Selva Backs Harken Sweets, David Teases Ice Cream 🍦

Author

CPG WIRE
March 05, 2026

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

  • Nestlé (mostly) divests Blue Bottle ☕️

  • More egg industry M&A 🥚

  • Silas Capital backs Freestyle 👶

  • Amulet officially debuts 💊

  • SmartSweets goes after Welch’s 🍇

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Nestlé is selling the retail arm of Blue Bottle Coffee for around $400M. The buyer is Centurium Capital which owns Luckin Coffee, the Chinese coffee giant with 30,000 stores. Nestlé originally purchased a 68% stake in Blue Bottle Coffee at a valuation of $700M in 2017. Nestlé will retain Blue Bottle’s CPG division. Daily Coffee News

  • Cal-Maine Foods, the largest producer & distributor of eggs in the United States, is acquiring Indiana-based egg producer Creighton Brothers for $128M. Crystal Lake, which produces ready-to-use egg products for the foodservice channel, was included in the transaction. Cal-Maine acquired another egg player, Echo Lake Foods, in April 2025. Lately the global egg industry has experienced a wave of consolidation. GlobeNewswire

  • Speaking of eggs…Warburg Pincus took a $1B stake in Global Eggs, the largest multinational producer and distributor of table eggs. Global Eggs is now valued at $8B and has operations in the United States, Europe, and South America. PR Newswire

Fundraising

  • Better-for-you candy brand Harken Sweets secured an undisclosed amount of funding from Selva Ventures. Founded in 2022 by former CauliPower COO Katie Lefkowitz, Harken Sweets is gearing up to launch nationwide at Kroger and will be in 7500+ doors by end of year. Melitas Ventures backed Harken Sweets in March 2025. LinkedIn

  • Celebrity-led cactus water brand Caliwater added Benson Boone as an investor and brand ambassador. Caliwater is made from prickly pear cactus which is a good source of electrolytes and antioxidants. BevNET

  • Indian farm-to-face skincare brand RAS Luxury Skincare secured $7.5M in funding from Dabur Ventures and Unilever Ventures. Dabur Ventures is the corporate venture arm of Dabur India, the fourth largest FMCG firm in the country. Unilever continues to bet big on India. WWD

  • Freestyle, the modern, high-performance baby care brand, just closed a $10M Series A round led by Silas Capital. Though originally founded as a digitally native brand by Russ Wallace and Mike Constantiner, Freestyle recently debuted at both Walmart and Target. ECP Growth also participated alongside existing investors like Mucker Capital, Adapt Ventures, and Superangel. Freestlye is best known for selling diapers and wipes that are EWG Verified and lab tested. Twitter

  • After unveiling an excellent rebrand in February, Pricklee Natural Hydration just announced $2M in seed funding. BevNET

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What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Amulet, the fifth brand from consumer-focused venture studio Squared Circles, officially launched yesterday. In short, Amulet is a female performance supplement designed to stabilize the physiological swings caused by hormonal fluctuations throughout the month. Their daily gummy product is formulated with creatine monohydrate and effera, the bio-identical lactoferrin developed by Helaina. Squared Circles is backed by L Catterton, Wildcat Capital Management, and Regeneration VC. LinkedIn

  • Le Labo is replacing Grown Alchemist as the exclusive amenities partner of Equinox. Starting on March 19th, seven Le Labo products will be available in Equinox locker rooms across the world. WWD

  • Fast-growing skincare brand Bubble collaborated with Poppi on a hydrating lip serum. It looks like three soda-inspired shades will be available: Grape, Root Beer, and Strawberry Lemon. Instagram

  • Gut health specialist bio.me just released Kids Daily Prebiotic Fiber. Two flavors are available and each serving delivers 4g of kid-friendly fiber. The brand was founded in 2022 by Shannon Race, an alum of CAVU and Vital Proteins. Instagram

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • SmartSweets is taking on Welch’s Fruit Snacks with a better-for-you take on the lunchbox staple. The new fruit-flavored snack line from SmartSweets is free of synthetic dyes, artificial sweeteners, and high-fructose corn syrup. This is a smart extension for TPG-owned SmartSweets. More on that at the link. Twitter

  • Spindrift is expanding its beverage portfolio with a non-carbonated iced tea line. Four flavors are available online and the line will begin hitting shelves across the country later this month. Spindrift spent three years developing the product which combines black and green tea blends with real fruit juice. PR Newswire

  • Xochitl is transitioning its entire portfolio to 100% pure avocado oil. They’re also adding an illustrated “Made with Avocado Oil” callout to their recently refreshed packaging. Forward Consumer Partners acquired a 50% stake in Xochitl in May 2024. PR Newswire

  • David is expanding into the protein ice cream category in the near future. Unsurprisingly, the macros are pretty impressive: 30g of protein, 260 calories, and only 2g of sugar. I expected RTD protein shakes well before ice cream, but David knows best. Stack3d

  • Three Wishes expanded its better-for-you cereal offering with a new flavor: Blueberry Muffin. The new flavor is available at Hy-Vee, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme, and a number of other retailers. Instagram

  • Sweet Loren’s is going beyond cookies with a protein-packed breakfast baked goods line. The company launched a refrigerated oat bar line with three flavors — Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Chunk, and Maple Brown Sugar — along with a scone SKU. LinkedIn

  • YUMI, the family-focused functional nutrition brand, launched its new Smoothies-to-Go line exclusively at Whole Foods Market. The shelf-stable smoothies deliver fruits, vegetables, protein, and probiotics. PR Newswire

  • Aussie craft gin maker Four Pillars released a limited-edition gin for margaritas and other cocktails typically made with agave spirits. El Cuatro Gin is crafted with agave nectar, lime, orange peel, and habanero chilis. The Spirits Business

Data 🖥️

  • Bain & Company released its 2026 Insurgent Brands report. Several newcomers like Fruit Riot, Force of Nature Meats, Nurri, Archer, Garage Beer, and many others made the list. Joyride, Drizzilicious, and NuTrail also made the cut. Bain & Company

Distribution News 🚚