Nutrition Capital Network (NCN), an organization that connects investors with high-potential growth companies in the nutrition, natural product and health & wellness industry, presented 64 companies to its members at four investor meetings in 2014. This brings the total number of companies presented at 23 investor meetings since NCN was founded in 2007 to 407; presenting companies were selected from more than 2,000 applicants.

Of the 40 companies that presented at investor meetings in 2014, 55% were natural, organic or functional packaged food & beverage; 15% supplements/medical food; 15% ingredients; 5% personal care & household brands; 5% IT-related; and 5% retail, according to CEO and Principal Grant Ferrier. “Overall our dealflow database is somewhat similar in terms of segment breakdown. Investors continue to be interested in innovative brands in wellness and nutrition that are past proof of concept and ready to scale or go beyond regional distribution. The numbers show that beverages, snacks and condition-specific supplements that are consumed frequently are favored by investors, but our meetings also prove that a unique product concept with an authentic story and a seasoned, well organized management team has the best odds of raising capital.”

NCN also held two half-day investor meetings in 2014 dedicated to science and ingredients and principally aimed at functional foods, supplements and consumer health; 24 companies presented. “Healthy and functional foods are a battleground for marketshare between the world’s biggest food and beverage companies, and consumer health is increasingly a serious endeavor for leading pharmaceutical companies,” Mr. Ferrier said. “This is making the science, intellectual property and ingredients behind new nutrition and health & wellness products of utmost importance.”