Sambazon has snapped up fellow US organic-fruit supplier Pitaya Foods.

In a statement yesterday (10 November), Sambazon said the acquisition creates a larger tropical “superfruits” platform, with “regenerative sourcing as its long-term direction”.

The California-headquartered company said Pitaya will lift its retail reach by 20%, taking its products into almost 70% of US grocery stores.

It expects the combined business to deliver 45% annualised revenue growth over the next 12 months.

Ryan Black, the co-founder and CEO of Sambazon, told Just Food Pitaya Foods adds fruit flavours and product formats to the company’s range.

"Sambazon has spent 26 years building deep expertise in açaí, while Pitaya has built a broader frozen-fruit portfolio. Together, we can combine strengths and efficiencies to support the same shoppers and partners," he said.

According to Black, the 45% revenue growth target is based on opportunities from “complementary distribution, a broader product portfolio, shared commercial capabilities and opportunities to serve retail, foodservice and international partners more fully”.

Founded in 2009, Pitaya Foods supplies frozen tropical and organic superfruit products to retail and foodservice customers.

The company’s line-up includes ready-to-eat smoothie bowls, smoothie pops, and bite-sized pieces of dragon fruit and avocado, among others.

Its products are stocked at US retailers including Whole Foods Market, Costco, Kroger, Target, and Walmart.

Black pointed to açaí remaining the “anchor” of Sambazon’s business, with the transaction intended to strengthen rather than displace that focus.

Explaining why Sambazon chose to acquire Pitaya Foods instead of developing its tropical-fruit offering organically, he said the companies had known Pitaya founder Chuck Casano and his team for about a decade.

“Building what they have created from scratch would have taken years to accomplish and with them as a formidable competitor every step of the way. While this may have been an option, a partnership to integrate the businesses and invest in the combined platform made much more sense, leveraging strength on strength.”

Most Pitaya Foods employees will join the combined company, while Casano becomes executive vice president of sales.

The deal builds on Sambazon’s 2024 acquisition of SunOpta’s frozen açaí and smoothie bowls business.