Lauren Abda has spent the past decade working to improve the health and sustainability of food systems by connecting food startup founders to corporations, experts and investors through the Branchfood network. With seasoned venture capital professional Marcia Hooper, Abda in 2017 launched the angel investing network Branch Food Ventures. The network has facilitated more than 50 deals, including bio-packaging producer Earthodic, lab-grown meat company Upside Foods, and supplement maker Vytala.
The partners are now in the market with their first venture fund, which brings an inclusion investment lens to the food startup ecosystem they’ve been supporting. The fund, Branch Venture Partners, is looking to raise $50 million to make seed and Series A-stage equity investments. The partners already have $4.5 million in assets under management. A majority of the portfolio is women- or diverse-led startups.
The strategy emphasizes diversity not only at the leadership level but also across the supply chains, customers, and communities its portfolio companies serve, the Branch team says. The firm tracks diversity metrics, as well as portfolio job creation in economically disadvantaged areas and environmental metrics like tons of food waste and plastic diverted from landfills.
