Picture credit: Harmless Harvest ‘On the core business, there’s a lot of upside…’ The brand – which sits in the refrigerated set, and says it does not really compete directly with shelf-stable products from brands such as Vita Coca and Zico - was founded by Justin Guilbert (who cut his CPG teeth at L’Oreal) and Douglas Riboud (a corporate finance expert Guilbert met at business school in France) in 2009.

Pink-hued organic coconut water brand Harmless Harvest has carved a distinct niche in the category via its use of micro-filtration (instead of thermal pasteurization). We have been a support system and an advisor on supply chain, manufacturing, and innovation.” “ Over the last four years, especially since Ben joined the company in 2018, we have developed a true partnership to identify areas where we could create value together so one good example of that is the launch of the coconut yogurt, which is made in a Danone factory.

“We haven't announced yet where we're going to launch first, but we’re looking at Asia, Europe and further expansion in North America.”ĭanone Manifesto Ventures (DMV) CEO Laurent Marcel added: “ In some cases, our investment agenda is to take a minority stake and to learn, and in other cases we invest in brands or categories or products that could fit very well one day in our portfolio, and Harmless Harvest is a perfect example of that . Speaking to FoodNavigator-USA after DMV – Danone’s corporate venture arm – acquired a controlling stake in Harmless Harvest, Mand said: “Danone brings a ton of capabilities and resources, from expertise in packaging and processing to infrastructure that we can potentially leverage, so we have been actively looking at expanding internationally. Emulsifiers, stabilizers, hydrocolloids.Chocolate and confectionery ingredients.Carbohydrates and fibers (sugar, starches).Plant-based, alt proteins, precision fermentation.

Harmless coconut water