LOS ANGELES–Just three months after launch, food tech startup Better Brand announces the close of an additional $2.5 million funding round, led by Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six. The company broke records earlier this year when its founder, Aimee Yang, became the first sole female founder to raise over $1M in a venture-led pre-seed round across food tech, consumer, and food & beverage industries (via Crunchbase).
Seven Seven Six was joined by a number of prominent tech players including Soma Capital, VERSO Capital, Cruise founder Kyle Vogt, and actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, bringing the total amount raised by the company this year to over $4M.
“Better Brand is revolutionizing the foods we love by making major advancements in food tech — starting with refined carbs by creating healthy & delicious alternatives,” said Alexis Ohanian, Founder of Seven Seven Six. “With the exponential growth we’ve seen in the plant-based sector, there’s clear demand for alternatives to foods considered unhealthy and unsustainable. I’m excited to back Better Brand and work with Aimee to bring her vision to the world.”
The food tech start-up is focused on modified enzyme technology, which enabled the creation of its first marquee product, The Better Bagel. The Better Bagel has completely redefined the traditionally carb-heavy food by reducing the carbohydrate content from that of a traditional bagel into the carb equivalent of two banana slices, while boasting an impressive 24g of protein. The company plans to apply its proprietary processes and Grain-Changing Technology™ across various product categories to completely overhaul the existing consumer relationship with food.
Aimee Yang, the Founder and CEO of Better Brand, founded the consumer food tech company to address her own personal pain points around diet and healthy eating. “I’ve struggled with diet my entire life, constantly oscillating between feeling either guilty or deprived,” said Yang. “I used to dream of a world where I could eat what I wanted without having to worry about weight gain or negative health consequences. Better Brand is now making that world a reality.”
“That starts with tackling refined carbs – a $10+ trillion industry causing overarching negative impacts on human health, both physical and mental,” added Yang. “We’re excited to continue pioneering innovation in this space, and grateful to have an incredible team of partners onboard to help drive our mission forward.”
Additional funds will be used to further R&D, accelerate hiring, and prepare the company for large scale retail distribution. As the company scales, Better aims to use its breakthroughs in the food space to inspire and empower a world free of unnecessary barriers and limitations in all regards. As stated by the company’s mission, “Better Brand isn’t simply a food tech company. Instead, we are founded on a set of simple, yet powerful ideas. We believe unnecessary limits are meant to be broken. We believe everyone deserves to enjoy freedom and joy to the fullest. We believe that a Better world is possible. And we know that together, we’ll create it.”
