Hu Products (pronounced “Hue” as in Human), makers of organic, paleo and vegan chocolate, announced today the closing of their Series A round led by a strategic minority investment from Sonoma Brands.
Sonoma Brands is a unique food & beverage products incubator and venture fund led by Jon Sebastiani. With its beginnings in the popular, paleo-inspired New York-based restaurant, Hu Kitchen, Hu Chocolate is now ready to accelerate the expansion of its global reach and propel its growth in the health-conscious snacking space.
“We are thrilled to have found a strategic partner in Sonoma Brands. We look forward to what this relationship will help us accomplish as we move to advance our distribution and exposure in the coming months,” said Jason H. Karp, Chairman and Co-Founder of Hu.
“With the support of Sonoma Brands, along with several other highly strategic investors, we will accelerate the conversation around the need for more vegan, paleo and unprocessed foods and bolster our platform as a mission-driven health and wellness business.”
Hu Chocolate is the first-to-market brand that has given vegan, paleo and keto lifestyle devotees a culinary-inspired health indulgence that meets their needs.
The brand of Hu (“Get back to Human”) embraces the integrity of dark chocolate at its core, using organic cacao, to craft a vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, delicious product, free of refined sugar and additives and lower-glycemic by design.
Hu, Sonoma Brands and the other new partners, plan to work collaboratively to accelerate growth and continue to innovate in the good-for-you snacking space.
Hu is excited to announce several other notable strategic investors including Dr. Mark Hyman, Tim Ferriss, Nelson Peltz, and Dr. Peter Attia. Nelson Peltz, Founding Partner of Trian Partners, a pioneer in food investing and corporate governance, has been the only outside investor before this round.
Dr. Hyman, a world-renowned author and pioneer in functional medicine, is eager to partner with a brand that encompasses his integrated focus on wellness and nutrition.
Dr. Attia, an expert in diet, longevity and metabolism, admires the strict principles to which Hu adheres and how Hu channels that mission into delicious products.
Ferriss, famed author and angel investor, believes in Hu’s “Get back to Human” brand mission, and is pleased to add Hu Products to his portfolio of investments in innovative businesses. And of course, all the investors love the chocolate!
“This product is a healthy treat people can look for without the added guilt typically associated with chocolate, or products with refined sugar,” said Dr. Mark Hyman.
“The product quality and ingredient vetting is unparalleled in the dessert and confectionery world, which is why Hu Chocolate is a wonderful option for people to embrace when they want a permissible indulgence.”
