Oscar Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams have invested in Daily Harvest, a New York City-based company that distributes ready-to-blend premium frozen component kits used to make smoothies and other products. The celebrities have joined the first round of Series A financing that includes participation from the Collaborative Fund, WME Ventures, 14W, Rubicon Venture Capital, Nick Brown, Natalie Massenet, Carter Reum and other parties.
Founded in 2015, Daily Harvest is an e-commerce subscription service that currently markets 14 flavors of nutritionist-developed blends and 23 nutrient-rich combinations boasting ingredients considered to be especially beneficial for health and well being. The products are delivered directly to end users in pre-portioned units to assist them in conveniently making smoothies as well as soups and activated bowls (chia parfaits and overnight oats). From Mango + Papaya Smoothies and Zucchini + Black Garlic Minestrone Soup to Blackberry Majik Breakfast Bowls, the offerings feature organic fruits and/or vegetables devoid of refined sugars and preservatives. Consumers need only take a cup out of the freezer, add their liquid of choice and then blend, heat or soak as preferred.
Rachel Drori’s Daily Harvest product line eliminates the need for washing, chopping, portioning and cleaning components to make smoothies, soups and breakfast bowls.Daily Harvest was founded by Rachel Drori, a busy New Yorker and even busier mom. With no spare time for researching recipes, buying ingredients, prepping, measuring and blending nutritious smoothies on a regular basis before heading to the workplace, she realized there were hundred of thousands if not millions of other folks across the USA in similar circumstances. So the entrepreneurial Columbia Business School graduate put together a team of nutritionists and Michelin-trained chefs to create a product line that could be shipped frozen to consumers. Since launching, her startup company has sold more than 1 million smoothies to customers nationwide.
“Serena and Gwyneth immediately understood our mission to provide convenient foods without nutritional compromise, and their passion for what we are building will make them instrumental members of our investment team,” said Drori. “As we continue to grow the Daily Harvest brand, partnering with like-minded investors furthers our goal to redefine the frozen food category.”
“Most people don’t have access to farm-fresh produce year-round and often times the produce available in the grocery store was picked before peak ripeness and then traveled a far distance to the store while its nutrients degraded,” said Paltrow. “Farm-frozen produce is picked at its nutritional peak, retains more nutrients and it’s more readily available to everyone. For this reason Daily Harvest really resonated with me, and I am so excited to get behind a revolution in frozen with my investment.”
Williams added: “I invest in businesses that operate with sincerity and integrity and deliver a pure and uncompromised product. Daily Harvest reflects this strategy through both the team of employees and investors Rachel has developed, as well as its delicious, healthy and convenient food. I’m excited about Daily Harvest’s future as a female-led business, and I look forward to helping more people gain access to nutritious meals.”
