Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based canned seafood manufacturer Scout has scored USD 4 milion (EUR 4.1 million) in a seed funding round.
Scout, which in 2020 debuted a canned seafood line sourced 100 percent from Canadian and U.S. fisheries, said in a press release the funding will accelerate its omni-channel brand strategy and operational expansion.
The funding round is led by Semillero Partners, a seed- and growth-stage investment firm focused on responsible food and beverage, and Export Development Canada (EDC), along with participation from Almanac insights, an early stage fund focused on companies making a transformative impact on food systems.
In 2020, Whole Foods Market in the U.S. Northeast region became the first retailer of note to begin selling the responsibly sourced, restaurant-quality canned seafood, followed by Farmboy in Ontario, Canada. It was also sold online at Food52 and on the company's own website. Now, the brand is sold in more than 1,500 major and specialty retailers across the U.S. and Canada with “major nationwide and regional retailer launches on the horizon for 2023,” the supplier said.
“We first brought Scout to market just over two years ago with the ambitious goal to change how consumers perceive and experience seafood,” Scout Co-Founder and CEO Adam Bent said. “We are more committed than ever to transforming the craft of preserving seafood into a cultural mainstay by celebrating bold ingredients and unexpected culinary techniques, alongside complete transparency from boat to plate.”
The company's chef-crafted product lineup features unique recipes and species that introduce consumers to more than canned tuna. Products include Atlantic Canadian Lobster in a lemon-infused olive oil; Rainbow Trout with Dill, with the trout being sourced from the U.S. state of Idaho; and Smoked Wild Pink Salmon from Alaska.
“Consumers are increasingly focused on the origins of their food, and they are equally seeking out goods that offer a more thoughtfully designed experience from packaging to taste,” Semillero Partners Managing Partner Alex Borschow said. “Through meticulous sourcing practices and the highest quality standards, Scout is raising the bar for the pantry aisle, and we look forward to leveraging our extensive experience in the food and beverage sector to support their mission.”
The seed round comes on the heels of Scout’s B Corp certification, a “rigorous designation based on a company’s social and environmental performance,” the supplier said. Scout is one of a few seafood companies in North America to earn a B Corp certification.
Photo courtesy of Scout
