By: CircleUp
At CircleUp, we are committed to helping entrepreneurs thrive by connecting them with the capital and resources they need to grow.
Today, we’re excited to announce our partnership with 301 INC, General Mills’ business development and venture unit that invests into emerging consumer food brands. 301 INC will launch a multi-million dollar investment fund that invests exclusively in companies raising equity capital on CircleUp. In addition to capital, 301 INC will give its portfolio companies access to General Mills’ extensive capabilities and expertise across supply chain, research and development, finance and marketing to accelerate their businesses.
We opened discussions with 301 INC this Summer. They needed an efficient way to discover and diligence hundreds of consumer brands. With our track record of sourcing quality deal flow at scale(more than 200 companies are raising capital today), CircleUp presented a natural fit. Going forward 301 INC will leverage CircleUp’s powerful technology and team of experienced private equity professionals to deploy this first-of-its-kind venture fund.
We’re excited about the implications this partnership has for our marketplace: it brings yet another value added investor with deep (and global) expertise in the consumer sector to the platform — a validation point for the CircleUp marketplace overall, as well as the entrepreneurs and investors using our technology to connect more efficiently than ever before. CircleUp investors now have the opportunity to invest alongside General Mills, a $34 billion dollar brand that has built many of the most storied and respected food companies in the world.
We believe that by focusing on exceptional brands, and bringing smart capital to the platform, we’re ultimately creating a better world for all of us as consumers. This partnership shows our commitment to making CircleUp the best place for investors and entrepreneurs to connect, and we’re thrilled to have 301 INC join us in creating the next chapter of our story.
About General Mills
General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2015 worldwide sales of US $18.7 billion, including the company’s US $1.1 billion proportionate share of joint-venture net sales.
About CircleUp
CircleUp is an online marketplace that matches accredited investors with consumer products and retail companies. Accredited investors find free access to select private investments, easy tools to identify and diligence companies and online transaction capability to make investments. CircleUp offers an efficient way to access a network of sophisticated investors as well as value added partners.