFundr in order to expand our sales team and market reach in Canada and the United States” shared Gilchrist. “For as little as $250 CAD, everyday investors can be a part of our ‘famiglia’ as we embark on …

Organisations and Brands:Beyond Meat

©Happy Ocean Foods

Fundraising

Happy Ocean Foods “Crowdinvesting to Give Private Investors the Chance to Be Part of Our Success Story”

November 16, 2022November 15, 2022

Munich-based Happy Ocean Foods, which specialises in plant-based seafood with a current focus on vegan shrimp, announces a crowdinvesing campaign which goes live today, 15th November. The young startup enjoyed recent success on The Lion’s Den – the German version of the show known as Shark Tank in the US and Dragon’s Den in the UK — receiving investment from two judges including former Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg. The company was also recently named as one of the hottest food startups not to be overlooked in 2022 in the Food & Beverage Innovators Rising Stars 2022 report. Without further ado, Co-founder Robin Drummond is here to tell all about the new campaign and plans for the future. Please introduce your brand Happy Ocean …

Organisations and Brands:Happy ocean foods

Charity & Campaigns

Ukraine’s Aquafaba.space Launches Crowdfunding Campaign For Egg White Replacer

August 23, 2022

Aquafaba.space, a plant-based egg white replacer startup from Ukraine, announces the launch of a crowdfunding campaign on the platform Indiegogo to determine the demand for its product. Aquafaba.space announced the start of its crowdfunding campaign to gauge interest in its product. The campaign has a global reach due to the international interest in the company’s product creation. The company says that Ukrainian animal rights group UAnimals will receive 10% of the money raised. The goal of the organisation is to “give the feeling of protection and safety to those who cannot take care of themselves” by protecting animals who suffer from war and brutality. Freeze-dried aquafaba Aquafaba in powder form that has been freeze-dried comprises the startup’s flagship product. The liquid that remains after cooking …

Organisations and Brands:Aquafaba.space

©THIS

Fundraising

THIS Smashes £4M Crowdfunding Target In Under 2 Hours

June 23, 2022

THIS, the fastest-growing plant-based meat brand in the UK, has launched a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign. The brand hit its £4 million target within 1 hour and 40 minutes whilst under pre-registration, becoming one of the fastest campaigns to raise such an amount on the Seedrs platform. Since opening publicly the crowdfunding campaign has now risen to almost £5.8 million, making it already one of the largest conducted on the private investment platform. The raise will be live until mid-July, giving private investors the opportunity to buy into THIS from just £10. The crowdfunding will support the vegan brand’s innovation, marketing, and first international expansion. With plans to open a new innovation center in West London this year, THIS is now the fastest-growing plant-based meat brand …

Organisations and Brands:THIS

Fundraising

Honestly Tasty Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for Multi-Award-Winning Vegan Cheese

June 9, 2022

UK vegan cheese brand Honestly Tasty has begun a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. Just a few days in, the company has already raised over 80% of its £450,000 target. To make its cheeses, Honestly Tasty uses a novel technique that combines starch and hydrocolloid technology with traditional cheese-making techniques. Some of the company’s cheeses are aged for several weeks, giving them similar flavours, textures, and melting properties to dairy cheese. Currently, Honestly Tasty offers five different cheeses — Veganzola, Shamembert, Bree, Ched Spread, and Herbi (a Boursin alternative). The cheeses have won multiple awards, including Best Cheese Alternative for Veganzola at the World Plant-Based Taste Awards. Honestly Tasty already has over 11,000 DTC customers and supplies more than 75 businesses, as well as various Michelin-star …

Organisations and Brands:Seedrs

©THIS

Fundraising

THIS – Fastest Growing Alt Meat Brand in UK – Launches Crowdfunding Campaign

May 17, 2022

The UK’s fastest-growing plant-based meat brand, THIS, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help accelerate its continued growth. The award-winning alt meat brand is expected to launch one of the largest campaigns on the Seedrs crowdfunding platform, offering consumers investment opportunities for as little as £10. THIS recorded 333% YOY net sales growth in 2021, outperforming its rivals in the increasingly competitive plant-based meat category. The new campaign will help fund the brand’s R&D and marketing, as well as its first international expansion. THIS also announced the opening of a state-of-the-art innovation center in West London this summer. THIS is currently listed in the top UK supermarkets with 10,000 distribution points, stocking its range of plant-based chicken, bacon, and sausages. The brand states that a …

Organisations and Brands:THIS

Fundraising

Brazil’s Novah! Raises R$600,000 Through Equity Crowdfunding Platform Vegan Business

April 27, 2022

Brazil’s Novah! has become the third company to secure funding through the plant-based equity crowdfunding platform Vegan Business. The cashew cheese brand raised R$600,000 ($120,400) in just nine hours, with participation from 108 investors. Novah’s current portfolio includes five varieties of plant-based cheese (mozzarella, provolone, fresh, cheddar, and cottage cheese) and three cheesecakes (red fruits, coffee with ganache, and passion fruit). The brand intends to use the new funding to expand within the state of São Paulo by growing its team, increasing production, improving marketing efforts, and more. Vegan Business Vegan Business claims to be the first and only exclusively plant-based equity crowdfunding platform to be approved by the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission. Founded by vegan investor Christian “Crica” Wolthers, its aim is to …

Fundraising

Heura Raises €4M in Just 12 Hours in Crowdfunding Campaign

April 14, 2022

Heura, one of the fastest-growing plant-based companies in Europe, has smashed its crowdfunding target of €1 million in just 30 minutes. Through its second Equity for Good Rebels crowdfunding campaign, Heura has gone on to raise more than €4 million in just 12 hours. Featuring over 4,500 crowdfunding investors from around the world, the second Equity for Good Rebels campaign on the Crowdcube platform has raised over 4X more than its target. Approximately half of the investors were between the ages of 18 and 35 years, highlighting Gen Z and Millennials’ commitment to vegan ideals. Six days still remain on the campaign. With around €20 as the minimum to invest, the Equity for Good Rebels campaign set out to increase the number of Heura supporters …

Organisations and Brands:Heura

Company News

Healthy Snack Brand Perkier Raises £1M, Exceeding Crowdfunding Target by 250%

October 11, 2021

Perkier, the UK’s fastest-growing healthy snack bar brand, has completed a highly successful crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. The company raised £1 million — 250% more than its original target of £400,000 — from over 300 investors.

©Ready Burger

Company News

Ready Burger Smashes £1.5M Crowdfunder in Hours, Set For Growth With Prices to Rival McDonald’s & Burger King

March 1, 2022July 6, 2021

London-based vegan fast-food restaurant Ready Burger has announced the close of a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign, raising £2 million in an oversubscribed campaign. The 100% plant-based QSR brand reached its initial £1.5 million target in a matter of hours before extending. Ready Burger claims to have created the UK’s first scalable, value-driven, entirely plant-based QSR brand, with menu items at a price point which rivals global fast-food chains like McDonald’s or Burger King. The sustainability-focused brand’s £1.99 signature burger bears a striking resemblance to a Big Mac, and the rest of the menu offers veganised versions of fast-food classics. Ready Burger’s first site is on Park Road in London’s Crouch End, with a second site due to open on Finchley Road in September. Third and …

Investments & Finance

French Brand Funky Veggie Raises €2M From 600 “Citizen Investors” For Continued Growth

June 15, 2021

Funky Veggie, the French startup which produces vegan snacks and breakfast products, recently raised 2 million euros. But instead of calling on investors, the company preferred to call on its community through the method of participatory financing, a method increasingly used, especially by young startups. The company said on its social networks: “We are very proud to have raised a brand new kind of 2.0 fundraising, in total agreement with our values: thanks to our customers and our community of more than 100,000 people, nearly 600 “citizen investors” have joined our adventure.” According to L’ADN, individuals had the opportunity to contribute between €100 and €300,000. In exchange for this contribution, participants in the funding campaign have the opportunity to join the “Funky Club”, which will …

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information for decision-makers