SEBASTOPOL, CALIF. — Bachan’s, a brand of Japanese-inspired barbecue sauces, raised $13 million in Series A funding.
Founded in 2019, Bachan’s sauces are cold filled, eliminating the need for additives and preservatives. They come in original, hot and spicy, yuzu and gluten-free varieties and are available at more than 11,000 retail stores nationwide. They also are available direct-to-consumer and on Amazon, where they hold several of the top 10 best-selling barbecue sauce rankings.
The Series A round will help Bachan’s expand its distribution footprint and accelerate product innovation, said Justin Gill, founder and chief executive officer. The funding round was led by Sonoma Brands Capital, with participation from Prelude Growth Partners and New Fare Partners. Prominent Asian American personalities, including filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton and Pat Tenore, founder of the RCVA clothing company, also participated in the round.
Jon Sebastian, managing partner at Sonoma Brands Capital, will join the Bachan’s board of directors. He said he sees significant opportunity for the startup to become a “definitive leader” in the global condiments category.
“Bachan’s caters to the preferences of the new age consumer and these consumers clearly view its products as a modern-day hot sauce, soy sauce, marinade, dressing and even ketchup,” he said. “We’re finding that consumers are not only using Bachan’s in their scrambled eggs or breakfast in the morning, but also as an enhancement to their bowls or vegetables for lunch, and most definitely in their everyday dinner recipes.”
