Danone Manifesto Ventures (DMV) is the venture arm of Danone, the French food conglomerate.

Danone Manifesto Ventures (DMV) will pay $10 million for a minority stake in The Sisters, Ore.-based Laird Superfood. Laird creates and markets plant-based superfoods such as creamers, coconut water, nutrition powders, drink mixes, and plant-based sugars. (BEVNET)

Professional surfer Laird Hamilton and former pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reece, his wife, as well as entrepreneur Paul Hodge, the company’s current CEO, founded the company in 2015. To date, Laird has raised $41 million, with the last round of $32 million secured in January 2019.

Utilization of the DMV money

Laird will use the latest infusion by DMV for developing new products and expanding production capacity. It will also grow its brands, and for “go-to-market” campaigns.

Laird already sells its products in over 4,000 retail locations. It reported its strongest quarter to date, driven by record growth in products and innovations sold both online and through retail.

“Through our time with Paul, Laird, and the leadership team, we have developed a deep conviction in Laird Superfood’s culture and its understanding of the needs of today’s consumer,” said Laurent Marcel, CEO of DMV, in a statement. “We are confident that Laird Superfood’s commitment to a healthy lifestyle and the quality of their functional products and ingredients will continue to appeal to consumers and retailers.”

“I’m so grateful to have such a strong, philosophically aligned partner like DMV on board as we look at developing the next phase of delicious, innovative, plant-based products for all to enjoy,” said Hamilton, Co-Founder of Laird Superfood.

Production facilities

Laird will soon add another 30,000 square-foot manufacturing facility on its campus in The Sisters. It has already acquired land for a fourth expansion.

“Being able to build our factories from the ground up has given us key advantages,” said Hodge to BevNet. “We designed the facility to adapt to the types of manufacturing that we need.”

DMV

DMV is the venture arm of French food and beverage giant Danone (EPA: BN). It invests across the world in innovative companies to bring health through food to as many people as possible. Portfolio companies include Harmless Harvest, Forager Project, Farmer’s Fridge, and Nature’s Fynd in the USA, Michel et Augustin, Yooji, and Agricool in France, and Epigamia in India.

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