Junkless
Junkless Foods is a U.S.-based better-for-you snack company founded in 2018 that sells clean-label granola bars and protein bars direct-to-consumer and through approximately 20 national and regional grocery chains, serving health-conscious, fitness-oriented, and family consumer segments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersPortage, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Junkless does
Junkless Foods is a U.S.-based better-for-you snack company headquartered in Portage, Michigan, founded in 2018 and operating with 11-50 employees. The company manufactures and sells two primary product lines — chewy granola bars and protein bars (15g protein per bar) — positioned on a clean-label formulation that excludes artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, sugar alcohols, and high fructose corn syrup, while offering lower sugar and gluten-free attributes. The SKU set spans approximately 11 bar SKUs across flavors such as Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, Double Chocolate, Birthday Cake, and Strawberry (granola) and Birthday Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie, and Cookies & Cream (protein).
Junkless operates a dual-channel distribution model. Its direct-to-consumer channel is a Shopify-powered storefront (junklessfoods.com) featuring a 50% off sitewide promotion, free shipping on all orders, variety packs, and a 20% off first-order email capture mechanism. Its retail channel spans approximately 20 U.S. banners including Sprouts, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Kroger family of stores, Food Lion, Meijer, Hannaford, ShopRite, Market Basket, Giant, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, Shaw's, HEB, Giant Eagle, Jewel-Osco, and Wegmans. Pricing is unit-based, with protein variety packs at $32.99 (sale $16.50) and individual granola bar 2-packs around $13.99 (sale $7.00).
The company serves three primary consumer segments: health-conscious shoppers seeking clean-label snacks, fitness and active-lifestyle consumers targeted via the 15g protein bars, and families with children. Marketing is anchored on a high-visibility partnership with LSU gymnast and social media personality Livvy Dunne, complemented by Instagram community engagement and earned media in publications including Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Eat This Not That, and Life & Style. Junkless was acquired by private equity firm Impact Capital in October 2023, with the company positioned as a platform for better-for-you snacking expansion. Original founders Ernie Pang (CEO) and Larry Beyer (COO) continue to lead the business. The company previously raised $150,000 in seed funding from Quake Capital Partners in February 2018.
Junkless firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Junkless
- Legal name
- Junkless Foods
- Website
- https://junklessfoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Junkless Foods is a U.S.-based better-for-you snack company founded in 2018 that sells clean-label granola bars and protein bars direct-to-consumer and through approximately 20 national and regional grocery chains, serving health-conscious, fitness-oriented, and family consumer segments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Junkless industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Better-for-You Snack Bars
- NAICS
- Snack Food Manufacturing (31191), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars) (CRADABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Better-for-You / Functional Snacks (Low Sugar, Keto, Probiotic, Fortified) (CRADABAM), Health/Protein Snack Bars Manufacturing (AFAKAIAN), Grain-Based Breakfast & Nutrition Bars Manufacturing (cereal bars, granola bars) (AFAKABAI)
Keywords
Where Junkless is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portage
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Junkless business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through their Shopify-powered website. Products sold include granola bar variety packs, individual granola bars, and protein bar variety packs. Transaction-based pricing with periodic promotions.
- Retail Distribution: Wholesale distribution to major retail chains including Sprouts, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, and other grocery stores nationwide. Revenue generated through wholesale purchase orders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Protein Variety Pack - 12 bars, $32.99 (sale $16.50) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Protein Bars Individual - $13.50-$29.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Granola Bar Variety Pack - 24 bars, $26.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Granola Bars Individual - $13.99 (sale $7.00) |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels4 records
Junkless product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Junkless Foods manufactures and sells chewy granola bars and protein bars (15g protein per bar) positioned as better-for-you snacks with lower sugar content, gluten-free formulations, and no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, or sugar alcohols. The company offers multiple flavors within each line, sold as individual boxes and variety packs, distributed through DTC e-commerce and major national grocery retailers.
Product overview
Junkless Foods is a better-for-you snack company offering two primary product lines: Chewy Granola Bars and Protein Bars. The company was acquired by Impact Capital in October 2023 and positioned as a better-for-you snacking platform. The granola bar line features multiple flavors including Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, Double Chocolate, Birthday Cake, and Strawberry, marketed as having lower sugar, simple real ingredients, no artificial flavors or colors, and gluten-free. The protein bar line offers 15g protein per bar in flavors such as Birthday Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie, and Cookies & Cream. Both product lines are available through direct-to-consumer online sales as well as major retail nationwide partners including Sprouts, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Meijer, Hannaford, ShopRite, Giant, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, Shaw's, H-E-B, Giant Eagle, Jewel-Osco, and Wegmans.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chewy Granola Bars Chewy granola bars positioned as a better-for-you snack alternative with lower sugar content, 100% whole grains, simple real ingredients, no artificial flavors or colors, and gluten-free formulation. Available in Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, Double Chocolate, Birthday Cake, and Strawberry flavors, sold individually and through retail distribution.
- Protein Bars Protein bars containing 15g of protein per bar, positioned as a high-protein clean-label snacking option for fitness and active lifestyles. Available in Birthday Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie, and Cookies & Cream flavors with no artificial flavors or colors, sold individually and via retail distribution.
- Granola Bar Variety Pack Multi-flavor assortment bundle of chewy granola bars containing 4 boxes with 24 bars total, featuring Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Birthday Cake, Strawberry, and Cookies & Cream flavors. Marketed as the best-value entry-point option for new customers.
- Protein Variety Pack Multi-flavor assortment bundle of protein bars containing 1 box with 12 protein bars at 15g protein each, featuring Birthday Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie, and Cookies & Cream flavors. Marketed as a best-seller protein bundle entry point.
Companies that use Junkless
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Junkless technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Junkless partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Junkless competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RXBAR: Clean-label protein bar brand (now owned by Mars) with a similar 'few simple ingredients' positioning. Most directly comparable to Junkless's protein bar line on formulation philosophy, target consumer, and retail channels.
- KIND Snacks: Better-for-you snack bar brand (now owned by Mars) competing in the same natural/granola bar aisles. Comparable on ingredient-led marketing, broad retail distribution, and health-conscious consumer targeting.
- ONE Bar: Protein bar brand targeting fitness and active-lifestyle consumers with indulgent flavors. Closely comparable to Junkless's 15g protein bar line on positioning, flavor strategy (Birthday Cake, Cookies & Cream), and consumer demographic.
- GoMacro: Clean-label, organic protein and granola bar brand with similar ingredient philosophy (no artificial ingredients, lower sugar). Comparable on target consumer and natural foods channel placement (Sprouts, Whole Foods).
- Larabar: Simple-ingredient fruit and nut bar brand (owned by General Mills). Comparable on the 'minimal, recognizable ingredients' positioning that Junkless also uses as a core differentiator.
- That's it. Clean-label fruit bar brand with a 'no added anything' philosophy. Comparable on minimal-ingredient positioning, health-conscious consumer targeting, and DTC plus natural-channel distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- Clif Bar: Established energy and granola bar brand (owned by Mondelez) with national distribution. Competes in the same snack bar category with broader portfolio and significantly larger marketing budget.
- Nature Valley: Mass-market granola bar brand owned by General Mills. Direct shelf-space competitor at Walmart, Target, and Kroger; represents the conventional incumbent Junkless is differentiating against on clean-label claims.
- Simply Good Foods Company: Owner of Atkins and Quest Nutrition brands. Relevant broad incumbent for understanding better-for-you protein snacking economics, distribution scale, and category dynamics Junkless operates in.
Emerging players
- Made Good: Better-for-you snack brand focused on allergen-friendly, gluten-free, and clean-label bars and cookies. Comparable on ingredient transparency and family/kids snacking use case that Junkless also targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Junkless social profiles
Digital presenceJunkless financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Junkless leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Junkless funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Junkless 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 Junkless
What does Junkless do?
Junkless Foods manufactures and sells chewy granola bars and protein bars (15g protein per bar) positioned as better-for-you snacks with lower sugar content, gluten-free formulations, and no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, or sugar alcohols. The company offers multiple flavors within each line, sold as individual boxes and variety packs, distributed through DTC e-commerce and major national grocery retailers.
Is Junkless a public or private company?
Junkless is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Junkless founded?
Junkless was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Junkless based?
Junkless is headquartered in Portage, United States, in the North America region.
How does Junkless make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Distribution.
Who are Junkless's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RXBAR, KIND Snacks, ONE Bar, GoMacro, Larabar and That's it.. Broad incumbents are Clif Bar, Nature Valley and Simply Good Foods Company. Made Good is listed as an emerging player.
Does Junkless have an API?
No public API is recorded for Junkless.
What industry is Junkless in?
Junkless's product category is Better-for-You Snack Bars. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAG, Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars), with a secondary code of CRADABAM, Better-for-You / Functional Snacks (Low Sugar, Keto, Probiotic, Fortified). Its NAICS code is 31191 and its SIC code is 2050.