Protein-snacks manufacturer Wilde has secured new investment to fuel its “next phase of growth”.
The US business, set up in 2015 by Jason Wright, has netted $40m from S2G Investments.
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Wilde, which produces crisps and crackers based on chicken-breast protein rather than potatoes, also picked up $20m in 2024 in a round led by private-equity group KarpReilly.
With revenues of more than $100m, Wilde said in a statement it has recently moved into a new 130,000 square-foot site, which, it claims, is “the only USDA-regulated salty snack manufacturing facility in the world”.
In a statement, the company said the new plant has enabled Wilde to expand production capacity “six-fold”.
Just Food has asked Wilde for more details and on the manufacturing set-up and to clarify what its current output numbers are.
Arthur Chow, the principal for food and agriculture at S2G, said: “Wilde has shown you can have better products with high-quality ingredients without sacrificing the taste experience that makes people love salty snacks.
“Jason created a standout product with ‘Protein Chips’ but what excites us most is the opportunity ahead as a snacking platform. We’re excited to partner with Jason and the team as Wilde scales into a household brand.”
Wilde said it has recently launched Protein Crackers to complement its crisps range, which is available across the US in stores such as Walmart, Kroger, Wholefoods Market and Costco.
The company is looking to use the funds to “scale production”, for new products in development, and marketing.
Wright, who is CEO, said: “Building Wilde has never been easy. We started this company to prove that protein snacks don’t have to taste like punishment, and we’ve spent years betting on an idea that didn’t fit neatly into the snack aisle.
“Now we have the firepower to go bigger, move faster and shake up a whole lot more of the snack aisle.”
Both the crisps and cracker formats provide ten grams or more of protein.
Other investors in the 2024 round included The Family Fund & Founder Community, nutritional supplements producer Pharmavite, and plant-based protein drinks maker Koia.
American musicians Machine Gun Kelly and Jack Harlow were also said to have contributed.
S2G invests across the food and agricultural sectors with some notable names such as plant-based businesses Beyond Meat and Livekindly Collective, along with the baby food producer Once Upon a Farm.
