The food and beverage industry is one of constant innovation. With consumer interest leaning toward sustainable, plant-based foods and better-for-you options, food startups from San Francisco to India are paving the way for a new era in consumables.
If you are looking for the top food and beverage startups this year, you’re in the right place. We’ve identified the most exciting, innovative, and creative food and beverage startups to watch in 2024 and beyond. From pasta made of chickpeas to CBD sparkling water, these are the startups you should be keeping an eye on this year.
Top Food and Beverage Startups
Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation, tech, and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the top food and beverage startups of 2024 that startup-lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow.
Disclaimer: With so many exciting food and beverage companies launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.
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Get Started1. Pop & Bottle
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Founders: Jash Mehta, Blair Hardy
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Venture, $5.2 Million
- Investors Include: Able Partners, Torch Capital
Pop & Bottle is a coffee startup revolutionizing the ready-to-drink market. During their launch in 2015, the startup offered alternatives to the standard energy drink options with better-for-you, plant-based lattes and teas in eye-catching, pastel packaging.
2. Recess
- Location: New York, New York
- Founders: Benjamin Witte, David Hess, Justin Hauser
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: N/A
- Investors Include: Evolution VC Partners, M3 Ventures, CX Collective
Recess is a wellness beverage brand that crafts sparkling water beverages enhanced by hemp extract and adaptogens to help drinkers achieve “balance and clarity.” Additionally, Recess sells drink powders enclosed in its impeccable packaging.
3. Plenty
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Founders: Jack Oslan, Matt Barnard, Nate Mazonson, Nate Storey
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series E, $941 Million
- Investors Include: SoftBank Vision Fund, Innovation Endeavors, JS Capital Management
Plenty is a food technology company reimagining agricultural practices and bringing them indoors. Their vertical farming technology allows the startup to produce high-quality, pesticide-free greens year-round using less water.
4. Foodvisor
- Location: Paris, France
- Founders: Charles Boes
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Venture, $5.5 Million
- Investors Include: Demeter, Kima Ventures
Foodvisor is a food app that instantly analyzes the nutrients in food to provide users with a helpful tool to ensure healthier, smarter eating habits. Plus, the app can estimate serving sizes and provide a detailed nutritional report that is easy to implement in the user’s journey to a healthy relationship with food.
5. Banza
- Location: Detroit, Michigan
- Founders: Brian Rudolph, Patrick Kiruki, Scott Rudolph
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series B, $28.8 Million
- Investors Include: Prelude Growth Partners, Enlightened Hospitality Investments, Beachwood Capital
Banza is a food startup that focuses on pasta products. Their primary ingredient for their products is chickpeas. Banza has been featured in a litany of highly-regarded food publications and is sold in over 8,000 stores across the US. Buy Banza on Amazon today!
6. Crisp
- Location: New York, New York
- Founders: Are Traasdahl, Dag Liodden
- Founded In: 2016
- Funding: Series C, $99 Million
- Investors Include: 9 Yards Capital, Ridgeback Capital, Bookmaker Investments
Crisp is a food software startup that helps food manufacturers and companies be more efficient through their food supply forecast platform. Using a data compilation system that includes sales, inventory, retail portals, weather, holidays, and additional marketing data, Crisp provides critical information for major players in the food industry.
7. Leilo (Acquired by Fiji Kava)
- Location: New York, New York
- Founders: Sol Broady
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Seed, Undisclosed
- Investors Include: Seaside Ventures
Leilo is a beverage company offering a calming, healthy alternative to alcoholic beverages and energy drinks with a surprise ingredient — kava! The startup has since gone on to partner with sports leagues, grocers, and more across the country. You can buy Leilo directly on the website or through Amazon!
8. Everything Legendary
- Location: Lanham, Maryland
- Founders: Duane Myko
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Series A, $6.3 Million
- Investors Include: CircleUp, 301 INC
Everything Legendary is an innovative food startup that creates plant-based food products free from gluten and soy. Their primary product is plant-based meat alternatives that boast exceptional flavor and texture.
9. Tost Beverages
- Location: Dorset, Vermont
- Founders: Mark Hyatt
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Venture, $6.1 Million
- Investors Include: Knockout Capital
Tost Beverages is an online ecommerce company that sells various dry non-alcoholic sparkling beverages customers can purchase on-demand. They use natural ingredients in all of their beverage products and craft them to have lower calories and a dry but not too sweet refreshing taste. No matter the occasion, if you want a great beverage, it may be worth giving Tost a sip.
10. Kosterina
- Location: New York City, New York
- Founders: Katina Mountanos
- Founded In: 2020
- Funding: Pre-Seed, $5 Million
- Investors Include: Lakehouse Ventures
Kosterina is an olive oil-centered food and wellness startup. The company offers a wide range of products from oils to skincare all crafted with top-tier extra virgin olive oil. Founded by the founder of Manicube, Katina Mountanos, Kosterina is a fast-growing food startup with products in major retailers such as Whole Foods and Crate and Barrel.
11. Vegrow
- Location: Bangalore, India
- Founders: Kiran Naik, Mrudhukar Batchu, Praneeth Kumar, Shobhit Jain
- Founded In: 2020
- Funding: Series C, $86.4 Million
- Investors Include: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Better Capital, Elevation Capital
Vegrow is a food tech platform leveraging an extensive network of farmers to help increase the net income per acre for agricultural businesses. With Vegrow, farmers gain access to expert, customized advisory services, logistics and distribution support, and new customer segments.
12. Nutpods
- Location: Bellevue, Washington
- Founders: Madeline Haydon
- Founded In: 2013
- Funding: Private Equity, $35.1 Million
- Investors Include: VMG Partners, CircleUp
Nutpods specializes in alternative milk products such as nut and oat milk, coffee creamer, and tea creamer. Nutpods products are Whole30 approved, kosher, Non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free certified. The brand has a near cult-like following, scaling quickly within the beverage and plant-based food sectors.
13. Bizzy Coffee
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Founders: Alexander French, Andrew Healy
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series Unknown, $7.2 Million
- Investors Include: Sidekick Partners, Food-X, M25
Bizzy Coffee is a slow-brewed cold-brew coffee startup that offers a range of cold brew and coffee products including concentrates, brew kits, and more. The startup has risen in popularity, making it the number one selling cold brew on Amazon.
14. Sun Basket
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Founders: Adam Zbar, Braxton Woodham, George Nachtrieb, Justine Kelly, Tyler MacNiven
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Convertible Note, $143.1 Million
- Investors Include: PivotNorth Capital, Sapphire Ventures, August Capital
There are several meal delivery subscription startups; however, Sun Basket sets itself apart from the competition by offering healthy, organic ingredients for customers to make unique and tasty recipes with ease. The company also offers alternative meal kits for a litany of dietary restrictions such as paleo, gluten-free, and vegetarian.
15. Olio
- Location: London, United Kingdom
- Founders: Saasha Celestial-One, Tessa Clarke
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series B, $53.1 Million
- Investors Include: VNV Global, Rubio Impact Ventures, Octopus Ventures
OLIO is a food-sharing app that aims to connect communities to reduce food waste. Unwanted food items can be shared with people in the same neighborhood through photo-sharing and listing options. The app is free to use and available globally to help the circulation of food items, mitigating food waste.
16. Kin Euphorics
- Location: New York, New York
- Founders: Jennifer Batchelor, Matthew Cauble
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: Series Unknown, $5 Million
- Investors Include: Canaan Partners, Refactor Capital, Two Culture Capital
Kin Euphorics is an adult beverage startup that offers nourishing nootropics, replenishing Botanics, and balancing adaptogens in their product catalog. Their bestselling beverages include an herbaceous mood-boosting spirit called “High Rhode,” a sparkling blend of ginger, bitters, a tart citrus titled “Kin Spritz,” and a sample pack that lets you try two of their bestsellers to find peace, calm, energy, and clarity in your day.
17. Goldbelly
- Location: New York, New York
- Founders: Joe Ariel, Joel Gillman, Trevor Stow, Vanessa Torrivilla
- Founded In: 2012
- Funding: Series C, $133.1 Million
- Investors Include: Spectrum Equity, Enlightened Hospitality Investments, Intel Capital
Goldbelly is a startup making an online food delivery platform where customers can find artisan and specialty food products to purchase, try, eat, and enjoy. They have everything from custom food boxes called “Weekender Boxes” to chef meal kits, seafood, and ice cream. If you’re craving something different and want to try some artisan or specialty foods, there’s no doubt you’ll find something that catches your eye on Goldbelly.
18. Meatable
- Location: Delft, Netherlands
- Founders: Daan Luining, Krijn De Nood, Mark Kotter
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Series B, $97 Million
- Investors Include: Future Positive Capital, Good Seed Ventures, Agronomics
With the demand for meat alternatives making waves in the mainstream, Meatable has developed a unique solution. Using stem-cell technology, Meatable is able to create meat alternatives without harming any animals in the process. Their products are marketed as ‘guilt-free meat’ and have paved the way for food innovations as consumer interest in alternative food products grows.
19. Pop Meals
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Founders: Christian Edelmann, Jessica Li, Jonathan Weins
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series B, $27 Million
- Investors Include: Y Combinator, White Star Capital, Partech
Pop Meals is a food delivery startup leveraging artificial intelligence to improve logistics and automate food manufacturing. By utilizing a mixture of food data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, Pop Meals is able to provide lower cost, accessible foods delivered directly to customers.
20. Brewbird
- Location: Silicon Valley (San Mateo, California)
- Founders: Erik Pfleiderer
- Founded In: 2021
- Funding: Series A, Undisclosed
- Investors Include: Sequoia Capital, Accel, Kyber Knight Capital, Maveron
Brewbird is a food tech company working to scale the $100 billion specialty coffee market using its unique online platform. With Brewbird, companies can easily create a coffee program for their office spaces with top roasters, including Counter Culture, Verve, and Four Barrel Coffee.
21. Bevi
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Founders: Liza Becton, Frank Lee, Sean Grundy
- Founded In: 2013
- Funding: Series D, $130.3 Million
- Investors Include: Bessemer Venture Partners, Trinity Ventures, Horizons Ventures
Bevi is a startup developing smart water dispensers that consumers can use to flavor sparkling beverages on demand. Using their water dispensers, either their standup office dispenser or smaller countertop alternative, you can mix various flavors and add enhancements to your water in seconds. Stay hydrated by drinking delicious, flavorful water with Bevi.
22. Cozymeal
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Founders: Sam Nasserian
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series A, Undisclosed Amount
- Investors Include: Start Capital, Click Ventures
Cozymeal is creating the top online marketplace for culinary experiences. Whether you want team-building events hosted by top-rated local chefs or immersive cooking classes, you can browse experiences on the Cozymeal marketplace. There’s no better way to try a new experience with loved ones than by immersing yourself in one of Cozymeal’s offerings.
23. Spoonshot (Acquired by Target Research Group)
- Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
- Founders: Kishan Vasani
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Seed, $1.7 Million
- Investors Include: SRI Capital, Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, Arts Alliance
Spoonshot is a startup redefining food and beverage intelligence by creating a platform that can answer critical questions through data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). They combine domain knowledge, high-velocity data pools, validated answers, and other data points to provide personalized insights, research, and predictions about the food industry. Customers can use Spoonshot to predict meaningful trends, articulate customer needs, map out innovation areas, and more.
24. Choco
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Founders: Daniel Khachab, Julian Hammer, Rogério Da Silva Yokomizo
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Venture, $336.3 Million
- Investors Include: Left Lane Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Insight Partners
Choco is a food tech startup that connects local restaurants with suppliers seamlessly. With over 25,000 chefs and suppliers on the platform, businesses on either side of the ordering process can use Choco to digitize their orders, connect with partners, and reduce time spent on receiving or sending orders.
25. Sunwink
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Founders: Eliza (Timpson) Ganesh, Jordan Schenck
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Series A, $10 Million
- Investors Include: Desert Angel LLC
Sunwink is a startup dedicated to creating refreshing sparkling tonics and superfood powders that can fit into any daily routine. Every single one of their tonics and powders contains superfoods and incorporates plant-powered wellness into your day. Their products are perfect for debloating and fostering happy digestion, promoting glowing skin, detoxing and supporting your immunity, and restoring your body and de-stressing.
26. Daring Foods
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Founders: Eliott Kessas, Ross Mackay
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Series C, $113.8 Million
- Investors Include: Founders Fund, D1 Capital Partners, Jaws Ventures
Daring Foods is reinventing chicken by creating a plant-based chicken protein that looks, tastes, and feels just like the real thing. They have original chicken breast, breaded chicken, cajun chicken, lemon and herb chicken, and more – all made from plants without harming any live chickens in the process. The Daring Foods team loves eating chicken but also believes that the way we treat animals and our environment is incredibly important. They’re working to bring plant-based chicken to the world and help make our environment a better place to live.
27. Hapi Drinks
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Founders: Karsten Idsal, Kennett Parkes
- Founded In: 2011
- Funding: Venture, $2.4 Million
- Investors Include: Private
Hapi Drinks is creating sugar-free drinks for kids that taste delicious and keep them coming back for more. Compared to a traditional drink like Capri Sun, Hapi Drinks contain no sugar (16 grams less), 55 fewer calories, and 90% daily value of vitamin C. By drinking Hapi, we’ll have more healthy and happy kids who have fewer health problems further down the line.
28. Wonder
- Location: New York, New York
- Founders: Marc Lore
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Corporate Round, $950 Million
- Investors Include: Bain Capital Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, General Catalyst
Wonder is a food startup with an incredible idea — instead of having your food cooked at a restaurant and delivered to your door just in time for it to get cold, they pull up a mobile kitchen right outside your home and cook your food just a few steps away! Wonder is introducing a new home dining experience where you can have fresh and delicious meals cooked on a mobile restaurant just minutes before you enjoy them.
29. yfood Labs
- Location: Munich, Germany
- Founders: Benjamin Kremer, Noel Bollmann
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: Corporate Round, $252 Million
- Investors Include: Five Seasons Ventures, Felix Capital, New Ground Ventures
yfood Labs is a food tech startup crafting meal replacement drinks that balance consumer diets as they struggle to obtain necessary nutrients from their current meal selections. In addition to their primary drink product, the food startup also offers powders, bars, hot bowls, and a selection of vegan products as well.
Final Thoughts
Whether it is a fresh food delivery or supply chain support for local farmers and restaurants, these food startups are changing the food and beverage sector to bring the food system into a new age. While these are the most prominent food startups to watch, we regularly update the list to include the newest, most exciting food and beverage companies reshaping the way we eat and drink.
FAQs
What are food and beverage startups?
Food and beverage startups are companies founded by ambitious entrepreneurs innovating and improving the food and beverage industry through unique business models and solutions people everywhere can take advantage of. Recent innovations include food delivery, faster payments at restaurants, unique food offerings, and more.
What does the future of the food and beverage industry look like?
The future of the food and beverage industry will likely include improvements and innovations in how food is cooked, prioritizing healthy foods, growing the plant-based food sector, creating new food technologies, and improving food safety.
What are some food and beverage startup ideas?
If you’re looking for some food and beverage startup ideas, you can consider starting a business around food blogging, meal delivery services, food trucks, food subscription services, snack companies, kitchen supplies, DIY food kits, organic foods, algae businesses, YouTube cooking channels, and any other ideas that spark your interest.
How do I start a food and beverage business?
To start your own food and beverage business, you should first assess your entrepreneurial skills, then develop an idea, create a plan, build your founding team, and then begin making your food product or service. Don’t forget to reach out to investors for startup funding, set up your accounting, and begin establishing your brand and performing outreach and marketing.
What are some helpful resources for food and beverage startups?
Some helpful resources for food and beverage startups are accelerators, incubators, and venture capital (VC) firms. In an accelerator or incubator program, you receive help from some of the best minds in the industry and will get the funding you need to get your idea off the ground. Venture capital firms are another excellent resource since they often have extensive experience in your industry and will be able to give you advice on how to best move forward.