Cerebelly, the US-based producer of “cognitive-focused” baby food, has acquired the local kids snacks business and brand Fresh Bellies.
Financial terms were not revealed.
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The companies will run as “sibling brands” under “shared ownership”, according to a statement. Each business will retain its own product range, formulation, and brand identity.
They will continue selling through their existing retail partners, e-commerce outlets, and direct-to-consumer channels.
Jodie Wing, who replaced Don Clark as CEO of Cerebelly in February, said: “We are not merging these brands, we are amplifying them. The children’s nutrition category is large enough and the unmet consumer need is significant enough that two differentiated brands, operating with shared operational strength, creates more value than either could achieve alone. This is a platform play, not a consolidation.”
Wing said Fresh Bellies allows Cerebelly to launch new future products in the snacking segment but no specific dates were announced.
Approached by Just Food for clarifications, Cerebelly said both companies have “robust innovation plans” for different usage occasions, audiences and categories but did not disclose particular areas or revenues for each company.
Founded in 2015 by former NBA executive Saskia Sorrosa, Fresh Bellies markets its range as “plant-based, minimally processed” and freeze dried, containing no added sugars.
Its products are available at retailers including Target, Whole Foods Market, and Walmart, as well as through its own online store.
Cerebelly was set up in 2019 by co-founder Dr. Teresa Purzner, a practicing neurosurgeon who also holds a PhD in developmental neurobiology from Stanford University.
The company describes itself as the “first and only science-backed and patented, cognitive development-focused baby-food brand”.
Its assortment includes organic and non-GMO baby meals, smoothies, and snack bars, with vegetables central to the offering. The products are marketed as being dairy- and gluten-free, with no added sugar.
Cerebelly said its food pouches contain “between 15 to 18 nutrients that support specific regions of the brain”.
Its products are sold in Whole Foods, Target, Meijer, Kroger, Walmart, and Publix locations across the US and Canada.
They are also offered through Cerebelly’s own website, Amazon, and Thrive Market.
Both Cerebelly and Fresh Bellies use co-manufacturers and do not have their own production plants, a spokesperson confirmed with Just Food.
The transaction follows Cerebelly’s $7m raise through a Series A round in March 2023, and a financing package secured through BizCap in May last year.
The company called the purchase of Fresh Bellies a “strategic step forward” for both businesses.
On the product development opportunities, the company told Just Food that Fresh Bellies “has a long history of snacking product innovation that provide Cerebelly with new avenues, infrastructure, and supply chain opportunities for expansion”.
For Fresh Bellies, the deal would offer operational support and supply chain infrastructure needed to meet retailer and online demand with “greater inventory reliability, speed, and scale”, added Cerebelly.
