Alliance Consumer Growth (ACG) has made a minority investment in Suja Juice, a producer of organic, non-GMO juices and smoothies. ACG joins existing investor Boulder Brands Investment Group, which made a minority investment in Suja in 2013.
“Suja is a game-changing brand, led by a fantastic team,” said Josh Goldin, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ACG. “In a short time, Suja has redefined the juice and smoothie categories, by creating delicious, next-generation products using non-GMO, on-trend ingredients with natural functionality. We are thrilled to be a partner in this exciting business.”
Suja Juice is a producer of organic, non-GMO juice and smoothies. The company’s products, sold under the Suja Classic and Suja Elements brands, are 100% Certified Organic and verified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project (a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building the non-GMO food supply, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices). All of the company’s juices are cold pressured, using High Pressure Processing (HPP) to kill any harmful bacteria and preserve essential nutrition and taste. Suja products are sold nationwide through Whole Foods Markets, Sprouts, and select natural and grocery stores. In 2013, Forbes named Suja among the “25 Most Innovative Brands in Consumer and Retail”. The company was founded in May 2012 and is headquartered in San Diego (www.sujajuice.com).
Alliance Consumer Growth invests from $2 million to $10 million of growth capital in consumer companies that have revenues of $5 million to $25 million or more. Current investments include Babyganics, The Honest Kitchen, Kriser’s Pets, KRAVE Jerky, Shake Shack and, with the closing of this transaction, Suja Juice. Prior investments include EVOL Foods (sold to Boulder Brands in December 2013) and Plum Organics (sold to Campbell Soup in May 2013). Alliance Consumer Growth was founded by Josh Goldin, Trevor Nelson and Julian Steinberg and is headquartered in New York (www.acginvestors.com).
“We’re excited to announce our partnership with ACG and are looking forward to Suja’s next stage of growth,” said Suja CEO and Co-Founder Jeff Church. “ACG’s experience in consumer packaged goods and beverage industries, brand-building expertise and support for our vision make them a valuable addition to the Suja team.”
© 2014 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 1-16-14
