Baby food startups

5 Top Startups providing Baby Nutrition

Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the food industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups providing baby nutrition.

Out of 611, the Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Startups providing Baby Nutrition

The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2 093 000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.

The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 611 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 food startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 606 baby nutrition solutions, get in touch.

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Babease makes Vegetables-based Baby Food

Parents often face challenges in incorporating vegetables into their baby’s diet during the weaning period. As vegetables are dietary building blocks of wellness, full of complex carbs, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, it is crucial that they are a part of the baby’s meal. That is why startups make vegetable-based meals filled with nutritional value and flavors for babies to make their weaning journey healthy and delicious.

Babease is a British startup that makes 100% organic, nutritionally balanced, vegetable-led baby food. The startup offers meal pouches for different stages of weaning. For instance, their stage 1 baby food is suitable for kids around 6 months old, which focuses on introducing them to new flavor experiences of sweet potato, carrot, peas, spinach, and pumpkin. The startup strives to include an array of pouches suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and a range of allergens. Further, Babease has a strong focus on sustainability with its recyclable packaging.

Yumi offers Customized Baby Meals

Popular store-bought baby foods often lack nutritional values and are not suitable for every child. Besides, packed baby foods contain high amounts of sugar as well as preservatives to extend the shelf life of the product. To tackle this, startups offer subscription-based baby food delivery services for parents that include curated, science-based, healthy, and balanced meals, specifically designed to meet each child’s nutritional needs.

US-based startup Yumi delivers a custom organic menu every week based on the baby’s stage of development to support their growing brain and body. The personalized meals are created by pediatricians and nutritionists. Additionally, the startup’s range of products includes food vitamins for toddlers and adults as well as healthy kids’ snacks. Yumi is also a recipient of clean label project purity certification that tests for over 400 environmental and industrial toxins, including heavy metals.

Keen Bean Organics creates Cold-pressed Probiotic Juice

Probiotics, or gut bacteria, play a vital role in supporting the immune system of the baby. Further, changes in the gut flora do contribute to some autoimmune disorders. Food startups and scaleups recognize the need for good bacteria in babies’ diets and, hence, probiotics are included in infant formulas, supplements, and food products. The most common types of probiotics include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, and Saccharomyces Boulardii.

Keen Bean Organics is a US-based startup that combines baby food with superfoods and probiotics to develop cold-pressed juices. They use intense cold pressure instead of heat pasteurization to ensure that their blends are safe for babies. Keen Bean Organics’ products incorporate ingredients that are essential to the child’s daily nutritional requirements. Also, superfoods and probiotics increase the vitamins, enzymes, and nutrients intake in children on a regular basis.

Impress foods develops Vegan Baby Nutrition

Dairy-based baby products, along with their association with animal rearing environments, cause health-related side effects. Often, dairy-based baby formulas consist of vegetable oils that cause inflammation. Moreover, parents with a plant-based lifestyle look for similar options for their kids to develop their food choices from an early age. To address this, startups develop plant-based baby food products without compromising on the nutritional or taste aspect.

Canadian food-tech startup Impress foods provides vegan baby food products. The startup’s products include baby food in different flavors such as apple, pear, strawberry, kale, avocado, broccoli, and sweet pea. Their baby food is a source of nutrients, including potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin K. Further, the startup’s products are cold-pressed, gluten-free, and have no added sugar.

TummyFriendly Foods offers Sprouted Whole Grains

Many nutritionists suggest that it is important to include whole grains into infants’ meals in the initial phase of transition from liquid to split food. This is because whole grains are a rich source of energy, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. They are also good for iron fortification and have a silky texture that newborns like. Hence, startups offer baby food purees from whole grains and pulses.

TummyFriendly Foods is an Indian startup that produces organic baby food made with sprouted whole grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Their product line has sprouted brown rice, oats, and ragi mixes, along with ingredients such as beetroot, spinach, green peas, and lentils. They are also certified for protocols against the regulations of India Organic and USDA Organic.

Discover more Food Tech Startups

Food startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on probiotics, superfoods, gluten-free food as well as organic ingredients. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the food industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more food technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free FoodTech Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.

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Baby Food Startup Yumi Notches $67 Million In Funding From Jazz Ventures Partners And Anne Wojcicki, Among Others

Product offerings from Yumi's line of better-for-you organic baby food.

Yumi

It wasn’t until self-proclaimed “data nerd” Angela Sutherland became pregnant with her first child that her analytical brain zeroed in on baby food. After reading research stressing how vital nutrition is within a child’s first 1,000 days, she scanned the shelves of all of her local grocers for the healthiest products on the market. But she was disheartened to find that even for popular brands labeled “organic,” 50% of calories were derived from fructose.

Determined to find a healthier alternative for the more than 83 million families across the U.S., the Goldman Sachs alum mapped out a competitive analysis of the $71 billion market. With the help of longtime friend and journalist Evelyn Rusli, in 2017 she launched Yumi: a direct-to-consumer organic, plant-based food service whose meals are tailored to babies’ and toddlers’ stages of development. As part of the cofounders’ “food is pharma” mission, parents also receive educational materials based on research and clinical studies.

“We realized we could help parents connect the dots between what they were feeding their kids and their future health outcomes.”
Angela Sutherland, Yumi cofounder & CEO

“We realized we could help parents connect the dots between what they were feeding their kids and their future health outcomes,” Sutherland, who serves as CEO, tells Forbes exclusively. “At 6 months for instance, we point out that your child’s natural iron stores are depleted (children are born with a certain amount of iron which is depleted at [this age]) which is why we deliver meals with dark leafy greens, to help boost iron levels.”

But Sutherland says raising capital proved challenging. At a time when less than 2% of U.S. venture funding goes to all women-founded teams, she says she and Rusli were told “no” hundreds of times before they heard “yes.”

“Many investors were skeptical. They questioned just how deeply parents would care about the specific amounts of iron or folate in their children’s meals,” she says.

Much has changed since then, and on Tuesday Yumi announced a $67 million Series B led by San Francisco-based biotech fund Jazz Ventures Partners, AF Ventures and 23andme cofounder and CEO Anne Wojcicki, bringing the company’s total funding to $79 million. Previous investors include NEA and Brand Foundry, as well as the founders of Warby Parker, Harry’s, Sweetgreen and Uber, and celebrities like Gabrielle Union and Snoop Dogg, who calls the company a “game-changer. ”

Since expanding nationwide in 2019, Sutherland says Los Angeles-based Yumi has seen 20x growth and now feeds 3% of all babies in the U.S. The cofounders expect nearly $100 million in sales next year.

Investors say part of Yumi’s draw is its use of proprietary algorithms to help customize subscription meal plans, something old-school competitors like Gerber have yet to attempt. “We were immediately drawn to Yumi’s innovation in this category,” says Andrew Firlik, managing partner of Jazz Venture Partners.

Anjula Acharia, founder and CEO of A-Series Investments and Management, who in addition to Yumi has backed billion-dollar startups such as ClassPass, says it comes down to science.

“It’s unacceptable that for years parents only had two choices: make their own baby food or feed their babies unhealthy products that sat on shelves for months or even years and, in many cases, contained dangerous heavy metals.”
Anjula Acharia, A-Series Investments & Management Founder & CEO, Buzzfeed board member

“It’s unacceptable that for years parents only had two choices: make their own baby food or feed their babies unhealthy products that sat on shelves for months or even years and, in many cases, contained dangerous heavy metals,” she says, referencing a recent Congressional report on the prevalence of heavy metals in major baby food brands.

Such revelations, coupled with pandemic-fueled ecommerce and wellness trends—especially among Millennial parents, over 50% of whom say they’d pay more for high-quality, ready-made meals, according to research from YouGov America—has helped Yumi deliver 10 million meals since the crisis began.

"Both the retail and CPG landscapes have changed dramatically before our eyes,” says Neil Blumenthal, cofounder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, who believes the company is in “a unique position to speak directly to a new generation of parents.”

With its newfound funding, Yumi is positioning itself for continued growth in the year ahead. The company has nearly doubled its team in the past year to include a slew of high-profile hires hailing from Nike, Airbnb and Beyond Meat and is now focused on expanding its product offerings (including its line of kids “Biteamin” supplements) and into omnichannel distribution.

“We know we are in a space dominated by massive incumbents,” says Sutherland. “But we are inspired by the science and the notion that success here could shape generations to come.”

World and Russian baby food trends

The global baby food market, excluding BMS (breast milk substitutes), is growing annually by an average of 7% and plans to reach $25.6 billion by 2025

Diet is one of the most important factors in the harmonious development of a child. Not only the normal physical but also the mental development of children depends on the quality and quantity of food consumed. The Research Institute of Baby Food held a lecture, during which Elena Simonenko, Head of the Department for Forecasting Technological Research and Innovative Development of the Institute, spoke about global trends in baby food, as well as what will be relevant in Russia in this segment in the near future. Milknews got acquainted with the report. nine0003

Baby food market in Russia

According to 3A Business Consulting, the global baby food market excluding BMS (breast milk substitutes) is growing at an average of 7% annually and plans to reach $25. 6 billion by 2025. Russia is by far the largest market in value terms ready-to-eat baby food in the world.

Despite this, the baby food market in our country remains unsaturated, although it shows a trend of slow growth in production. In 2019In 2018, Russia produced 316.1 thousand tons of dairy products for baby food, which is 1.1% higher than in 2018. And according to the data of July 2020, the production of dairy products for baby food increased by 1.3% compared to the same period in 2019.

As for the territorial structure of the production of products in this segment (BGM, liquid and pasty products, products for complementary foods based on cereals and meat), then 53% is produced in the Central Federal District. In other regions of the country, production is at an insufficiently high level or is absent in principle. nine0003

Factors influencing the choice of baby food

Among the main factors influencing the choice of a ready-made baby food product by consumers are:

Nutritional value. It plays an important role, because every parent knows that properly organized nutrition helps to increase the resistance of the child's body to the effects of infections (which is extremely important today) and other adverse factors.
Ease of use. Fast food is gaining more and more value these days.
Price. It is especially important for middle- and low-income consumers.
Packaging innovation.
Development of a remote field of activity. The consumer wants to be able to buy baby food through the Internet and electronic platforms.

An important issue for manufacturers of baby food is the release of new products, cost-effective in terms of production and demand among buyers. The onset of the "epoch of coronavirus"; showed that consumers are ready to buy baby food through the Internet and electronic platforms. But at the same time, parents want to be sure of the quality of the purchased product, and they must have an interest in new products.

World Trends

Online sales

Online shopping has now become the main global trend in the baby food market. Today, China is the driver of the development of the global baby food market, so the events taking place there are closely monitored in all countries.

China's JD.com, an e-commerce giant recognized as one of the largest sellers of baby food and baby products worldwide (big companies such as Abbott and Danone trade through its channels) recently said it was focusing on smaller cities, combined with innovative marketing strategies, significantly increases sales of baby food. Analysts at Nielsen agree with this statement, who believe that rising incomes and population growth in small towns stimulate the growth of purchases of this type of product. nine0003

Parents under 30 are the top buyers of baby food, according to JD.com. Moreover, as noted in the company, this category of consumers is less sensitive to price and prefers "fashionable" goods. Even the situation with the coronavirus did not affect this trend. 70% of purchases in this category are made through mobile applications, and consumers receive information about products mainly not from television ads, but from short videos on the Internet and live broadcasts on the JD.com channel in the "Mother and Child" section. In the first quarter of 2020, the information received by buyers through this channel allowed to increase sales in the category by 135%, the company's analysts calculated. nine0003

Adapted milk formulas

Of course, for children in the first months of life, the only source of nutrients necessary for the normal development and functioning of all body systems is breast milk. According to doctors, not even the most modern mixture can fully replace it. The unique composition of breastfeeding with the optimal amount of all the necessary nutrients and trace elements is fully consistent with the physiology of nutrition of an infant. However, if there is no possibility of natural feeding for one reason or another, the best option is to use specialized adapted milk formulas, the composition of which is as close as possible to the composition and properties of mother's milk. nine0003

The search for a complete alternative to breast milk led to the creation of a start-up called Biomilq, founded by food scientist Michelle Egger and microbiologist Leila Strickland. In 2020, the richest people on the planet, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, made investments in the company. The startup is working on the creation of cultured breast milk that mimics natural. According to scientists, they have taken a decisive step in the development of the product: laboratory-grown female breast cells produce two key components of breast milk - lactose and casein. The founders of Biomilq hope to have their product on store shelves within the next five years. However, Biomilq is not the only company working on this problem: for example, Singaporean startup Turtle Tree Labs is also trying to develop cultured breast milk technology. nine0003

Alternative raw materials

Another current trend in the baby food market is the search for alternative types of raw materials and the creation of specialized products based on them.

First of all, we are talking about:

vegetable milk;
combined milk of different types of farm animals;
milk not containing A1 beta-casein;
mare's milk;

As for vegetable milk, cedar milk can serve as a striking example. Pine nut proteins are almost completely absorbed by the human body, and their nutritional value is higher than that of the proteins of many farm animals, which is a good alternative for people who do not consume meat and dairy products. The Research Institute of Baby Nutrition, which has been studying this direction in recent years, has developed a technological process for the complex processing of the pine nut kernel, which makes it possible to obtain a drink - “milk” as the main product. It is recommended for nutrition of athletes, pregnant and lactating women and children. It should be noted that linoleic acid, which is part of the drink, is an appetite regulator, so "cedar milk" can also be used in various diets. nine0003

The use of plant materials with high biochemical parameters in the production of new products is a current trend today. The natural oxidants contained in such raw materials, first of all, reduce the effects of oxidative stress in the body. And vegetable pigments can serve as natural dyes, which is important, since the use of any additives, preservatives and artificial dyes is prohibited in baby food products. nine0003

Recently, the Research Institute of Baby Food has been experimenting with the inclusion of processed subtropical crops, in particular feijoa extract, in baby food as potential ingredients. In the future, it is planned to create a line of drinks based on components of plant origin, which is now quite relevant for the Russian market, where the niche of so-called functional drinks is far from being filled.

Abroad, such developments are already in full swing. So, in February 2020, the Israeli company Else Nutrition, after 7 years of research, announced the entry into the American market of baby food based on plant-based almonds, buckwheat and tapioca. Formulated to feed children aged 12 to 36 months, it aims to fill a gap in the plant-based baby food line. nine0003

The company already has 22 patents for plant-based baby food worldwide, including India, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Its products do not contain soy and cow's milk and are 92% plant-based. The remaining 8% are vitamins, mineral premixes and other flavor ingredients.

Also in the world, products based on A2 milk are gaining popularity, which is actively produced and consumed in Australia and New Zealand. Now the company of the same name is expanding sales markets and supplies products to many countries of the world, including adapted infant formulas. Among the company's latest developments is A2 Platinum infant formula. nine0003

In 2018, on the basis of the Research Institute of Baby Nutrition, for the first time in Russia, clinical studies of the tolerance of milk that did not contain A1 beta-casein were conducted by patients with intolerance to regular milk in the absence of lactase deficiency. Forty people participated in the study and the results were very good, allowing the use of milk with A2 beta-casein fraction as a new solution for people with intolerance to regular milk. In the future, the research institute is considering the creation of an alternative product of the BMS line based on A2 milk in Russia with subsequent sale on the domestic market. nine0003

The immune system is the key to lifelong health, so a healthy diet is essential to ensure a healthy gut microbiome and a functioning immune system. In the wake of the emergence of new viruses, primarily COVID-19, it is very important that nutrition is correct, balanced and healthy. Therefore, products enriched with various probiotics, which play an important role in the formation of immunity, are becoming increasingly popular.

For example, Fonterra recently introduced a range of probiotic strains that can be used in infant formula and published studies proving that the fight against viral diseases in children should be started from an early age. The Research Institute of Baby Nutrition, together with the Academy of Sciences, recently conducted a number of studies on the intestinal microbiome and now continues to work actively in this direction.

The use of combined milk from various types of farm animals to create specialized products for baby food with increased biological value is another trend in the modern market. A few years ago, the Research Institute of Baby Nutrition began to conduct research on the study and creation of products for baby food based on combined milk - cow, goat and mare. nine0003

The main balance of the protein and fatty acid composition is achieved precisely through the combination of milk from animals of different species. So, it is believed that mare's milk is closest in composition to human milk. Casein particles in mare's milk are noticeably smaller compared to those in cow's milk, which contributes to better digestibility. And goat's milk has beneficial properties, is less allergenic than cow's and surpasses it in the content of calcium, iron, potassium, manganese and copper. nine0003

At present, the Baby Nutrition Research Institute has developed a technology for obtaining a dry module from combined milk of various types of farm animals, taking into account the balance of amino acid composition, in order to create a functional basis for the production of dry and liquid baby food products of increased biological value.

Also in the world, the creation of products for baby food with lactoferrin, a polyfunctional protein responsible, among other things, for the body's immune response, is gaining popularity. Meanwhile, back in 2010, the Research Institute of Baby Nutrition already conducted research in the direction of "Development of technologies for the production of food products based on goat milk containing lactoferrin." At that time, the specialists of the institute had already developed technologies and organized pilot production of highly effective and biologically safe medicines of a new generation, as well as food products based on human lactoferrin obtained from the milk of animal producers. nine0003

Packaging Innovation

The issue of packaging plays an important role in the baby food market. Firstly, packaging can prolong the shelf life of the product. Secondly, the dynamics of modern life is constantly increasing and it is necessary that the product be convenient to use for both parents and children.

Thus, AptarGroup, Inc. recently introduced a new packaging for milk powder. The lid includes a molded scoop with precise dosing and reliably protects the product from external contaminants. The jar lid is ergonomically shaped to be comfortable to use with one hand. nine0003

A few years ago, the Baby Food Research Institute developed a line of culinary products for the Azbuka Vkusa retail chain, consisting of 50 dishes and ready-to-eat culinary products. It was possible to achieve an extended shelf life of 72 hours precisely due to the new type of packaging.

Today, a new generation of parents is looking closely at new products and expects manufacturers to meet their expectations of a safe, high-quality, useful and easy-to-use and use product. Therefore, it is extremely important for manufacturers to develop innovative technologies for new generation baby food products. As well as the symbiosis of science and business, because only in such interaction can a new product with competitive advantages be created in a rapidly changing environment. Writes "Milknews"

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how startups for moms earn billions - Opinions on vc.ru

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Technology has covered almost all industries and areas of human activity, and the child care industry is no exception. But how exactly to raise children in a new way, is it too late to “roll into” this area, and why do we need a “pregnancy simulator”?

Birth to MVP

The world's population has already passed the 8 billion mark: about 400 thousand children are born every day, every year - 140 million. These figures are the best evidence of the demand for all industries related to raising children. In the United States, there are even calculations on the “cost of nurturing,” according to which today, ensuring the life and development of a child from infancy to 17 years old costs at least $300,000. Well, why not think about startups for parents? nine0003

This parent market is $46 billion, a figure that will only increase. Including at the expense of proposals that even the "zero" parents could not even dream of.

These offers can be divided into two groups: platforms and Baby tech – gadgets for children and their parents.

Platforms are aimed at the widest possible audience of parents, offering them options for education, safety, and "coverage" of all the needs of the child. Thus, the Indian PlayShifu platform is aimed at learning using augmented reality, the American Bark offers advanced tools for monitoring and ensuring the safety of the child on the Web, and the German Mia & Ben provides access to high-quality children's food. nine0003

Baby tech, on the other hand, focuses on narrower issues, offering specific solutions for all occasions. There is even a pregnancy simulator - RealCare Pregnancy Profile Simulator. According to the manufacturer, the wearable belt allows “to understand the impact of pregnancy on the body”: thanks to it, the user will be able to experience for himself how difficult life is with increasing weight during pregnancy, an increase in temperature, blood pressure, etc.

Another example of an unusual device is the smart sock Dream Sock from Owlet. The device is attached to the baby's leg and allows you to track his heart rate, notifies the baby's movements. nine0003

There are many examples of such gadgets – from almost familiar smart lamps that play music to babies, to smart diapers. But this is only foreign experience.

What do we have?

Russian startups confirm world practice and even more - offer their own unique solutions. There are plenty to choose from: from the iSmart children's educational platform and the Smart Bear interactive toys to the KidsWay service for accompanying children or the Motorika company, which develops modern traction and active prosthetic hands for children. nine0003

But the current projects are only a small part of the total array of parent-oriented start-ups that will appear in the country.

The university technology entrepreneurship platform pays special attention to such projects. For example, the SaveMyMilk breast milk pasteurizer, developed by an intern and a graduate student of the Moscow State Medical University named after I.I. THEM. Sechenov Maxim Suchkov.

The device allows you to quickly kill viruses in milk, retaining 70-80% of its nutritional properties, so that the mother, even during certain illnesses, can continue to feed her baby with her milk without fear for the safety of the child.