NEW YORK — Actual Veggies, a maker of plant-based burgers, closed a $2.3 million round of funding from Electric Feel Ventures, Big Idea Ventures, Rose Street Capital, professional soccer player Kieran Gibbs and other strategic investors. Previously, the startup raised $500,000 from Big Idea Ventures and angel contributions.
Founded in 2020, Actual Veggies offers thick-cut patties formulated with whole beans, vibrant vegetables and spices. Varieties include The Actual Black Burger, with black beans, parsnips and red peppers; The Actual Orange Burger, featuring sweet potato, carrot and red pepper; The Actual Green Burger, containing kale, broccoli and spinach; and The Actual Purple Burger, a blend of beet, carrot and red onion. The products are sold at Sprouts Farmers Market, Hungryroot, Imperfect Foods, FreshDirect, Sunbasket and online at actualveggies.com.
“We initially invested in Actual Veggies because we knew they had a great concept that would fill a significant gap consumers and retailers were looking for, a plant-based burger that not only tastes great but is actually clean and healthy,” said Andrew D. Ive, founder of Big Idea Ventures. “In just under a year, Actual Veggies has delivered tremendous growth with its clean, healthy and fresh veggie burgers that fill the void. Actual Veggies is in a whole new category of its own.”
The startup plans to use the new capital to invest in new production equipment, increase marketing efforts and expand its product line, with seasonal and limited-edition items already being developed.
“Since we launched the company, it’s been an incredible whirlwind, and despite the challenges of 2020, we made it a reality,” said Hailey Swartz, co-founder, and co-chief executive officer of Actual Veggies. “The growth we have seen over the past few months far exceeded our expectations as we expanded nationally with partners including Sprouts Farmers Market, Hungryroot, Imperfect Foods, Sunbasket, QVC, and FreshDirect. We are humbled by our new partners’ shared excitement and look forward to building off our success to further scale Actual Veggies.”
Electric Feel Ventures is the venture arm of recording artist Post Malone’s management team and traditionally focuses on music, brands and culture, according to founder Austin Rosen.
“It goes without saying, in the entertainment business what you see isn’t always real, and let’s be honest, it isn’t much different in the food space,” Mr. Rosen said. “But Actual Veggies is real — real food, real flavor, really good. We are excited to back Actual Veggies and the team behind this exciting new brand.”