All in NRV News
Richmond Inno
“If you think of five in 100 startups getting funded and then one percent of those five being Black, it would take a lot of pipeline [for Black startups to get funded] even if there was no bias,” he added.
On the investor side, Laura Markley, managing director for Richmond-based VC firm NRV, agreed that this problem comes down to pipeline. While there is a bottleneck of who can get access to information about funding opportunities, the industry presents a diversity problem from the very beginning.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Several startup companies that are part of the investment portfolio of NRV, a Richmond-based venture capital group, have taken steps to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond-based venture capital firm NRV has made investments in two companies — a Norfolk-based startup that makes software for industrial robotics, and a Nashville-based company that specializes in making nutritional frozen foods.
Life Pulse Health
Ario Technologies Inc., a software-as-service company that delivers augmented reality (AR) technology to the industrial workforce enabling immediate and easy access to communal knowledge, announced today that the company is offering Ario Connect, a video calling application employing AR, for free throughout Q2 for 90 days. On March 31, 2020, the complimentary application first launched to existing customers in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread and temporary, global migration to remote work.
The Counter
Rather than make the expensive upgrades required by big poultry companies, some chicken farmers let their barns fall out of use. Shenandoah Valley Organic sees a business opportunity in all that neglected infrastructure.
Venture Beat
During CES 2019, Verizon announced the Built on 5G Challenge, a nationwide search for solid 5G innovations that could be commercialized using its low latency, high bandwidth millimeter wave 5G network. Today, the carrier announced three winners across the fields of AR, VR, and artificial intelligence, earning $1 million, $500,000, and $250,000 prizes, plus special 5G lab access to develop their projects.
VegNews
Snack brand Beanfields develops “Vegan Cracklins,” its first non-chip product, in two bold flavors.
Business Wire
HARRISONBURG, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO) announced it closed a $15 million funding round led by NRV with participation from Open Prairie, as well as existing investors S2G Ventures and Middleland Capital’s VTC Innovation Fund.
PR Newswire
Manna Tree Partners, a Vail, CO-based asset manager that invests growth capital in companies that produce, process and distribute healthy food, today announced it has closed a growth investment in Nutriati, a Richmond, VA-based developer and manufacturer of plant-based ingredients, including protein, flour and oil.
Washington Biz Journal
Digital media and video intelligence firm ICX Media has named Serge Matta as president and CEO.
Food Navigator
"High profile brands such as Ripple and Beyond Meat have raised the profile of yellow peas in the meat and dairy alternative categories. But chickpea protein can give peas and other plant-based proteins a serious run for their money in both of these segments, claims Virginia-based Nutriati."
Morning Chalk Up
"Territory is a meal delivery company that uses creative local chefs and licensed nutritionists for clean eats that they drop off at your box or deliver to your doorstep."
Eater DC
"At a time when demand for Eric Adjepong’s cooking has never been higher, it’s been nearly impossible for the average person to taste it. That has changed — at least for a few weeks — because the Top Chef star has collaborated with workout warrior-targeted delivery service Territory Foods to sell containers of roasted chicken jollof rice across in all of the company’s four markets."
Forbes
"Arnulfo Ventura: 'Our new flavors are flavor-line extensions. We know how to do chips and we know how to do vegan cheddar chips really well. [Some of the new flavors] show true points of differentiation, for example Himalayan salt and vinegar. Salt and vinegar is the fourth largest flavor profile in potato chips.' "
Nosh
"Beanfields has had a busy two years. In that time, the vegan chip company was acquired by PowerPlant Ventures and a coalition of investors in April 2017, rebranded, and seen CPG veteran Mark Rampolla both become CEO and then subsequently step down in place of Arnulfo Ventura in July 2018. Now, after a period of strong growth, the brand is announcing the close of its series B round of funding."
Food + Tech Connect
"Building a supply chain for under utilized crops is complicated. It takes building trust with farmers, distribution infrastructure and consumer demand, all while navigating crop cycles, consistency, cost and fair trade practices..Casey Emmett, director of strategic sales at Health Warrior (recently acquired by PepsiCo) [on] how the chia brand built its initial supply chain for the crop, which at the time was under utilized."
Richmond Times Dispatch
"Richmond-based nutrition bar maker Health Warrior Inc., has been acquired by food and beverage behemoth PepsiCo. The deal for the maker of chia seed-based snack bars and related plant-based food products will help push Pepsi further into a category of selling more nutritious foods as the company responds to shifting consumers tastes."
Forbes
"Health Warrior is a seven-year-old, high-growth and plant-based superfood company based in Richmond, Virginia that might be best known for popularizing chia seeds in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space."