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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

Soylent

Soylent Relaunches in Canada as Meal-in-a-Bottle Sales Fuel Up

Starting today, Soylent’s meal-in-a-bottle drinks and powder will again be available for delivery to Canadian consumers, according to a press release sent to The Spoon.

This comes after the more than two-year hiatus in Soylent sales in the Great White North. In the fall of 2017, Soylent had to halt Canadian distribution of its products after, as it wrote in the press release, there were “challenges with certain Canadian government filings.” Chiefly, it did not meet Canadian food inspectors’ standards of what constitutes a meal replacement.

Almost three years later Soylent has finally caught up on the proper regulatory paperwork and is returning north of the border. The company will relaunch in Canada with a more limited lineup, including three beverage flavors and two powders flavors. The product will initially be available only online through Soylent’s website.

Now is an ideal time for Soylent to expand its sales footprint. The aforementioned press release noted that the company’s return to Canada “comes at a time when many people are looking for shelf-stable, nutritious products that can be delivered directly to their homes.” In short, a pandemic — when people are panic shopping and anxious about having enough food that won’t go bad quickly — is actually kind of a perfect situation for meal replacement drinks like Soylent.

Jamie Sullivan, Director of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs for Soylent, told me over email that the company had seen “ebbs and flows” with their online sales that “seem to be aligned with the demand and worry about access to meals, groceries, and nutrition during this time.” She also noted that most of the company’s sales right now are coming from D2C channels — unsurprising, considering the rise in food delivery and grocery e-commerce as people shelter in place.

Soylent isn’t the only meal-replacement drink that’s navigating shifts in demand during the pandemic. James McMaster, the CEO of Huel, another complete nutrition company, told me that sales of their meal beverage have been “unprecedented.” He pointed out that Huel’s long shelf life (12 months), D2C sales channel, and low price point ($1.90 a meal) are all contributing to its popularity as we enter a time where people want to stay in more, shop less, and, with a recession looming, save money.

Meal replacement drinks could do more than just serve as back-up consumer nutrition for the pandemic. Sullivan also told me that Soylent is making donations to food banks. Thus far Soylent has donated more than 500,000 Soylent meals.

Normally I’d shy away from including blatant PR-y announcements like this in a piece. However, food banks are currently in desperate need of nutritious food, and meal replacements could actually be a viable solution to help pad nutrition gaps in donations. As well as in your pantry.

Soylent Adds Snack Replacement Beverage to its Lineup

Rosa Foods, the company behind meal-replacement-in-a-bottle, Soylent, yesterday announced the launch of Soylent Bridge, a new, lighter liquid designed to replace your snacking on solids.

The 11 oz. Soylent Bridge clocks in at 180 calories with 15 grams of plant-based protein and comes in chocolate flavor. The shelf-stable Bridge will last a year unopened and costs $26 for a 12 pack. The regular Soylent drink is 14 oz., has 400 calories and costs $39 for a 12-pack.

According to the marketing materials, Bridge is meant for in-between meal times (read: snacking). As someone who sometimes works in his kitchen and isn’t above grabbing (too many) handfuls of chips or yogurt covered almonds, it’s easy to see how a single serving of Bridge could help one keep better track of their caloric intake. It just needs to be tasty and filling so you don’t add more snacks on top of it.

It’s no coincidence that the new Bridge comes at the start of a new year, when people resolve to cut back on calories (this reporter included). But it also opens up a new market for the company, allowing it to go after people who still like chewing their regular meals.

This product line diversification will also help against meal replacement rivals like Ample, which raised $2 million last year, and Feed, a French startup that raised $17.4 million last year. While both of those fundraises pale in comparison to Soylent’s $72.4 million previous raises, Ample and Feed offer more variety in their products. Ample sells both Vegan and Ketogenic formulas of its meal replacements, while Feed has expanded into bars and food spreads.

Perhaps sensing the need to diversify its lineup, Soylent launched its own Innovation Lab last September. The Soylent Innovation Lab invited “up-and-coming food tech and other innovative companies who share our goals, vision, and values to join us in changing the way the world consumes food- for the better.” Though, we haven’t heard anything about companies accepted into the lab since it was announced.

Now that it’s here the only question left is: Will the new Soylent Bridge be a hit with new you that the new year will bring?

French Meal-In-A-Bottle Startup Feed Snags $17.4M, Looks Beyond Europe

Today, French startup Feed raised €15 million ($17.4 million USD) from investors Alven, Otium Brands, and Financière Saint James. This recent raise brings their total funding to €18.5 million ($2.1 million).

Feed makes powdered drinks and bars for meal replacements in the vein of Soylent. All of Feed’s products are gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, non-GMO, and made in France, and they contain enough fats, fiber, proteins, and other nutrients to act as a standalone meal. The company plans to use its new funds to add 25 to 30 more team members and expand their international reach into the U.S., according to La Tribune. 

Founded in January of 2017, Feed originally made only powdered drinks intended to supplement or replace meals, and recently added meal-in-one bars to their lineup. A single-serving meal replacement drink from Feed retails for €2.40 ($2.78), which is on par with Soylent’s pricing. Feed currently sells their products in French supermarkets and online, and delivers to over 30 countries.

One of the more interesting aspects of Feed is that it has several savory shaken drink options — in tomato olive, mushroom, carrot and pumpkin, and garden vegetable flavors — which I haven’t seen before from any other meal supplement company. While it may seem off-putting to drink a salty blended shake, I imagine that these flavors would be a welcome shake-up (pun intended) to the typical vanilla/chocolate/coffee.

According to Research and Markets, the global meal replacement market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.83 percent from 2017-2021. And there’s no shortage of options on the market: Soylent just announced that it will retail in more than 1,850 Kroger stores (apparently recovering from last year’s obstacles of recalls, leadership changes, and getting banned in Canada). Bear Squeeze raised over $200,000 on IndieGoGo earlier this year for their meal-in-one health shakes (though as far as I can tell they have yet to ship), and Ample Foods closed a $2 million funding round a few months ago.

And that’s just in the U.S. In Europe, both Amsterdam-based Jimmy Joy and Huel in the U.K. make powdered meal replacements aimed at the busy, health-conscious consumer. Feed’s hefty fundraise signifies not only that these type of drinkable supplements aren’t going anywhere, but that there’s room for expansion — both geographically, and in the product lineup.

Drinkable Meal Startup Ample Foods Raises $2M

San Francisco-based nutrition startup Ample Foods announced today that it has raised an additional $2 million in funds for the seed round, led by the VC firm Slow Ventures. The company has received previous investments from 500 Startups, Hawkshead Capital and Compound. In 2016, Ample raised $370K on Indiegogo, making it the site’s top-funded nutrition campaign of all time.

Ample CEO Connor Young founded Ample Foods to help his friends working long hours at startups eat healthy, convenient meals which didn’t require any planning. And planning they truly do not need. The drinks come in powdered form, so all you have to do is add milk or water and shake. Which means that Ample’s meals don’t expire like other liquid meal replacements; all but one of the varieties have 10-month shelf lives, with the vegan option lasting for 8 months. So you can keep one tucked into your desk at work for when you need to work through lunch, or even bring it with you on an airline (they’re TSA compliant). 

Each bottle is 400 calories and contains 25 grams of protein, 2 to 6 grams of sugar and 10 to 15 grams of fiber. They contain whey protein and collagen from grass-fed cows (except for the vegan version), probiotics, carbohydrates and healthy fats from nuts, chia seeds, and coconut. They also feature some more obscure ingredients, like organic Jerusalem artichoke insulin and acacia fiber. All drinks are gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO. 

In addition to their original product, the startup also offers Ample V, a vegan option which skips the whey, collagen, and honey, and Ample K, which is aimed at low carb, high fat ketogenic diet followers.

With these two options, Ample is hoping to cash in on two dietary trends: ketogenic and plant-based. “We wanted to make sure we hit not just a different market with each drink, but a different use case,” said Young. “We don’t do one-size-fits-all nutrition.” Orian Research estimated that the value of the global ketogenic food market was $5.07 billion in 2017, and forecasted it would grow to $6.5 billion by 2023. At the same time, demand for plant-based foods has been steadily climbing. 

Ample Original costs $6/bottle, with Ample V and Ample K priced at $7 and $8 each, respectively. (Prices reduce slightly if you buy in bulk.) That’s roughly double the price of Soylent, though I suppose those acacia fibers don’t come cheap.

The meal replacement business has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Soylent recently expanded its retail operations through a partnership with Walmart (despite a few obstacles last year with recalls, leadership changes, and getting banned in Canada). Meal-in-a-bottle Bear Squeeze, which is both ketogenic and vegan, broke records for first-day funding on Indiegogo (they have yet to ship). And a few months ago bone broth supplement company Ancient Nutrition raised $103 million. These types of drinks cater towards health-conscious people working long hours, who don’t have time to stop for a meal (much less cook one) but still want to have a balanced diet. 

“We’re selling to really busy people who care about health,” Young told The Spoon. “No matter how much they care, it’s difficult to keep up with the latest dietary trends. We’re simplifying the process from a product level.” He also told me that they hope to introduce a heavier focus on health and nutrition knowledge as they grow.

The latest investment brings Ample’s total funding to $4 million. If you want to try it out, or stock up for the inevitable zombie apocalypse, you can purchase Ample’s powdered drinks on its website.

Food Tech News Roundup: SmartPlate Updates, Localized Meal Kits, & Food Alternatives

Forget the crossword and stack of pancakes — get ready for the best part of your weekend. We’ve rounded up the food tech and innovation-related stories that caught our eye around the web this week for your perusing pleasure. From plant-based sliders at White Castle to (maybe) smart plates, get ready for your weekly dose of news.

Photo: Kitchen 1883

Kroger to expand in-store restaurant chain

Kroger recently announced that it will open a second in-store restaurant in the Greater Cincinnati area. Dubbed Kitchen 1883, its menu features new American comfort food. Kroger launched the first Kitchen 1883 restaurant last November in Kentucky.

As grocery sales move online, this is a bid from Kroger to get shoppers to physically go to their stores, and to stay awhile. It’s a similar concept to this frozen yogurt kiosk or Ikea’s beloved meatballs and cinnamon rolls; keep people around, and they’ll buy more.

 

Photo: Smartplate.com

Smartplate (Might Be) About to Finally Ship

A few days ago Anthony Ortiz, founder of Smartplate, the plate/app combo that tracks the nutrition of what you’re eating, posted an update on their IndieGo page stating that they had built the first 15 production-grade Smartplate TopViews. These new plates are flatter, with updated software.

We’ve covered Smartplate before on the Spoon, with some healthily skepticism. Their update claims they’ll be ready to ship by July 2018, but they’ve already missed a few ship dates. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if Smartplate is finally ready for the real world — but in the mean time, you can go ahead and download the Smartplate app.

 

Photo: Soylent

Soylent at Walmart!

Soylent, the powdered meal replacement drink aimed at busy millennials, became available at Walmart this week. The beverage made the leap into brick-and-mortar retail last year when it launched in 2,500 7-Eleven stores. Previously it was only available online.

Rosa Foods, the maker of Soylent, announced that it will be available in 450 Walmart stores across 14 states. This latest expansion signifies that the beverage, which had a few ups and downs over the past few years, is becoming more mainstream. It also indicates a strong market for meal replacements aimed not at people who want to weight loss, but who want to save time and brainspace.

 

Photo: Local Crate

Local Crate Raises $1.4M for Fresh Food Delivery

Minnesota-based meal kit service Local Crate raised $1.4 million this week. The startup focuses on sourcing local ingredients from smallholder farmers and local producers, which they pre-portion and deliver in their meal kits, along with chef-inspired recipes. With this new fundraise, they plan to expand into Wisconsin and Iowa. They also want to develop their brick and mortar presence, following recent announcements by Weight Watchers, Walmart, Plated and others who also placed their meal kits on supermarket shelves.

 

Photo: White Castle

White Castle Now Offering Impossible Burgers at Affordable Price

On Thursday, April 12th, White Castle, the fast-food chain known for its tiny, square hamburgers, will offer a version of its sliders made with Impossible Foods’ plant-based patties. The sliders will come with smoked cheddar, pickles, and onions, but customers can nix the cheese to make it vegan.

White Castle is rolling out the plant-based sliders in 140 locations and will eventually offer them nationally. We tried the patties last month and decided that while they tasted pretty good, their high price point could be a barrier to widespread acceptance. This partnership will make Impossible’s “bleeding” burgers much more widely available — and more affordable, too. White Castle’s Impossible sliders will cost only $1.99 each. It will be interesting to see how the bleeding burgers fare in a fast food environment, instead of the fast casual and high end restaurants where they have been offered up until now.

News bites: DoorDash CFO, ChowNow Dough and Soylent’s No

Here are a few news stories from around the web that you may have missed.

DoorDash CFO leaves company. Mike Dinsdale didn’t even last a full year with the food delivery startup, has left to join Gusto as its new CFO. (TechCrunch)

ChowNow gobbles up $20M in Series B. The online food ordering service offers restaurants a white label platform for their own use, and has a mobile restaurant discovery app. The company has raised roughly $40 million to date. (TechCrunch)

Canada tells Soylent to take off. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency blocks sales of the Silicon Valley drink because it does not meet all the criteria for being a “meal replacement.” (CNN Money)

Amazon-owned Whole Foods may be a boon to smaller companies. Some food startups welcome their new Bezos overlord, and his ability to centralize buying and expand customer bases. (USA Today)