Fronen, Inc.
Fronen Foods is a Chicago-based clean-label CPG company that produces dairy-free "nice cream" frozen desserts with 3-9 ingredients, selling 13+ pint flavors and 5+ dessert bars direct-to-consumer and through Sprouts, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and Natural Grocers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Fronen, Inc. does
Fronen Foods, Inc. (DBA: Fronen, Fronen Foods) is a Chicago-based, privately held CPG company founded in 2018 that produces dairy-free frozen desserts marketed as "nice cream." The company was co-founded by chef Erik Nadeau and Jessica Gartenstein. Its products are built on a coconut cream base and sweetened with honey or coconut sugar, with each SKU containing between three and nine ingredients and no gums, stabilizers, preservatives, refined sugars, seed oils, or artificial ingredients. The portfolio spans 13+ pint flavors and 5+ dessert bar varieties, and bears Non-GMO, Kosher, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and egg-free certifications, with many flavors compliant with Paleo, AIP, and SCD diets.
Fronen operates a dual-channel go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce through a Shopify storefront at eatfronen.com with multi-outlet retail distribution. Pints retail at $11.99 with minimum order quantities of 6, 9, or 12 pints per DTC order, and the brand is stocked at Sprouts Farmers Market (including a Sprouts-exclusive sub-brand called "Spouts"), Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and Natural Grocers across the United States. The company employs 1-10 people and operates in a premium, clean-label niche of the better-for-you frozen dessert category, targeting dairy-sensitive, health-conscious consumers and families.
The company has raised approximately $3.07M+ in disclosed venture funding across multiple rounds, including a $735K round in 2018 at founding, a $2.92M round in November 2024 led by Capitalize VC, and a $150K-$200K investment from the Angel Investor Forum Seed Fund V in January 2026. Recent operating moves include professional management additions (CEO George Ho; President/CRO Brian McDermott), product line expansion, and entry into additional natural foods retailers. The technology stack is primarily standard CPG/DTC infrastructure (Shopify, Google Analytics) with no disclosed proprietary software or AI capabilities.
Fronen, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fronen, Inc.
- Legal name
- Fronen Foods, Inc.
- Website
- https://eatfronen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Fronen Foods is a Chicago-based clean-label CPG company that produces dairy-free "nice cream" frozen desserts with 3-9 ingredients, selling 13+ pint flavors and 5+ dessert bars direct-to-consumer and through Sprouts, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and Natural Grocers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fronen, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dairy-Free Frozen Desserts
- NAICS
- Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)
- SIC
- Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plant-Based Frozen Desserts Processing (Non-Dairy Ice Cream, Gelato, Novelties) (AFAHAJAE)
Keywords
Where Fronen, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Fronen, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Online sales through their Shopify-powered website where customers purchase pints directly. Orders require minimum of 6, 9, or 12 pints for checkout. Revenue is generated through direct product sales at $11.99 per pint.
- Retail/Distribution Sales: Products sold through retail partners including Sprouts, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and Natural Grocers. Products available in ice cream aisles nationwide. Retailers stock and sell Fronen products through their frozen dessert sections.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Pint Pricing - $11.99 per pint |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Fronen, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frönen manufactures and sells dairy-free frozen desserts ("nice cream") under the Frönen brand. The portfolio includes pints and dessert bars formulated with a coconut cream base, sweetened naturally with honey or coconut sugar, and made with only 3-9 recognizable ingredients per product. Products contain no gums, stabilizers, preservatives, refined sugars, seed oils, or artificial ingredients, and are sold direct-to-consumer online and through natural food retailers nationwide.
Product overview
Fronen Foods is a Chicago-based food company that produces dairy-free 'nice cream' (fruit-based frozen desserts) under the Frönen brand. The product portfolio consists of two main product lines: Pints (ice cream-style containers sold at $11.99 each) and Dessert Bars (novelty bars). The company also offers a Sprouts-exclusive sub-brand called Spouts. All products emphasize clean, minimal ingredients with no refined sugar, gums, or artificial additives, sweetened instead with honey or coconut sugar. The company was founded by Jessy and Erik after developing recipes inspired by Erik's grandmother's fruit-based nice cream recipes. Notable funding includes $2.92 million in venture funding (November 2024) and $150,000-$200,000 angel investment from AIF Seed Fund V (January 2026).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nice Cream Pints
- Nice Cream Dessert Bars
- Spouts (Sprouts-Exclusive Line)
- Strawberry Nice Cream Pint
- Madagascar Vanilla Nice Cream Pint
- Chocolate Nice Cream Pint
- Mint Chip Nice Cream Pint
- Salted Caramel Nice Cream Pint
- Mango Nice Cream Pint
- PB&J Nice Cream Pint
- Latte Nice Cream Pint
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream Pint
- Caramel Chocolate Crunch Dessert Bars
- Pineapple Creme Dessert Bars
- Tropical Dessert Bars
- Banana Chocolate Dessert Bars
- Pistachio Chocolate Dessert Bars
Companies that use Fronen, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Fronen, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Fronen, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sprouts Farmers MarketcoreSprouts Farmers Market is a major natural foods grocery chain serving as a primary retail distribution channel for Frönen products. Certain Frönen flavors (Pistachio Chocolate Dessert Bars, Banana Chocolate Dessert Bars, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip pints, Pineapple) are sold exclusively at Sprouts. Products are available in the ice cream aisle at Sprouts locations nationwide.
- Smash FoodsminorSmash Foods supplies the concord grape component used in Frönen's PB&J pint flavor. The partnership involves using Smash Foods' grape product as an ingredient component in the collaborative PB&J flavor product.
- ShopifycoreShopify powers Frönen's e-commerce storefront at eatfronen.com, providing the platform for online sales, payment processing, and order management. The website uses Shopify's infrastructure for the shopping experience.
- Google AnalyticscoreGoogle Analytics is used to track and analyze customer behavior on the eatfronen.com website, including browsing patterns, interaction data, and marketing campaign effectiveness.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Fronen, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NadaMoo: Plant-based frozen dessert brand using coconut milk as a base, sold in natural and mainstream grocery channels. Highly comparable to Frönen on product format, base ingredient philosophy, and retail distribution footprint.
- So Delicious Dairy Free: One of the largest plant-based frozen dessert brands in North America, with broad pint and novelty bar offerings. Directly comparable on product category, target consumer, and retail distribution, but at significantly greater scale.
- Coconut Bliss: Coconut milk-based frozen dessert brand focused on clean ingredients and natural sweeteners. Closely comparable to Frönen on base ingredient (coconut), clean-label positioning, and pint product format.
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium craft ice cream brand with a growing dairy-free line sold at premium price points in natural and mainstream retailers. Comparable to Frönen on premium positioning, clean ingredients, and retail distribution model.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium craft ice cream brand with a dairy-free line, sold direct-to-consumer and through specialty retailers. Comparable to Frönen on premium positioning, brand-led storytelling, and selective retail distribution.
- Halo Top: Better-for-you frozen dessert brand with a dairy-free line positioned at lower calorie and cleaner ingredient profiles. Comparable on the better-for-you frozen dessert value proposition, though at significantly greater scale and mass-market pricing.
Emerging players
- Cado: Avocado-based plant-based frozen dessert brand marketed as dairy-free and clean-label. Comparable on plant-based frozen dessert category and clean-ingredient positioning, though using a different base ingredient.
Broad incumbents
- Ben & Jerry's (Non-Dairy): Mainstream premium ice cream brand with a significant non-dairy product line. Comparable on the dairy-free frozen dessert category but operating at vastly greater scale, marketing budget, and retail penetration.
- Häagen-Dazs (Non-Dairy): Premium mainstream ice cream brand with a non-dairy line. Comparable on premium positioning and dairy-free frozen dessert category, though backed by Nestlé's distribution and marketing scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fronen, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceFronen, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Fronen, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fronen, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Fronen, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fronen, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fronen, Inc.
What does Fronen, Inc. do?
Frönen manufactures and sells dairy-free frozen desserts ("nice cream") under the Frönen brand. The portfolio includes pints and dessert bars formulated with a coconut cream base, sweetened naturally with honey or coconut sugar, and made with only 3-9 recognizable ingredients per product. Products contain no gums, stabilizers, preservatives, refined sugars, seed oils, or artificial ingredients, and are sold direct-to-consumer online and through natural food retailers nationwide.
Is Fronen, Inc. a public or private company?
Fronen, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Fronen, Inc. founded?
Fronen, Inc. was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Fronen, Inc. based?
Fronen, Inc. is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fronen, Inc. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail/Distribution Sales.
Who are Fronen, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NadaMoo, So Delicious Dairy Free, Coconut Bliss, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and Halo Top. Cado is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Ben & Jerry's (Non-Dairy) and Häagen-Dazs (Non-Dairy).
Does Fronen, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fronen, Inc..
What industry is Fronen, Inc. in?
Fronen, Inc.'s product category is Dairy-Free Frozen Desserts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHAJAE, Plant-Based Frozen Desserts Processing (Non-Dairy Ice Cream, Gelato, Novelties). Its NAICS code is 311520 and its SIC code is 2024.