CAVU Venture Partners

CAVU Venture Partners is a venture capital and private equity firm founded in 2015 and based in New York, New York. The firm specializes in investing in early to mid-stage and mature consumer goods, particularly within the food and beverage, pet care, and personal care sectors. CAVU seeks to partner with passionate entrepreneurs and brands that have the potential to make a positive impact, focusing on companies with revenues of $50 million or less. With a deep industry experience and a proven track record in brand building, CAVU aims to create optimal conditions for startups and established brands to thrive, fostering innovation and growth in the consumer products space.

Bader Alam

Senior Vice President, Private Equity

Todd Bondy

Vice President

Jay Carroll

Vice President

Clayton Christopher

Co-Founder & Operating Partner

Bella Filer

Chief Financial Officer

Jenna Jackson

Partner

Jared Jacobs

Partner

Jacqueline Loken

Vice President

Brandon Neumann

Associate

Rohan Oza

Managing Partner & Co-Founder

Brett Thomas

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Past deals in Beverages

Once Upon a Farm

Series D in 2022
Once Upon a Farm Kiddo Meals are processed using High Pressure Processing, which uses pressure instead of heat to kill off any potential harmful ingredients. This process also allows for a more nutrient dense food. Further, the brands that are currently on the shelves usually contain a large percentage of water, fillers, sugars and preservatives, which take away from the natural state of the food. This in turn takes away from optimal nutrition for babies, since optimal absorption of nutrients occurs when food is in its most natural state.

Bulletproof

Venture Round in 2020
Bulletproof 360, Inc. is a company based in Seattle, Washington, that specializes in the manufacture and sale of coffee, tea products, and dietary supplements. Its diverse product range includes cacao tea, chocolate powders, coconut charcoal capsules, protein products, MCT oils, and various accessories aimed at enhancing mental and physical performance. Bulletproof focuses on providing high-quality, ethically sourced products designed to help individuals achieve their full potential. The company emphasizes a blend of ancient knowledge and modern science, leveraging insights from customers, athletes, and medical professionals to inform its offerings. Bulletproof distributes its products through retail channels in the United States and internationally, as well as via online sales. Established in 2013, Bulletproof is committed to sustainability and creating a positive impact for future generations.

Health-Ade

Venture Round in 2019
Health-Ade, LLC is a Los Angeles-based company that specializes in producing Kombucha, a fermented tea rich in probiotics and healthy acids. Founded in 2012, Health-Ade offers a variety of flavors, including original, apple, ginger lemon, plum, grape, cayenne cleanse, beet, carrot, and pomegranate. The company's products are distributed through various stores and restaurants. Health-Ade employs a dual fermentation process to transform sweet tea into Kombucha, significantly reducing its sugar content. The company has encountered challenges in meeting consumer demand, with estimates suggesting that it could potentially sell five times more product if it had the capacity to brew enough Kombucha.

Kite Hill

Venture Round in 2018
Kite Hill is a brand dedicated to producing plant-based food products that aim to replicate the qualities of artisan dairy cheeses while promoting animal welfare and sustainability. The company uses natural ingredients and innovative methods, combining traditional cheese-making techniques with patented biochemistry to create a diverse range of alternative dairy offerings. These include nut milk yogurts, cream cheese style spreads, entrées, and desserts, appealing to both plant-based consumers and those seeking healthier lifestyle choices. Kite Hill's mission is to make high-quality, delicious products that invite a wide audience to enjoy the pleasures of communal dining without relying on industrial animal agriculture.

Once Upon a Farm

Series B in 2018
Once Upon a Farm Kiddo Meals are processed using High Pressure Processing, which uses pressure instead of heat to kill off any potential harmful ingredients. This process also allows for a more nutrient dense food. Further, the brands that are currently on the shelves usually contain a large percentage of water, fillers, sugars and preservatives, which take away from the natural state of the food. This in turn takes away from optimal nutrition for babies, since optimal absorption of nutrients occurs when food is in its most natural state.

Kettle & Fire

Series A in 2018
Kettle and Fire Inc. manufactures and markets bone broth in the United States. It offers beef bone broth; arrow bones from organically raised, organic carrots, organic celery, and organic onions and chicken bone broth; chicken broth, organic roasted poblano pepper, organic green pepper, organic onion, organic carrots, organic garlic, and organic scallions. The company also offers sustainable packaging solutions. It distributes its product through stores and wholesalers, as well as online. Kettle and Fire Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Waterloo Sparkling Water Corp.

Convertible Note in 2018
Waterloo Sparkling Water Corp. produces sparkling water. It offers 12-ounce cans in flavors, including original, black cherry, watermelon, coconut, lemon, lime, and grapefruit. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Rebbl

Venture Round in 2018
Rebbl Inc. is a company based in Emeryville, California, founded in 2011, that specializes in producing and selling plant-based beverages, particularly elixirs and tonics. The brand name, Rebbl, stands for roots, extracts, berries, bark, and leaves, reflecting the diverse plant constituents used in their products. The company focuses on crafting high-quality super herb beverages that incorporate traditional wellness plants and adaptogens, aiming to promote balance and wellness. Rebbl offers a variety of flavors, including dark chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut chocolate spiced pumpkin pie, salted caramel, oatmeal cookie, and chocolate peanut butter banana, catering to consumers seeking organic and vegan options that nourish the body. The products are available through various retail outlets.

Vital Proteins

Venture Round in 2017
Vital Proteins, LLC manufactures and sells whole food based nutrition containing collagen. Its products include collagen, collagen creamer, beauty waters, bone broths, collagen and whey, greens and veggies, and supplements. It also sells its product online. The company is based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. As of July 30, 2020, Vital Proteins, LLC operates as a subsidiary of Nestlé Health Science S.A..

High Brew Coffee

Series B in 2017
High Brew Coffee, Inc. specializes in the production of cold-brewed coffee, offering its products through retail stores and online platforms. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company emphasizes sustainability by engaging in direct trade partnerships. These collaborations enable High Brew Coffee to source its coffee beans responsibly, ensuring that farmers receive better profitability while minimizing environmental impact.

Bulletproof

Series B in 2017
Bulletproof 360, Inc. is a company based in Seattle, Washington, that specializes in the manufacture and sale of coffee, tea products, and dietary supplements. Its diverse product range includes cacao tea, chocolate powders, coconut charcoal capsules, protein products, MCT oils, and various accessories aimed at enhancing mental and physical performance. Bulletproof focuses on providing high-quality, ethically sourced products designed to help individuals achieve their full potential. The company emphasizes a blend of ancient knowledge and modern science, leveraging insights from customers, athletes, and medical professionals to inform its offerings. Bulletproof distributes its products through retail channels in the United States and internationally, as well as via online sales. Established in 2013, Bulletproof is committed to sustainability and creating a positive impact for future generations.

One Brands

Venture Round in 2017
ONE Brands, LLC produces and markets a line of low sugar and nutritional snack bars. The company sells its products through retail partners across the United States, as well as through online stores. ONE Brands, LLC formerly known as Oh Yeah! Nutrition. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. As of September 23, 2019, ONE Brands, LLC operates as a subsidiary of The Hershey Company.

Beyond Meat

Venture Round in 2017
Beyond Meat, Inc. is a food company that manufactures and sells plant-based meat products both in the United States and internationally. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in El Segundo, California, Beyond Meat operates under various trademarks, including Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage. The company distributes its products through multiple channels, including grocery stores, restaurants, and schools. Beyond Meat aims to address global concerns related to human health, climate change, resource constraints, and animal welfare. Its plant-based products are crafted using non-GMO ingredients and offer comparable or superior protein levels to traditional meat while being free from cholesterol, antibiotics, and hormones.

Kite Hill

Series B in 2016
Kite Hill is a brand dedicated to producing plant-based food products that aim to replicate the qualities of artisan dairy cheeses while promoting animal welfare and sustainability. The company uses natural ingredients and innovative methods, combining traditional cheese-making techniques with patented biochemistry to create a diverse range of alternative dairy offerings. These include nut milk yogurts, cream cheese style spreads, entrées, and desserts, appealing to both plant-based consumers and those seeking healthier lifestyle choices. Kite Hill's mission is to make high-quality, delicious products that invite a wide audience to enjoy the pleasures of communal dining without relying on industrial animal agriculture.

Wtrmln Wtr

Seed Round in 2016
Wtrmln Wtr is a New York-based company specializing in the production of cold-pressed watermelon water. The company sources the ripest, conscientiously grown watermelons, which are hand-selected and cold-pressed to retain their natural nutrients. This process involves using both the rind and flesh of the melon, followed by a short nutrient-preserving treatment and refrigeration in BPA-free plastic bottles until consumption. Wtrmln Wtr's products are all-natural, gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and kosher, often sweetened with a hint of organic lemon juice. The company emphasizes the health benefits of its watermelon water, promoting faster hydration and more efficient recovery compared to regular water, making it a nutritious and refreshing choice for consumers seeking sustainable beverage options.

Health-Ade

Venture Round in 2016
Health-Ade, LLC is a Los Angeles-based company that specializes in producing Kombucha, a fermented tea rich in probiotics and healthy acids. Founded in 2012, Health-Ade offers a variety of flavors, including original, apple, ginger lemon, plum, grape, cayenne cleanse, beet, carrot, and pomegranate. The company's products are distributed through various stores and restaurants. Health-Ade employs a dual fermentation process to transform sweet tea into Kombucha, significantly reducing its sugar content. The company has encountered challenges in meeting consumer demand, with estimates suggesting that it could potentially sell five times more product if it had the capacity to brew enough Kombucha.

Bai

Venture Round in 2016
Bai is an innovative beverage company that brings great taste and better ingredients together at last. Its Bai and Bai Bubbles lines offer fresh fruit flavor and antioxidants with no artificial sweeteners and only 5 calories and 1 gram of sugar per serving. Bai also produces Antiwater, an antioxidant-infused, super-purified bottled water. The company was founded by 20-year beverage industry veteran Ben Weiss in 2009 and has grown rapidly with its products now distributed by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group among others. Bai Brands was named one of Inc.'s 500 fastest-growing private companies in 2014, as well as one of America's 20 Most Promising Companies by Forbes in 2015.