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§ Private Profile · Minneapolis, MN, USA
Wicked Foods is a technology company.
Wicked Foods has raised $34.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Wicked Foods.
Wicked Foods has raised $34.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Wicked Kitchen delivers chef-crafted, flavor-first plant-based foods, offering convenient options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts, plus ice cream. The company makes plant-based eating delicious and accessible, crafting broadly appealing meals. They leverage innovative ingredients, like mushrooms, for umami and versatile applications.
Co-founded by chef brothers Derek Sarno and Chad Sarno, Wicked Kitchen stemmed from their extensive culinary expertise in plant-based innovation. Their founding insight focused on reimagining satisfying traditional flavors as plant-based alternatives. This approach allows quality ingredients to shine, delivering enjoyable, plant-derived food experiences.
Wicked Kitchen serves a global customer base integrating plant-based meals, from occasional additions to a committed plant-forward lifestyle. The company’s vision is to build a worldwide community around plant-based inspiration, ensuring quality plant-based cooking and eating are enjoyable, straightforward, fostering a delicious, sustainable food future.
Key people at Wicked Foods.
Wicked Foods has raised $34.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $20.0M Other Equity in September 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2022 | $20M Venture Round | Ahimsa VC, NRF Nove Foods | Woody Harrelson | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2021 | $14M Series A | NRF Nove Foods, Christopher Kerr | Sky9 Capital | Announced |
Wicked Foods, often associated with its flagship brand Wicked Kitchen, develops chef-crafted, plant-based food products including ready meals, snacks, desserts, and alternatives like seafood and sushi.[1][3][5] It serves consumers seeking delicious, convenient plant-based options—appealing to vegans, meat-eaters transitioning to plant-forward diets, and retailers like Tesco, Kroger, Target, Walmart, and Sprouts—solving the problem of limited flavorful, accessible animal-free foods amid growing demand for sustainable eating.[2][3][5] Founded in 2018, the company raised $34M before being acquired by Ahimsa Companies in June 2024, enabling expansion into new retailers, food service, and innovation while consolidating with brands like Good Catch and Current Foods.[1][2][7]
Wicked Foods emerged from the vision of chef brothers Derek and Chad Sarno, who applied high-end culinary expertise to plant-based innovation.[3] Derek, former senior global executive chef at Whole Foods Market, drove plant-based R&D there, while the brothers co-founded Gathered Foods (parent of Good Catch plant-based seafood).[3] The idea took shape in the UK with a 2018 Tesco launch under Wicked Kitchen (formerly Wicked Meaty), rapidly growing to 150+ products and fueling the plant-based movement with bold, visually stunning items.[1][2][3] Early US traction followed, with commitments to expand SKUs and triple meat alternative sales, culminating in the 2024 Ahimsa acquisition for scaled growth.[1][2][7]
Wicked Foods rides the plant-based food tech wave, leveraging food technology for alternative proteins amid climate-driven shifts away from animal agriculture.[1][2][3] Timing aligns with post-2022 investment downturns favoring consolidation for scale, as crowded categories demand unified strengths in R&D and distribution.[2] Market forces like rising veganism, population growth, and carbon reduction favor it—e.g., UK success scaled to US, influencing retailers to stock animal-free options and inspiring farm repurposing.[1][3] It shapes the ecosystem by normalizing plant-based as mainstream, boosting category accessibility and proving chef expertise drives adoption over gimmicks.[3][5]
Post-acquisition, Wicked Foods will prioritize retailer/food service expansion, SKU innovation, and vertical integration under Ahimsa, capitalizing on plant-based recovery.[2][7] Trends like sustainable protein tech and everyday veganism will propel growth, potentially evolving its influence through global scaling and ecosystem leadership in animal-free CPG. This builds on its chef-crafted origins, redefining plant-based as irresistible and systemic.
Wicked Foods has raised $34.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Wicked Foods's investors include Ahimsa VC, NRF Nove Foods, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Kerr, Sky9 Capital.
