BERKELEY, CALIF. — Once Upon A Farm, a manufacturer of refrigerated pouch snacks for children, has acquired baby food meal delivery company Raised Real. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The deal adds frozen meal options to the Once Upon A Farm portfolio, which includes plant-based yogurts, smoothies and blends featuring fruits and vegetables. Once Upon A Farm said it will reintroduce the line of organic meals later this year in Target stores and on the Once Upon A Farm website. The meals may be pureed, mashed or served as finger foods and incorporate ingredients such as sweet potatoes, coconut butter and oats.Â
“We’ve watched and admired Raised Real’s approach and products for over three years and think they are a perfect fit for our portfolio as we continue to build our next-generation kid nutrition company.” said John Foraker, co-founder and chief executive officer of Once Upon a Farm. “They give us an important entree into the frozen space where there is significant opportunity for baby and kid innovation, and to increase our scale and capabilities in direct-to-consumer, which is an important part of our growth strategy.”
Santiago Merea, CEO and founder of Raised Real, added, “John Foraker and his team at Once Upon a Farm are perfect to accelerate our aspirations at retail and help us bring to life our ambitious vision. Our products, combined, create a leading plant-rich portfolio platform for kids of all ages across fresh and frozen, online and offline. This is a big day in our journey in which we can all celebrate.”
Additionally, Once Upon A Farm said it has transitioned from a Limited Liability Company to a Public Benefit Corporation and has outlined social impact goals into its company charter. The company plans to submit third-party review to B Lab, the organization that certifies B Corporation businesses, which meet rigorous standards for social and environmental performance.
