Next Gen Foods, a plant-based food company, has acquired Mwah!, a startup that produces dairy-inspired products from plants. The acquisition enables Next Gen to diversify its product offerings and cater to the growing demand for sustainable and unique food experiences. Mwah! uses a unique process that combines natural flavorings, plant-based proteins, and lipids to recreate the qualities of pure cream. Their first product, Madagascan Vanilla Gelato is made from plants and mirrors the indulgent experience of classic gelato. This acquisition follows Next Gen’s expansion into the European and US markets.
Next Gen Foods has announced its first acquisition of Mwah!, a new food startup producing creamy and indulgent dairy-inspired products from plants. This acquisition allows Next Gen Foods to continue diversifying its product offerings while meeting rising consumer demand for delicious, sustainable, and unique food experiences. Their expansion into new categories that now include plant-based dairy and meat is part of Next Gen’s strategy to bring like-minded brands that deliver quality taste and experiences to market, including popular categories such as dairy, seafood, and meat.
Mwah! is a London-based company that has developed a unique process that combines natural flavorings, selected plant-based proteins, and lipids to recreate the qualities of pure cream, which can be applied to its complete portfolio of products. The first product from Mwah! is a creamy and decadent Madagascan Vanilla Gelato made from plants that mirrors the indulgent experience of classic gelato. The acquisition follows Next Gen’s rapid expansion into the European and US markets last year.
Next Gen Foods was founded in 2020 by Andre Menezes and Timo Recker, two veterans of the animal agriculture and plant-based food industries. The company believes saving the planet can be easy and enjoyable – without sacrificing deliciousness. To date, NextGen Foods has raised $130 million in funding centered around bringing TiNDLE, its plant-based chicken to the market. In under two years, TiNDLE’s presence has grown from only a handful of restaurants in Singapore to over 1,500 eateries and 6,000 grocery stores worldwide – including Michelin-starred establishments to fast-casual chains and coveted independent restaurants.
The acquisition of Mwah! provides a foundation for all Mwah! products, including its newest plant-based gelato. Mwah! is led by co-founders Damian Piedrahita, CEO, and Claudia Comini, Director of Operations, who both spent decades pushing boundaries in the hospitality industry. In early 2022, Mwah! closed its seed round and raised more than $2 million to fund the development of the startup’s first plant-based dairy product, its signature gelato.
Next Gen’s CEO, Andre Menezes, and CMO, Jean Madden, previously served as directors on the board at Mwah!, and Piedrahita and Comini are now full-time members of the Next Gen Foods’ team as part of the acquisition. The acquisition of Mwah! provides Next Gen Foods with increased efficiencies and growth within the plant-based food category. From March 9-11, attendees of the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, California, will be the first to try TiNDLE’s soon-to-be-released retail products, featuring recipes using Mwah!’s new plant-based gelato.
Image provided by Next Gen Foods