The UK’s fastest growing free-from brand, Livia’s, secures £1M funding on Seedrs
Livia’s, the fastest growing free-from treat brand in the UK, today launches its first crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. Already surpassing the £1m investment target for the round prior to public launch, Livia’s has attracted over 400 new investors so far, with the campaign now continuing into overfunding. Now, Livia’s invites even more of their community to join its journey on becoming a well-known household brand worldwide.
Backed by private investors with expert industry experience — including Andy Weston-Webb (previously president at Mars for 10 years), Jaap Korteweg (founder of Vegetarian Butcher) and Michiel van Deursen (entrepreneur and investor focussing on plant-based businesses) — Livia’s in on a mission to make better-for-you and indulgent treats accessible to everyone! Adding magic and innovation to the plant-based and free-from world.
73% of Livia’s consumers aren’t vegan, with 47% of these consumers having no dietary requirements, proving their products have mainstream appeal while also catering for those with allergies and intolerances. All Livia’s recipes are developed in-house and sold through major retailers (e.g. Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Boots) and online directly through their website and through Amazon.
This latest investment will help launch a mouthwatering line up of new products, develop their D2C platform, grow marketing and sales teams, and scale operations. By 2025, Livia’s will be distributed and sold throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US – with the product range almost quadrupled, providing something sweet and scrumptious for every occasion.
Olivia Wollenberg, founder and CEO of Livia’s says: “I’ve always wanted to bring our customers and community on board as we continue to grow. From day one, our community has been at the heart of everything we do, and every decision we make, and now is the time for them to be involved in a more meaningful way. With this raise, we will be able to accelerate our growth in the UK and beyond while continuing to revolutionise sweet snacking through product innovation.”
Andy Weston-Webb, new investor, advisor and previous president at Mars, says: “Livia’s combination of fabulous tasting free-from sweet treats with a genuinely values-led business rightly has a passionate consumer following. The growth to date has been impressive enough to capture the attention of the UK’s key retailers. Still, the brand has huge headroom with store expansion, further exciting innovation and by building on the existing fanbase. I’m looking forward to helping Olivia and her impressive team further unlock this.”
From Stephen Grabiner, existing shareholder and chairman says: “I have been working with Olivia over the last year. She is one of the smartest entrepreneurs around and has built a great brand. This fundraise will allow her to accelerate product development and marketing. I am confident it will be a fun and profitable venture”.
