August 19, 2019

Hershey, Pennsylvania-based The Hershey Company has announced a minority investment in two snack businesses, Blue Stripes and Fulfil Holdings, through the company’s C7 Ventures venture capital vehicle.

“Successful companies evolve and engage consumers in new and different ways. As we continue to expand our snacking portfolio, our innovation agenda takes a balanced approach across investing in core brands and experimenting with new business models. This includes creating new platforms through R.&D., strategic acquisitions and investments in businesses that are sitting at the cross section of new consumer snacking needs,” explained Mary Beth West, Chief Growth Officer at Hershey.

Fulfil Holdings is based in Dublin, Ireland, manufacturing vitamin-fortified, high protein bars in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its bars contain less than three grams of sugar and are available in the following flavors: chocolate orange, white chocolate and cookie dough, and chocolate hazelnut whip.

Based in New York, Blue Stripes was created by Oded Brenner, creator of Max Brenner, a chocolate sensory immersion. According to Hershey, “Blue Stripes Cacao Shop enables further go-to-market opportunities by offering experiential retail that combines the goodness of cocoa with a unique customer experience.”