Millennial-focused Echo Capital Group invests in 3 natural brands

On the heels of the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City last week, Echo Capital Group announces the addition of three new food companies to its portfolio: Back to the Roots, Nona Lim and Wilde Brands. Echo, a Los Angeles investment firm, focuses its investments on consumer products that resonate with millennials, making these three companies a complementary addition to their portfolio.

Back to the Roots – Learning where food comes from

Back to the Roots’ mission is to Undo Food and reconnect families back to where food comes from through fun and unique ready-to-grow products (think: mushrooms that grow right out of the box or a self-cleaning fish tank that sprouts organic herbs). “We are thrilled to welcome Back to the Roots to the Echo portfolio. The company’s core mission to reconnect people back to where food comes from exemplifies the transparency, vision and social justice shared by many of the companies Echo partners with," said Benjamin Levy, vice president of Echo.

The California-based company recently partnered with the New York City public school system to provide the most important meal of the day to the city’s 1.1 million students, including the 254,000 who eat a free breakfast. These cereals, featuring lower sugar content compared to conventional cereals, have just four ingredients and have been a hit among students.

Echo isn’t the only company interested in Back to the Roots’ unique products, mission and commitment to transparency. “Echo is proud to partner with Back to the Roots alongside Acre, Seed to Growth (S2G), John Foraker of Annie’s Foods, Omnipresence Marketing and Renewal Funds,” Levy said.

Nona Lim – Convenience meets bold flavors

Nona Lim, based in Oakland, California, makes non-GMO, dairy-free and gluten free soups, bone broths and convenient, portable meals using the freshest local and organic ingredients. “The convenience and accessibility of Nona Lim’s soups and broths appeals to the millennial generation, but so does the variety and boldness of their Asian-inspired flavors,” said Levy. “We’re seeing the popularity of ethnic foods growing at a steady pace, while consumers steer away from traditional flavors like ‘beef’ or ‘chicken’ and toward bold and exotic flavors from around the world.”

In fact, U.S. retail sales of ethnic foods is projected to generate more than $12.5 billion by 2018, according to statista.com. Snacking is another trend that is growing among millennials, particularly with products that are made with limited ingredients and not over-processed.

Wilde Brands – Satisfying the snacking generation

“The Echo team is thrilled to partner with an innovative snack company like Wilde Brands,” said Sabrina Merage, principal of Echo. “We believe that Wilde is at the forefront of the better-for-you, high-protein snacking trend and that consumers will love what this Boulder-based company has to offer.” Wilde created the first Non-GMO slow roasted meat bar made from local grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, as well as ancient grains. According to Forbes.com, GMO-free, antibiotic free, additive free and locally sourced snack brands are performing well among millennials.

Wilde’s newest product—the Chicken Chip—is the first-to-market salty snack that has all the taste and texture of a potato-based chip, but all the ingredients can be counted on one hand, making this a premier snacking option that satisfies the taste buds of those looking for both flavor and transparency.