Almanac Insights

BlueCart is a web and mobile platform built to streamline and modernize the wholesale procurement process for buyers and sellers. It offers online and mobile ordering to new and existing customers while boosting sales with the BlueCart marketplace tools. BlueCart was formerly known as Improvonia and is launched in July 2014.

Onfleet is a B2B software company based in San Francisco, California, specializing in last-mile delivery logistics. Founded in 2012 by a team of engineers from Stanford University, Onfleet facilitates efficient communication of locations between businesses and their customers. The company's platform offers a web-based dispatch dashboard for routing, tracking, and analytics, along with mobile applications for drivers on iOS and Android. Onfleet's features include real-time order tracking, automated customer notifications, and a RESTful API that allows businesses to integrate their existing tools. The platform supports a variety of industries, including food, beverage, grocery, laundry, pharmaceuticals, retail, and e-commerce, enabling thousands of businesses worldwide to manage and analyze their delivery operations effectively.

FOXTROT is a food and beverage delivery company based in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 2013 by Mike LaVitola, Brian Jaffee, and Taylor Bloom. The company operates both grocery stores and a mobile app that allows customers to shop for a diverse range of products, including wine, spirits, fresh foods, snacks, and everyday essentials. FOXTROT offers a curated selection of items that can be delivered to customers' doors in under an hour. In addition to its Chicago location, FOXTROT has expanded its presence to Texas, enhancing its reach in the grocery and delivery market.

Smallhold, Inc. is a farming technology company based in Brooklyn, New York, specializing in the cultivation of mushrooms through innovative, climate-controlled mini farms. Established in 2017, the company employs automated and modular growing systems that are remotely managed and available on a subscription basis. This technology allows food industry professionals, such as restaurants and grocery stores, to produce a consistent and reliable supply of local mushrooms tailored to their specific needs, regardless of external climatic conditions or market fluctuations. By leveraging advanced data analytics, Smallhold develops precise climate recipes to optimize mushroom growth, ultimately shortening the supply chain and enhancing the accessibility of fresh produce.

Kingdom Supercultures specializes in developing and producing microbial cultures that assist food manufacturers in creating innovative food products. Founded in 2019 and based in Brooklyn, New York, the company is known for its production of Koji, a traditional Japanese ingredient essential for making miso, sake, and soy sauce, among other applications. In addition to Koji, Kingdom Supercultures offers a range of functional ingredients and biopreservatives, contributing to the production of fermented sodas, beers, and plant-based dairy alternatives. Their unique platform utilizes software and hardware automation to explore the extensive microbial diversity found in nature, enabling the discovery and assembly of new microbial food strains into cultures. This approach supports brands in their efforts to develop healthy and sustainable food options without resorting to synthetic engineering.

Scout Canning Inc. produces canned seafood products. The company offers Atlantic Canadian lobsters, PEI mussels with roasted red peppers and tomatoes, and Ontario lake trout with dill. Scout Canning Inc. was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Meati, also known as Emergy Foods, is a consumer goods company based in Boulder, Colorado, founded in 2016. The company specializes in producing whole muscle, nutritious plant-based meats designed to promote healthier lifestyles and environmental sustainability. By utilizing proprietary, clean technologies, Meati offers nutrient-dense meat alternatives that aim to appeal to a wide audience, ensuring that consumers can enjoy meals that are both good for their health and the planet.

Good Catch Foods focuses on creating vegan and plant-based substitutes for seafood. Founded in 2016, the company offers a variety of products including plant-based shredded tuna, crab cakes, and fish patties, all made from ingredients such as pea proteins, lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans. Originally based in New York, Good Catch has since moved its headquarters to Newtown, Pennsylvania, where it continues to innovate in the field of plant-based seafood alternatives.

Gro Intelligence is a data analytics platform focused on the global agriculture industry, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze a wide range of agricultural data. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York, with an additional office in Nairobi, the company aggregates and processes both structured and unstructured data from diverse sources, including satellite imagery and trade reports. By employing proprietary algorithms, Gro Intelligence generates predictive models that provide insights into weather patterns, trade flows, pricing dynamics, and production metrics. This enables financial institutions, corporations, and public sector entities to make informed decisions based on comprehensive and timely information. The company has attracted significant investment, raising $20 million to date from notable investors. With approximately 50 employees, Gro Intelligence aims to bridge data gaps within the agricultural sector, enhancing productivity and access to capital for stakeholders across the ecosystem.

Good Culture, LLC specializes in the production of organic dairy products, particularly focusing on all-natural cottage cheese. Founded in 2014 and based in Irvine, California, the company also offers probiotic gut shots and sour cream, catering to health-conscious consumers seeking wholesome options. Good Culture's cottage cheese is noted for its thick, creamy texture and low sugar content, making it a nutritious choice without artificial ingredients. The company distributes its products through various retail outlets across the United States, promoting a lifestyle that encourages enjoying good food as a means to enhance well-being.

Bowery Farming Inc. is a modern agricultural company based in New York City, specializing in the cultivation of post-organic produce such as baby kale, lettuce, arugula, and basil. Founded in 2014, Bowery employs advanced technology, including its proprietary BoweryOS software, to create optimal growing conditions in indoor farms. This system utilizes automation, machine learning, and vision systems to monitor plant growth continuously, resulting in highly efficient farming practices. Bowery's operations use zero pesticides and consume 95% less water while achieving over 100 times the productivity of traditional farming methods on the same land area. The company sells its products through grocery stores, including select Whole Foods and Foragers locations, and supplies produce to various restaurants, including those owned by renowned chef Tom Colicchio. Bowery Farming is committed to transforming agriculture to ensure a sustainable and healthier food supply for the future.

HeatGenie, Inc. specializes in self-heating packaging technology that allows food and beverages to be heated conveniently without the need for external heat sources. The company's innovative technology utilizes a flameless thermal reaction to warm products such as coffee, hot chocolate, sake, ciders, teas, and sip-able soups, making it suitable for a variety of settings including offices, outdoor activities, schools, sporting events, and travel. By integrating this technology into consumer packaging, HeatGenie serves the food and food packaging industries, facilitating on-the-go consumption of heated items. Founded in 2007 and based in Austin, Texas, the company was previously known as Ironbridge Technologies, Inc.

BlueCart is a web and mobile platform built to streamline and modernize the wholesale procurement process for buyers and sellers. It offers online and mobile ordering to new and existing customers while boosting sales with the BlueCart marketplace tools. BlueCart was formerly known as Improvonia and is launched in July 2014.

Spindrift Beverage Co., Inc. is a producer and supplier of non-alcoholic beverages, offering a variety of products including sodas in flavors such as grapefruit, blackberry, orange, mango, cucumber, strawberry, lemonade, cranberry, and raspberry, as well as flavored sparkling water and seltzers. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts, the company distributes its products through various channels, including retail stores and online platforms across the United States.

New Barn has quickly grown to become the leading branded organic refrigerated almondmilk range in the natural channel (US) . The company makes and markets Organic almondmilks, as well as a unique non-dairy frozen dessert lineup called AlmondCrème, to thousands of natural, specialty and conventional retailers nationwide. The company's Barista Almondmilk is the current breakout item, giving pro and home baristas for the first time a non-dairy milk that performs like dairy, and giving consumers a luscious drinking experience hot or cold.

Sfoglini LLC is a Brooklyn-based manufacturer of specialty pasta, established in 2012. The company focuses on producing traditional Italian-style pasta using high-quality American organic grains, including seasonal and specialty varieties crafted from organic drum semolina and local New York state grains. Sfoglini aims to revive classic pasta-making techniques and offers its products to consumers, allowing them to enjoy authentic pasta typically served at esteemed restaurants, delivered directly to their homes.

Nona Lim, LLC is a food producer based in Oakland, California, specializing in Asian-inspired products. Founded in 2014, the company offers a range of non-GMO, dairy-free, and gluten-free soups, broths, and convenient meals made from fresh, local, and organic ingredients. Its product lineup includes heat-and-sip bone broth, broth pouches, soup cups, and customizable noodle bowls. Nona Lim sells its offerings through retail shops and online, catering to consumers seeking healthy and flavorful Asian comfort food.

Foodstirs, LLC, based in Santa Monica, California, specializes in providing food crafting kits and healthier baked goods. Founded by Galit Laibow, Greg Fleishman, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, the company focuses on offering better-for-you sweet treats made with organic ingredients and lower sugar content. Its product range includes baking kits, mixes, and ready-made items such as donuts, muffins, and brownies, which are designed to appeal to health-conscious consumers. The kits not only contain dry ingredients and recipes but also specialty cooking tools, fostering culinary skills in children and families. Foodstirs operates primarily through e-commerce, enabling customers to either bake their own treats or enjoy ready-to-eat options.