Final Boss Sour Secures $4M, Little Spoon Expands 📈

GM and Happy Friday, folks. Here’s what we’re covering this morning:

  • Posana secures $650K 🍫

  • Springdale bets on tech 📸

  • Coca-Cola incorporates fiber 🥤

  • NOCA makes a lot of noise 🍸

  • Neutonic lands at Bristol Farms 🧠

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Conagra is undergoing a strategic review of non-core assets after the company underperformed in FY 2026 and halved its annual dividend. Conagra has already divested several brands over the years including Chef Boyardee, Van de Kamp’s, and Mrs. Paul’s. The company acquired FATTY Smoked Meat Sticks in 2024 which is seemingly growing fast. Reuters

  • James Watt is attempting to buy BrewDog back from Tilray Brands. The offer was made via Second Best, the new beer venture from Watt. Crowdfunders who were taken to the cleaners by the collapse of BrewDog would reportedly receive equity for free. LinkedIn

Fundraising

  • Final Boss Sour secured $4M in funding from Evolution VC, Mondelēz SnackFutures, and The Angel Group. The innovative dried fruit snack brand was incubated by Science, Inc. and co-founded by London Lazerson and Tommy Riggs. Lately Final Boss Sour has been prioritizing retail, launching at Walmart, Wegmans, and Hy-Vee. Nosh

  • Plant-based protein bar brand Posana raised $650K in pre-seed funding from investors like Janica Lane, Brian Rappaport, Will Fischer, and many others. UC Berkeley student Aditya Banerjee launched the brand in 2024. Posana offers novel flavors like Cinnavanilla, Matcha Latte, and Mango Coconut Turmeric. Each bar contains 20g of protein and 9g of fiber. LinkedIn

  • Hockey Stick Ventures launched its $3M Fund I. Founded by Sean Hershman in late 2023, Hockey Stick Ventures has already backed Recess, The Coconut Cult, Renais Gin, Leisure Hydration, Slate Milk, De Soi, and Liquid Death. BevNET

  • Springdale Ventures expanded its tech portfolio by investing in Hetal, a retail insights and execution platform, and Martie, an online marketplace for overstock grocery, home, and beauty items. Instagram

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What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Clare is a new GLP-1 support supplement designed for women. The brand is launching soon with a drink mix that delivers a blend of protein, collagen, electrolytes, and essential vitamins. The branding is sophisticated and the brand universe is aspirational. Bullish. Clare

  • Korean skincare brand Eqqualberry is making its UK debut with an exclusive launch at Boots. Various SKUs like Vitamin Illuminating Serum, NAD+ Peptide Boosting Serum, and Aloe PDRN Calming Toner are available online at the retailer. Prices will start at £13.99. Beauty News Daily 

  • Create expanded its creatine gummies range with a Sour Grape flavor. Sour Grape taps into the nostalgia of the '90s, delivering the flavor profile of a grape soda. The new flavor is available DTC and on Amazon. Stack3d

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • Little Spoon unveiled a wide variety of new products including Peanut Puffs, an early allergen introduction snack; Fruit Puzzlers, a puzzle-shaped fruit snack exclusive to Target; and Pancake Spoonies, a 9g-protein pancake cup ready in under two minutes. Little Spoon has been on a roll. Instagram

  • Coca-Cola is following in Pepsi’s footsteps and releasing prebiotic versions of Coke Zero, Sprite Zero Sugar, and Fresca. Each 12 oz sleek can will reportedly deliver 6g of prebiotic fiber. PepsiCo soft launched its Pepsi Prebiotic Cola line in 2025 and took it nationwide earlier this year. Instagram

  • Bessi is a new high-protein ice cream made with cottage cheese. The company is soft launching shortly with four novel flavors. The branding is bright, fun, and nostaglic. Will be an interesting one to watch. Instagram

  • Jams is expanding its BFY PB&J range with a Grape flavor. The new flavor is launching nationwide at Target and Walmart in the near future. Stack3d

  • NO CAP! is expanding its licensed flavor portfolio by partnering with Sour Punch Candy. Under the licensing agreement, NO CAP! will develop a new collection of Sour Punch-inspired soda SKUs that capture the candy brand’s signature flavor. NO CAP! announced a licensing partnership with ICEE last year. PR Newswire

  • Hopkind is a new functional non-alc beer brand from Adam Klausner and Mads Hansen, the co-founders of skincare brand Symbiome. Hopkind launches on August 17th with a lager and an IPA that also deliver hydration and recovery benefits. Hopkind

  • Chameleon Coffee launched a new RTD coffee range featuring grass-fed A2 milk. Three varieties are now available nationwide at Sprouts: Nitro, A2 Latte Classic, and A2 Latte Double Shot. BevNET

  • Little Bellies announced the launch of Organic Nibblers, their latest innovation in the freeze-dried snack category. The new line combines puffed organic corn stars with real freeze-dried fruit, bringing a new mix of shapes and textures to the toddler snack aisle. Retail Insider

Data 🖥️

  • Mid-Day Squares co-founder Nick Saltarelli said the brand delivered $35M in TTM sales. It’ll be interesting to see how the remainder of 2026 shakes out for Mid-Day Squares given that their new No Bread PB&J line is their fastest growing by a good margin. Twitter

  • NOCA Beverages is also on a roll and expects to surpass 1 million cases this year. The non-carbonated canned cocktail specialist is also gearing up to add 700 new Kroger doors and has performed well at Target, expanding to 1,400 doors. LinkedIn 

Distribution News 🚚