Blue Stripes, a cacao brand, has closed a Series B funding round at $20 million, led by Zintinus, The Hershey Company and Whole Foods Market, among others.
Blue Stripes' line of delicious, environmentally conscious and nutrient dense products includes Cacao Water, Whole Cacao Chocolate Bars, Whole Cacao Granola, Whole Cacao Trail Mix, Chocolate Covered Cacao Beans, and Dried Cacao Fruit. Blue Stripes' innovative ingredient and production approach reduces cacao fruit waste, increases the value of the cacao fruit, and creates a meaningful income increase for cocoa farmers by utilizing 70% of the fruit that is typically thrown away in the traditional chocolate making process.
Blue Stripes was founded in 2018 by Oded Brenner, who also founded the global chocolate retail chain Max Brenner. Oded and co-founder Aviv Schwietzer hope to revolutionize the chocolate industry with their innovative and sustainable whole cacao approach. The brand aims to create an entirely new category within the chocolate space by unlocking the untapped potential of the cacao superfruit — including antioxidants, minerals, fiber and more.
The Series B campaign's lead investor, Zintinus, supports brands that develop innovative technologies in the food industry while adhering to a high standard of environmental responsibility, social equity and strong governance practices. Zintinus' investment support was bolstered with investment from The Hershey Company, one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world, Whole Foods Market, the leading natural and organic foods retailer, as well as additional investors including DMG Ventures, Hamilton Lane and Praesidium. The investment proceeds will be used to continue to advance the company's whole cacao process technologies, develop new products, increase distribution, and raise consumer awareness around the nutritional benefits of the cacao superfruit for the chocolate industry as a whole.
