AF Ventures

Nounós Creamery, a Mediterranean yogurt brand, has secured $2 million in funding. AccelFoods was the lead investor.

Alpha Foods said March 26 that it raised $7 million in funding co-led by New Crop Capital and AccelFoods. AlphaFoods makes plant-based meals that aims to make it convenient for consumers to choose a meatless life or a meatless Monday.

AccelFoods, a venture firm focused on food and beverage startups has recently added five new operating partners to their team. They are Eric Berniker, Paul Eskenazi, Paula Grant, Chris Hickey and Bart Silvestro.

New York-based Kidfresh, a frozen meals brand for children, has secured an undisclosed amount of funding. Monogram Capital Partners, Emil Capital Partners and AccelFoods led the round.

AccelFoods, an investment fund focused on emerging food and beverage brands, has increased its second fund to $35 million. The newly expanded fund will focus on promising food and beverage startups.

New York-based Exo, which is developing alternative protein sources based on insects, announced it has raised $4 million in a Series A funding round led by AccelFoods. Others participating in the round include new and previous investors, such as Collaborative Fund and individuals Tim Ferriss, Start Garden, rapper Nas and endurance athlete Amelia Boone. The company has now raised $5.6 million in total funding. Exo, which makes a protein bar using crickets, was one of four food startups in AccelFoods' inaugural accelerator program in 2014.

AccelFoods, an accelerator for packaged food and beverage companies, added six startups to its portfolio. The companies, part of AccelFoods’ fourth class, are the first to be backed by the accelerator’s newly launched $20 million second fund.

The woman-led VC, which is focused on companies developing products for 'Zillennials,' plans to begin raising its second fund as early as this fall, founder and managing director May Li told Venture Capital Journal.

Oana Olteanu, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Pocket Sun and Rosie Wardle are among the 40 Rising Stars under the age of 40 in Venture Capital Journal's fourth consecutive list.

Providing value-add services to founders has become a key differentiator in an increasingly crowded venture market.

Clio Snacks, a fresh snacking brand, has secured $8 million in funding.

Los Angeles-based Ready, Set, Food!, a provider of childhood food allergy prevention solutions, has raised $3 million in funding.

Kidfresh, a provider of frozen kids' meals, has raised an undisclosed amount of Series C funding.

Investment has been minimal, but edible insect companies have so far attracted the interest of Mark Cuban and Mark Zuckerberg’s younger sister