Cheribundi, the leading fresh tart cherry juice in the market, today announced that it has closed a $4.5M equity round led by Emil Capital Partners, with participation from existing lead investor, Cayuga Venture Fund (CVF), and other existing shareholders. The funds will contribute to Cheribundi’s future marketing and sales initiatives as it grows its national presence.
“Recent trend reports have shown that 2012 is the year of the tart cherry,” said Andreas Guldin, Chief Executive Officer of Emil Capital Partners, an investment firm that prides themselves on their network of strategic industry contacts at all major US and European food retailers. “Cheribundi has become the face of tart cherry juice, selling their product nationwide at large retailers and distributors. At Emil Capital Partners, we feel that the company is uniquely positioned to continue growing, develop new successful and unique products and flavors and continue to succeed as consumers’ appetites grow for the All-American fruit.”
Cheribundi juice is made from tart cherries grown in farms in Michigan and New York. The juice was first created by food scientists at Cornell University who not only uncovered the benefits of tart cherries, but also developed a proprietary juicing process so all the flavor and nutrients could be delivered into a great tasting juice.
Currently, there are five flavors of Cheribundi: Tru Cherry; Skinny Cherry, which has all the powerful nutrients and benefits of the original juice, but fewer calories and is sweetened with all-natural Stevia; Whey Cherry, with 8 g of whey protein in 8 oz of juice providing the proper mix of carbohydrate and protein for maximal repair and recovery; Cacao Cherry, a chocolate cherry drink; and Ginger Cherry. Cheribundi is distributed at over 3,000 stores nationwide at large retailers such as Costco, Safeway and Whole Foods, among others.
“With this recent round of funding, it is apparent that we are succeeding at bringing tart cherry juice to the forefront of the beverage market,” said Brian Ross, CEO of Cheribundi. “We’re proud to have earned Emil Capital Partners attention and support for our brand and are looking forward to a successful year ahead.”
Consuming foods high in antioxidant capacity has been in the spotlight now for the last few years and the enthusiasm for tart cherry juice is hitting an all-time high, thanks to proponents like Dr. Mehmet Oz, NCAA and professional athletes, the running marathon community, the gluten-free movement and millions of health-conscious consumers to newly discover the juice. Studies have shown that the benefits of antioxidants from tart cherries apply to virtually all the major systems of the body, including the cardiovascular system, immune system and neurons in the brain. More recently, a new study concluded that Cheribundi tart cherry juice is proven effective in symptom relief for patients with arthritis of the knee. Patients that drank tart cherry juice for six weeks felt significant symptom relief.
About Cheribundi
Cheribundi, the most widely distributed brand in fresh tart cherry juice, was first created by food scientists at Cornell University who not only uncovered the benefits of tart cherries, but also developed a proprietary juicing process so all the cherry-goodness and nutrients could be delivered in a great tasting juice. There are now five flavors of Cheribundi: Tru Cherry, Skinny Cherry which has all the powerful nutrients and benefits of the original juice, but fewer calories and is sweetened with all-natural Stevia, Whey Cherry, with 8 g of whey protein in 8 oz of juice providing the proper mix of carbohydrate and protein for maximal repair and recovery and now the new, delicious Cacao Cherry and snappy Ginger Cherry.
