As consumers grow more health-conscious, 60% seek snacks with reduced sugar, fat, and sodium. This shift has driven the healthy snack foods market to a valuation of $95.7 billion in 2023.

Startups are capitalizing on this trend, leveraging their agility to innovate quickly and meet evolving consumer preferences. Established brands are scouting these disruptive players for strategic partnerships and a foothold into emerging trends.

This article highlights five foodtech companies with high growth potential in the healthy snack food space. They focus on using whole foods, organic, or non-GMO ingredients and adding functional benefits like protein or fiber to cater to health-conscious buyers.

Beyond snacks, broader foodtech innovations like alternative proteins and nutraceuticals are also transforming the industry. Access our report to discover the top 10 trends shaping food and beverage by 2025.

1. Immi creates low-carb, plant-based ramen noodles

Founding Year	2019
Headquarters	Los Angeles, USA
Total Funding Amount	$10M
Last Funding Round/Amount	Series A/$3.8M
Website	immi.com

Typical instant ramen has high sodium and lacks nutritional value. Immi makes high-protein, low-carb, vegan ramen noodles with rich fiber content. This ramen contains 21 grams of protein per serving with only 5-6 grams of net carbs. In contrast, traditional ramen has only 6 grams of protein and 40 grams of carbs. This recipe makes their product a healthier alternative for ramen consumers.

Founders Kevin Lee and Kevin Chanthasiriphan aim to improve Asian food staples for modern diets. Lee has a strong background in food innovation and nutrition. Chanthasiriphan is a skilled product manager with a decade of experience with Facebook and Deutsche Bank. Immi’s work has attracted the attention of prominent media outlets such as Forbes. 

Within a few years of launch, Immi has managed to break into the $46 billion instant noodle industry. The startup has generated $7.9 million in revenue by 2023, reflecting solid growth. They’re beta-testing new ramen flavors and planning to scale their retail presence nationwide. Prominent celebrities such as Naomi Osaka, Usher, and Apolo Ohno support this startup, boosting its visibility and market potential.

2. RIND Snacks makes fruit snacks with nutritious peels

Founding Year	2017
Headquarters	New York, USA
Total Funding Amount	$6.1M
Last Funding Round/Amount	Series A/$2.25M
Website	rindsnacks.com

Traditional fruit snacks often discard the most nutrient-rich parts, like the peels. RIND Snacks changes this by making whole-fruit snacks that preserve the fruit’s skin. This allows them to reduce food waste and offer foods with more fiber and nutrients.

The founder, Matt Weiss, aims to create more sustainable snacking options that align with modern health trends. Matt is a skilled professional with 20 years of experience in the finance sector. The startup is scaling up quickly under Matt and his business partner Benjamin Cohn’s leadership. In February 2024, RIND Snacks acquired Vermont-based Small Batch Organics, a maker of granola products. This acquisition enhanced RIND’s manufacturing capabilities and expanded its product range. The startup’s revenue reached approximately $8.4 million in 2023 alone.

RIND Snacks was named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023. It’s currently ranked among the fastest-growing private companies in America on the Inc. 5000 list for 2024.

3. Origin Nutrition makes snacks from sustainable ingredients

Founding Year	2020
Headquarters	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Total Funding Amount	Undisclosed
Last Funding Round/Amount	Undisclosed
Website	originnutrition.in

Origin Nutrition produces vegan protein foods using sustainably sourced ingredients. Their foods primarily use European golden peas and organic pumpkin seeds. The heat-stable proteins allow versatility in recipes like cakes and cookies. These natural ingredients also contribute to weight management and improved protein intake.

Aditi Mammen Gupta and Chirag Gupta co-founded the startup. Aditi has a strong background in food business management, and Chirag has two decades of corporate directorial experience. Both founders bring experience in health, wellness, and sustainable living to the brand. They work with Informed Choice, a third-party supplement testing program, for quality assurance. This program rigorously tests all their products for purity and efficacy.

The startup is working on expanding its presence on leading online platforms, such as Amazon, Flipkart, Tata 1mg, Netmeds, and Amazon USA.

4. Divaks creates high-protein snacks from mealworms

Founding Year	2020
Headquarters	Vilnius, Lithuania
Total Funding Amount	€4.5M
Last Funding Round/Amount	Seed/€1.5M
Website	divaks.com

Divaks uses yellow mealworms to develop high-protein, sustainable food products. Traditional snacks often rely on resource-intensive animal proteins. Divaks’ offerings provide an eco-friendly, protein-rich alternative to them. Their hybrid protein powder blends insect and plant proteins, offering a rich palette of essential amino acids. It also contains 65% more protein than usual snack options.

The CEO, Kęstutis Lipnickas, is an industry veteran with over 30 years of leadership experience. Kęstutis was the driving force behind collaborating with the Bühler Group to set up an industrial-scale production plant. This plant will produce up to 15,000 tonnes of sustainable insect-derived products annually. Divaks ranks among the ten most promising Lithuanian startups to watch, which reflects its growth and influence.

Recommended: 5 Insect-Based Protein Startups leading the industry

5. KUDO makes high-protein popcorn

Founding Year	2020
Headquarters	Sandy, Utah, USA
Total Funding Amount	$4.93M
Last Funding Round/Amount	Series A, $4.93M (March 2024)
Website	kudosnacks.com

KUDO Snacks offers protein-enriched popcorn and functional gummies. They make various popcorn flavors alongside gummies. They’re among the first food companies to offer a healthy snack that supports immune health, sleep, and collagen maintenance. KUDO’s snacks are healthier than conventional snacks, focusing on delivering high-protein, low-calorie options. 

Ryan Lewis and Brydon Cotter co-founded the startup. These entrepreneurs are passionate about health-focused innovations in food products. Ryan, the startup’s CEO, has 20 years of experience in the supplement and food industry. Brydon is the brand’s finance brain. He has led fundraising teams of companies totaling $300M in market capitalization.

KUDO stands out for its keto-friendly, gluten-free, and high-protein snacks for health-conscious consumers. The brand has partnered with major organizations like UFC to boost its market presence.

Conclusion and next steps

The growing consumer demand and preference for healthy snack food companies is apparent. However, failing to innovate quickly with functional, sustainable ingredients makes companies fall behind. Strategic partnerships and startup scouting are key to staying competitive. Startups like those mentioned in this article demonstrate how innovation in foodtech, from high-protein popcorn to sustainable insect proteins, is transforming the industry.

Partnering with an R&D expert ensures you uncover growth opportunities, safeguard your IP, and stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape. Gaining deep expertise in technology scouting, competitive analysis, and market research empowers you to make informed decisions confidently.

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Authored by: Hemanth Shenoy, Market Research