Wild Friends Foods Raises $3.5M Series A

Cambridge Companies SPG led the round, with additional funding provided by Katjesgreenfood, Echo Capital, the CircleUp Growth Fund and Portland Seed Fund. The round also included strategic angel investors, including business strategist Tony Robbins; Steve Hughes, founder and former CEO of Boulder Brands; as well as Jamie Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt's Naturals.

"This round of fundraising marks a pivotal moment of growth for the company," Wild Friends co-founder and CEO Keeley Tillotson said. "It made the recent additions to our product line-up and team possible, and the additional capital will go toward expanding our sales team presence across the country, continued grassroots marketing efforts and even more innovative product launches."

While fundraising, Wild Friends sought out funds and individuals who provide a diversity of experience and share a common vision in the food and beverage industry.

"Wild Friends has created impressive enterprise value very efficiently from a capital use standpoint, established a clear relationship with a passionate and dedicated core customer base and executed on their mission of innovation and growth," Filipp Chebotarev, chief operating officer of Cambridge Companies SPG, said. "We were drawn to Wild Friends due to the company's resonance with millennial consumers."

"Keeley and Erika have built a 'true love brand'," adds Manon Littek, CEO of Katjesgreenfood. "As the first European food impact investor, we were attracted by their approach to disrupt a traditional category."

Schmidt commented, "As a rapidly growing B-Corp, Wild Friends has already taken giant leaps in their mission to make food friendly and lead with progressive values. Chris and I are excited to partner with these dynamic female founders and fellow Portlanders in support of Wild Friends' expanded brand marketing and product innovation."

This funding round comes on the heels of Wild Friends' first bold step outside of the nut butter aisle with the launch of Oats and Nut Butter, a new oat cup line featuring a base of rolled oats, chia and flax, plus the addition of a single serve nut butter packet. The new line is now available nationwide in Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Publix.

Wild Friends has also recently announced other exciting developments, including B-Corp certification and the addition of new senior leadership; Beth Hanson, formerly on the 301 Inc team at General Mills, has joined the team as VP of sales, and Christina McCalla, formerly Marketing Manager at Annie's, joined the team as director of marketing.

About Wild Friends Foods
Wild Friends is an innovative, clean-label food brand, specializing in non-GMO nut and seed butters and nut butter-based breakfast items, including our first-to-market Oats and Nut Butter. We're on a mission to make food friendly by creating our favorite foods with better nutrition and taste.

For more information on Wild Friends, visit www.wildfriendsfoods.co