Partake Foods

High-Level Overview

Partake Foods is a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company specializing in allergy-friendly baked snacks and mixes, not a technology company. Founded in 2016, it produces cookies, baking mixes, pancake & waffle mixes, and other items that are free from the top 8-14 allergens (including dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish), gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, with 20-30% less sugar, and higher fiber/protein via fruits and vegetables.[1][2][3][9] It serves families with dietary restrictions, addressing the lack of tasty, safe options for the 32 million Americans with food allergies, and has scaled to 9,000+ retail stores like Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Sprouts, plus Amazon.[4][5] Growth includes 200% YoY in 2021, 100% in 2022, 10x in 2020, total funding of $28.34M (latest $9.26M Series B-II ~1 year ago), and team expansion from 1 to 20 employees.[1][4][5]

Origin Story

Partake Foods was founded in 2016 by Denise Woodard in Jersey City, NJ (previously New York), inspired by her infant daughter Vivienne's severe allergies to nuts, eggs, corn, and bananas, after Woodard left her Coca-Cola career.[2][3][4][7] Woodard experimented in her kitchen with nanny Martha, failing initially due to poor market alternatives heavy in rice, gums, and sugars, then partnered with a developer for better recipes.[2] She bootstrapped via Kickstarter in 2017, sold three crunchy cookie flavors from her car to NYC grocers, maxed credit cards, emptied her 401(k), and sold her engagement ring by 2018, landing Whole Foods shelves without initial VC.[7] Early traction built to 350 stores by 2020, pivoting to soft-baked cookies, mixes, and expansions like pizza crust.[2][3]

Core Differentiators

• Allergen-Free Inclusivity: Free of top 8-14 allergens, certified gluten-free/vegan, with clear labeling of included/excluded items and third-party certifications, enabling "worry-free" sharing for all.[1][2][3][5]
• Healthier Nutrition: 20-30% less sugar, fruits/vegetables for fiber/protein boost over competitors, using oat/buckwheat/tapioca flours in versatile 5-in-1 mixes (pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes).[2][3][9]
• Taste and Accessibility: "Ridiculously tasty" despite restrictions, appealing beyond allergies (8x faster growth than snacking category per SPINS data), in 9,000 stores nationwide.[4][5]
• Mission-Driven Scale: "Radical inclusivity" via Black woman-led ops, opportunities for people of color, from kitchen to Series B with investors like Rihanna, Jay-Z's Marcy Ventures.[3][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Partake rides the CPG trend toward inclusive, health-focused snacking amid rising food allergy prevalence (32M Americans) and demand for clean-label, plant-based products, amplified by post-pandemic home baking and e-commerce.[2][3][5] Timing aligns with retail giants like Target/Walmart expanding allergen-free aisles and consumer shift to lower-sugar/vegan options, fueling 100-200% growth outpacing categories.[4][5] It influences the ecosystem by proving bootstrapped, mission-led brands (especially BIPOC-led) can disrupt Big Food, securing high-profile funding and nationwide distribution, while prioritizing regenerative practices via peers like Snacktivist Foods.[1][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Partake's momentum—recent Series B-II funding, product expansions (e.g., breakfast/pizza mixes), and #2 allergy-friendly growth ranking—positions it for further retail penetration, international push, and category diversification like savory snacks.[1][5][6] Trends like allergy awareness, veganism, and "lifting as we climb" inclusivity will propel it, potentially challenging incumbents as team scales beyond 20.[4][5] Its evolution from car-sales to CPG powerhouse underscores how personal necessity sparks market transformation, making safe snacking standard rather than niche.