Next Gen Foods, makers of TiNDLE, acquires new plant-based dairy startup Mwah!

Next Gen Foods has announced its acquisition of Mwah!, a new food startup producing dairy-inspired products from plants, following the recent expansion of TiNDLE.

The acquisition of Mwah! is the first for Next Gen Foods which introduced TiNDLE – its 'ridiculously good' chicken made from plants – less than two years ago. The expansion into new categories that now include plant-based dairy and meat allows Next Gen to continue diversifying its product offerings, while meeting rising consumer demand for delicious, sustainable, and unique food experiences.

Mwah! is a London-based company that is developing the creamiest and most indulgent dairy-inspired products – but without the use of animals. Through a carefully designed process that combines natural flavorings – along with selected plant-based proteins and lipids – the team can recreate the qualities of pure cream, which can then be applied to their complete portfolio of products. This unique process provides the memorable flavor of dairy and will serve as a foundation for all Mwah! products, including its newest plant-based gelato.

"We're thrilled to be joining the Next Gen Foods family. We know they are the right company to help us expand and tap into the rising consumer desire for more innovations in taste and decadence from the dairy category," commented Damian Piedrahita, CEO & Co-Founder at Mwah! "Our plans are to introduce our signature creamy and indulgent products this year – with our unique, best-in-class gelato experience – and looking forward to hearing feedback from dairy lovers everywhere."

Mwah! is led by Piedrahita, CEO, and Co-founder, Claudia Comini, Director of Operations. The pair met as consultants for brands in the food and beverage and hospitality industries, before turning their focus to the plant-based food sector and working together on initial dairy prototypes that mirrored the creamy and luscious experiences – but with plant-derived ingredients. In early 2022, Mwah! closed its seed round, which was led by Next Gen Foods and raised more than US$2 million to fund the development of the startup's first plant-based dairy product, its signature gelato. Next Gen's CEO, Andre Menezes, and CMO, Jean Madden, previously served as directors on the board at Mwah!, now introducing Piedrahita and Comini as full-time members of the Next Gen Foods team as part of the acquisition.

"When we started Next Gen three years ago, we knew that making a significant impact on the food system would require continuous development of delicious foods that consumers desired," said Andre Menezes, CEO & Co-Founder of Next Gen Foods. "This meant we needed to invest in R&D that would help us create products that would not only deliver on our promise to eliminate animal agriculture but also outperform on taste and experience. By joining forces with Damian and Claudia at Mwah! and expanding our offerings in plant-based chicken category with TiNDLE, we're committed to making sure that everyone can enjoy all the foods they already love."