PlantBaby Acquires $4M in Seed Funding for Children’s Vegan Milk
Hawaii-based PlantBaby has announced the closing of their seed funding round which pulled in $4 million in funding. The round was led by Big Idea Ventures and with participation from The Fund LA, Two Culture Cap, Springbank Collective and Western Technology Investment and notable private investors.
The vegan milk maker intends to use the funding to support their ongoing R&D and to open up new opportunities. The company started out by launching their first milk product, Kiki Milk, in December of 2021. This milk formulation is made from both whole and superfoods for children.
The concept of vegan milk formulations specifically for children was inspired by the co-founders own personal experience. Lauren and Alex Abelin tried vegan, soy-free and dairy-free infant formula when they found out their son needed specialist nutrition but were overall unsatisfied by the product.
They set out to formulate their own plant-based milk that would meet the needs of the 40% of children who have health conditions not supported by nutritional products already on the market. By working with pediatricians and nutritionists, their formula takes into account the unique developmental needs of children – especially those with special nutrition needs.
“Since launching just six months ago, we’ve seen constant consumer demand,” Alex Abelin, co-founder of PlantBaby said in a statement. “This fundraising round will support continued research and development of new plant-based culinary innovations and continued growth of the brand to make PlantBaby itself a vehicle to create positive change for children’s health and well-being of children everywhere.”
PlantBaby’s formula opts for whole foods in place of refined sugars, preservatives, protein isolates, gums, and GMO ingredients. The company has confirmed organic oats, hemp seeds, and coconuts as key ingredients alongside superfood plants, blueberries, and spinach. To date, Kiki Milk has been released in original and chocolate formats.
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