Sambazon, a provider of acai beverages and food products, has completed its financing round with southern California-based Rustic Canyon/Fontis Partners.
Sambazon, a provider of acai beverages and food products, has completed its financing round with southern California-based Rustic Canyon/Fontis Partners.
RC/Fontis will join lead investor Verlinvest as Sambazon’s institutional partners.
"We are very excited about our partnership with RC/Fontis. Their experience and expertise in managing high growth companies and building brands will add tremendous value to our company," says Ryan Black, chief executive of Sambazon.
Since its founding nine years ago, Sambazon has helped to create worldwide awareness of acai. It created the first vertically integrated supply chain for the acai berry and pioneered a sustainable agro-forestry business model in the Amazon Rainforest.
Sambazon products are found in supermarkets, health food stores and juice bars, including Whole Foods Market, Jamba Juice, and Kroger.
"Sambazon is the clear leader in the acai category, as well as a rapidly rising star in the broader beverage category. Sambazon has tremendous potential as one of the top lifestyle brands in the country," says Renee LaBran, partner in RC/Fontis and new Sambazon director. "They are capturing market share at a rapid pace as they also broaden their distribution. As consumers continue to look for functional and nutritionally rich food and beverages, Sambazon’s future looks to be very bright".
The transaction was advised by Partnership Capital Growth Advisors of San Francisco.
