INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
CAVU Venture Partners has led the $20 million Series B for Once Upon a Farm, which sells organic, cold-pressed baby food in 8,500 grocery
stores in the U.S.The Berkeley-based startup was originally founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneurs Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz
Today, it lists actress Jennifer Garner and former General Mills presidentJohn Foraker as co-founders, too.Both Garner and Foraker — who
was the chief executive officer of the popular organicmac cheese brand Annie Homegrown for more than a decade — joined the company in
Foraker had been an angel investor in Once Upon a Farm and, after conversations with Garner, decided to accept the role of CEO
Garner, widely known for her roles in Alias, 13 Going on 30 and the upcoming HBO original series Camping, was already somewhat of a Once
Upon a Farm evangelist when she signed on as chief brand officer a little over a year ago.&I am proud of the innovative business that we
have built,& Garner said in a statement
&It is incredibly exciting to see so many families embracing our products.This latest round of funding allows us to continue to help busy
parents give their children the most nutritious foods possible and make life a little bit easier for families across the country.&Foraker
told TechCrunch that since he and Garner joined, the business has grown 10x
Last fall, the company products were for sale in 300 stores; today, as mentioned, they are available in more than 8,000.&Because she has
global celebrity, the power of that, she can really help us get the message out and help lots of moms and dads find [Once Upon a Farm],&
Foraker said.Once Upon a Farm sells smoothies and applesauce for kids up to age 12 directly to consumers through its online marketplace and
Pouches of its signature baby food,smoothies and applesauce are $2.99 each.As part of the deal, CAVU co-founder and managing partner Brett
Thomas, along with CAVU investor Jared Jacobs, will join the company board.S2G Ventures and Beechwood Capital also participated in the
round for the startup, which raised a $4 million Series A in June 2017.The company plans to use the funds to expand its direct to consumer
business, partner with more U.S
grocers and build out a wider assortment of baby products.&You can buy fresh pet food now in almost 20,000 stores in the U.S.,& Foraker said
&We think fresh baby food has a long way to go.&Amazon takes on The Honest Company with an exclusive brand of eco diapers, Earth + Eden
