Gaingels

Gaingels is a venture capital investment firm founded in 2014 and based in Burlington, Vermont. It specializes in investing in companies led by LGBT+ founders and C-suite leaders across various stages of growth, as well as in established firms aiming to create more inclusive teams. With a global portfolio of over 130 companies and $70 million in investment capital deployed, Gaingels actively supports its portfolio by helping to identify and recruit diverse talent for leadership roles. The firm fosters a vibrant community of industry leaders, investors, operators, and entrepreneurs who are united in their mission to drive positive social change through business and successful investments.

Marc Baum

Investor

Jesse Curran

Principal

Ashley Flucas

Venture Partner

Max Frenkel

General Partner

Todd Havill

Research Operations and Principal, Investment

Surya Jayaweera

Angel Investor

Jennifer Jeronimo

CEO and General Partner

Jake Prigoff

General Partner

Peter Steinberg

General Partner

Alexandra Tanner

Investor

Lorenzo Thione

General Partner

Past deals in Food Processing

Eclipse Foods

Series B in 2022
Eclipse Foods manufactures plant-based dairy products that closely mimic the taste, texture, and functionality of traditional animal dairy items, such as ice cream, cream cheese, and sour cream. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Walnut, California, the company utilizes innovative plant-processing technology to create dairy alternatives that avoid the health, environmental, and welfare issues associated with conventional dairy production. By focusing on delivering high-quality plant-based options, Eclipse Foods aims to provide consumers with healthier choices while preserving the familiar flavors of traditional dairy products.

Hyfé

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Operator of a feedstock processing company intended to power the creation of sustainable chemicals, materials, fuels, and foods. The company uses fungal fermentation to upcycle waste used in food manufacturing and produce cost-competitive essential goods for multiple industries, enabling the food industry to reduce its carbon footprint.

Crafty

Series A in 2022
Crafty, LLC is a food and drink company based in Chicago, Illinois, that specializes in enhancing workplace environments through the management of snacks, beverages, and event programming. Founded in 2015, Crafty offers a diverse range of products, including coffee, tea, beer, wine, spirits, perishables, and pantry supplies, catering to the needs of in-office, remote, and hybrid teams. The company provides services that encompass kitchen and pantry management, catering, and event planning, aimed at creating enjoyable workplace experiences. Crafty's platform centralizes the management of food and beverage services, ensuring that organizations can efficiently oversee their workplace refreshment needs and elevate employee satisfaction through well-organized events and tastings.

Nowadays

Seed Round in 2022
Producer of plant-based meat intended to provide healthy food and meat alternatives. The company focuses on making healthier plant-based versions of what is typically categorized as junk food, using animal-free ingredients, enabling consumers to have healthy and animal-free food items.

MycoTechnology

Series E in 2022
MycoTechnology utilizes fungi-based food-processing platforms to transform the flavor and value of agricultural products. The platform can be used to solve a variety of challenges faced by the food, beverage, and flavor industries. MycoTechnology has released ClearTaste, an all-natural, GMO-free, organic bitter blocker that is Kosher and Halal certified. ClearTaste improves the flavor of various agricultural products. MycoTechnology also engages in fermenting agricultural products with strains of gourmet fungi. The company offers myceliated chocolate as well as robusta and arabica coffee beans. It develops and licenses technology to the industry to naturally improve the flavor of robusta and arabica coffee. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in Aurora, Colorado.

Finless Foods

Series B in 2022
Finless Foods Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Emeryville, California, focused on producing sustainable seafood alternatives through cellular agriculture technologies. Founded in 2017, the company specializes in growing marine-animal cells to create seafood products, including bluefin tuna. Finless Foods aims to provide a healthier and environmentally friendly alternative to traditionally caught and farmed seafood, offering consumers a cost-effective option that does not compromise on taste or dietary preferences. The company's mission is to develop and mass manufacture innovative marine animal food products that promote sustainability and accessibility in the seafood market.

Here

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Here Holdings, LLC is a company based in Chicago, Illinois, that specializes in producing cold press juices, dips, and spreads using Midwest-sourced ingredients. Their product range includes a variety of juices made from combinations of fruits and vegetables, such as pineapple, celery, beet, and ginger, as well as an assortment of dips featuring flavors like black bean tomato, edamame pea sesame, and spinach mushroom. The company emphasizes values such as trust, transparency, and community in its operations, aiming to provide high-quality, healthy food options.

Drink Barcode

Seed Round in 2022
Drink Barcode is a plant-based and adaptogen-powered beverage that works with the body to keep the entire self at full potential. The company was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Burlington, Vermont.

Hooray Foods

Seed Round in 2021
Hooray makes delicious plant-based meats that are designed to look, cook, and taste just like the real thing. Plants that remind us of our favorite meats while being made of ingredients we can feel good about? Now that's something to celebrate and say Hooray!

Sundial Foods

Seed Round in 2021
Sundial Foods, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Berkeley, California, specializes in creating plant-based meat alternatives aimed at environmentally conscious consumers. The company employs a macro and microstructural engineering approach to develop products that closely mimic the look, texture, and taste of traditional meat, all while ensuring affordability and nutritional value. By utilizing familiar ingredients and straightforward production processes, Sundial Foods strives to make plant-based meats accessible to a wider audience. The company's mission is to encourage a shift towards sustainable eating habits, thereby reducing meat consumption and its associated environmental impacts.

GrubMarket

Series E in 2021
GrubMarket, Inc. operates an online marketplace that connects sellers of food and related items with customers, offering a wide range of products at wholesale prices. The marketplace features organic, vegan, gluten-free foods, fresh produce, snacks, beverages, pantry items, home goods, health and beauty products, as well as items for babies, pets, and specialty diets like non-GMO and paleo. GrubMarket sources products from local farms, fisheries, commercial kitchens, certified home kitchens, and restaurants, ensuring a diverse selection for its customers. Additionally, the company provides a Software-as-a-Service platform for food delivery services and has developed GrubMarket FarmBox, a gaming application. Founded in 2014, GrubMarket is headquartered in Newark, California, with an additional office in San Francisco.

Buffalo Market

Series A in 2021
Operator of grocery company intended to supply fresh organic premium products. The company offers a range of products including meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, and fruits from local suppliers, farmers, butchers, bakers, and fishermen which are transported to the fulfillment center where they are packed in bags, boxes, and coolers, providing consumers with quality and fresh goods at affordable rates.

BIOMILQ

Series A in 2021
We leverage our patent-pending technology to produce nutritionally equivalent breastmilk from cultured human mammary cells. With Biomilq, families can achieve the recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding while alleviating the climate impacts of bovine-based infant formula.

ByHeart

Series B in 2021
ByHeart, Inc. is an infant nutrition company that develops a range of nutritional food products for infants and babies, focusing on immune, microbiome, cognitive, and digestive health. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York, the company operates facilities in Pennsylvania. ByHeart emphasizes the use of hand-picked ingredients and small-batch blending to create formulas that reflect the latest in nutrition science and breastmilk research. Their products are designed to support babies' health and provide parents with peace of mind, offering choices that help establish a strong foundation for future well-being.

Tiny Organics

Series A in 2021
Tiny Organics Inc. is a baby wellness company that specializes in personalized nutrition for infants and toddlers. Founded in 2018 and based in New York, Tiny Organics offers a variety of organic, nutrient-rich finger foods that are designed by neonatal nutritionists and chefs to expand children's palates. The company provides a user-friendly online platform where customers can take a quiz to select meals tailored to their children's needs, with shipping services for convenience. By emphasizing a whole food foundation, Tiny Organics aims to foster healthier eating habits from a young age, promoting the development of preferences for vegetables and reducing the risk of chronic diseases and obesity in adulthood. The company has gained recognition in prominent publications and has attracted investments from notable figures in the industry.

Hooray Foods

Seed Round in 2021
Hooray makes delicious plant-based meats that are designed to look, cook, and taste just like the real thing. Plants that remind us of our favorite meats while being made of ingredients we can feel good about? Now that's something to celebrate and say Hooray!

Bowery

Series C in 2021
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.

Territory Foods

Series B in 2021
Territory Foods is a meal delivery service that focuses on providing chef-prepared, nutritionist-approved meals tailored to various dietary preferences. Established in 2011 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, the company offers a diverse range of freshly-made meals designed by culinary professionals and nutrition experts. Its menus feature artisan dishes that are responsibly sourced and free of refined sugars, gluten, and dairy, catering to health-conscious consumers. Meals can be customized to fit dietary needs such as Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30, and Keto, making it easier for customers to maintain healthy eating habits. Territory Foods employs a proprietary algorithm to ensure a rotating menu that keeps meal options varied and engaging.

Pepper

Seed Round in 2020
Pepper is a digital platform based in New York that streamlines the food supply chain for suppliers and restaurants. It facilitates order placement, real-time communication with suppliers, and invoice tracking, thereby enhancing collaboration between restaurants and their suppliers. The platform enables restaurant operators to manage multiple supplier relationships effectively, resolve order and delivery issues promptly, and gain insights into business performance. Additionally, it allows for the promotion of items or brands to specific customers, simplifying the purchasing process for both restaurants and consumers. By providing these services, Pepper aims to help restaurants and suppliers create more resilient businesses in an ever-evolving food industry.

MycoTechnology

Series D in 2020
MycoTechnology utilizes fungi-based food-processing platforms to transform the flavor and value of agricultural products. The platform can be used to solve a variety of challenges faced by the food, beverage, and flavor industries. MycoTechnology has released ClearTaste, an all-natural, GMO-free, organic bitter blocker that is Kosher and Halal certified. ClearTaste improves the flavor of various agricultural products. MycoTechnology also engages in fermenting agricultural products with strains of gourmet fungi. The company offers myceliated chocolate as well as robusta and arabica coffee beans. It develops and licenses technology to the industry to naturally improve the flavor of robusta and arabica coffee. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in Aurora, Colorado.

MycoTechnology

Series C in 2019
MycoTechnology utilizes fungi-based food-processing platforms to transform the flavor and value of agricultural products. The platform can be used to solve a variety of challenges faced by the food, beverage, and flavor industries. MycoTechnology has released ClearTaste, an all-natural, GMO-free, organic bitter blocker that is Kosher and Halal certified. ClearTaste improves the flavor of various agricultural products. MycoTechnology also engages in fermenting agricultural products with strains of gourmet fungi. The company offers myceliated chocolate as well as robusta and arabica coffee beans. It develops and licenses technology to the industry to naturally improve the flavor of robusta and arabica coffee. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in Aurora, Colorado.

Territory Foods

Series A in 2019
Territory Foods is a meal delivery service that focuses on providing chef-prepared, nutritionist-approved meals tailored to various dietary preferences. Established in 2011 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, the company offers a diverse range of freshly-made meals designed by culinary professionals and nutrition experts. Its menus feature artisan dishes that are responsibly sourced and free of refined sugars, gluten, and dairy, catering to health-conscious consumers. Meals can be customized to fit dietary needs such as Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30, and Keto, making it easier for customers to maintain healthy eating habits. Territory Foods employs a proprietary algorithm to ensure a rotating menu that keeps meal options varied and engaging.

New Wave Foods

Seed Round in 2018
New Wave Foods, Inc. specializes in producing and selling plant-based seafood products, focusing primarily on sustainable shrimp alternatives. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company offers a variety of items, including sautéed, grilled, breaded, and fried shrimp, as well as shrimp tacos and salads. Its products are made from sustainably sourced seaweed and soy protein, enriched with natural flavors and essential amino acids, providing a healthy, low-calorie, and zero-cholesterol option for consumers. Targeting the culinary market in the United States, New Wave Foods aims to preserve and enrich seafood traditions through its innovative plant-based offerings.

Chicory

Convertible Note in 2017
Chicory is a technology company based in NYC that uses artificial intelligence to create digital grocery experiences. In 2014, Chicory launched its core product, the "Get Ingredients" button, which allows consumers to get online recipe ingredients delivered from various grocers and retailers. Within two years, Chicory added over 1,000 recipe partners and became the largest shoppable recipe network in the country. They launched an advertising platform in 2016, leveraging their network to help food brands reach consumers who are in-market for grocery and CPG products. Today, Chicory reaches approximately 80 million unique monthly users and has partnered with companies like Peapod, Time, Inc. and General Mills International to lay the groundwork for the future of grocery.

Chicory

Seed Round in 2015
Chicory is a technology company based in NYC that uses artificial intelligence to create digital grocery experiences. In 2014, Chicory launched its core product, the "Get Ingredients" button, which allows consumers to get online recipe ingredients delivered from various grocers and retailers. Within two years, Chicory added over 1,000 recipe partners and became the largest shoppable recipe network in the country. They launched an advertising platform in 2016, leveraging their network to help food brands reach consumers who are in-market for grocery and CPG products. Today, Chicory reaches approximately 80 million unique monthly users and has partnered with companies like Peapod, Time, Inc. and General Mills International to lay the groundwork for the future of grocery.
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