Ancient Harvest

What Ancient Harvest does

Ancient Harvest, legally operated as Quinoa Corporation, is a Golden, Colorado-based consumer packaged goods brand founded in 1983 as the first company to introduce quinoa to the U.S. market and the first to develop gluten-free pasta alternatives. The company's portfolio spans four product lines: organic quinoa (Traditional, Inca Red, Harmony tri-color blend, and US Grown), organic gluten-free pasta (Penne, Rotini, Shells, Elbows, Spaghetti, Linguine) made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa flour blends, plant-based protein pasta (Red Lentil Rotini, Green Lentil Penne, Green Lentil Spaghetti) delivering 14-25g protein per serving, and heat-and-eat convenience products including polenta and quinoa flakes. All products are USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Star-K Kosher certified, with quinoa sourced from 2,000+ small family farmers across ~20,000 acres of high-altitude Bolivian farmland under Fair Trade and GFSI-accredited partnerships. Manufacturing occurs in the United States and Italy.

The business operates a traditional CPG model, selling one-time purchase packaged food products at unit price points ranging from approximately $3.99 to $8.99 through mainstream grocery chains, natural food retailers, Amazon, Instacart, and the company's direct website. Go-to-market is product-led, anchored by 40+ years of brand heritage, category-first positioning, and multi-channel marketing including recipe content, organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter), email newsletters, and a blogger ambassador program. Primary customer segments are health-conscious consumers (gluten-free, plant-based, allergen-conscious) and mainstream grocery shoppers seeking healthier grain alternatives.

Ancient Harvest joined forces with sister brand Pamela's Products on December 31, 2019, and in August 2024 Quinoa Corporation was acquired by Saco Foods from Encore Consumer Capital, bringing both brands under a larger strategic CPG platform. The company operates with 11-50 employees and is privately held.

Name

Ancient Harvest

Legal name

Quinoa Corporation

Website

https://ancientharvest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ancient Harvest (Quinoa Corporation), founded in 1983, is the first U.S. brand to commercialize quinoa and gluten-free pasta, selling organic quinoa, gluten-free pasta, plant-based protein pasta, and heat-and-eat polenta through grocery, natural food, and e-commerce channels to health-conscious and mainstream consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Golden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Sales: Ancient Harvest generates revenue through the sale of packaged food products including organic quinoa, gluten-free pasta, plant-based protein pasta, hot cereal (quinoa flakes), and heat-and-eat polenta. Products are sold through retail grocery stores, natural food stores, and e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Instacart). Revenue is generated through one-time consumer purchase transactions at retail and online price points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ancient Harvest is a consumer packaged goods brand selling organic quinoa (Traditional, Inca Red, Harmony tri-color, US Grown), organic gluten-free pasta made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa flour, plant-based protein pasta made from lentil and quinoa flour blends, organic quinoa flakes hot cereal, and pre-cooked heat-and-eat polenta. Products target gluten-free, plant-based, and organic-conscious consumers and are sold through mainstream grocery, natural food retailers, Amazon, Instacart, and the brand's website.

Product overview

Ancient Harvest is a portfolio of gluten-free, plant-based food products organized into four main product lines: (1) Quinoa products including Traditional Quinoa (14.4oz and 27oz), Inca Red Quinoa, Harmony Quinoa (14.4oz and 23oz), and US Grown Traditional Quinoa; (2) Organic Gluten-Free Pasta including Penne, Rotini, Shells, Elbows, Spaghetti, and Linguine made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa; (3) Plant-Based Protein Pasta including Red Lentil Rotini, Green Lentil Penne, and Green Lentil Spaghetti with 14-25g protein per serving; and (4) Heat-and-Eat products including Traditional Polenta, Basil Garlic Polenta, and Quinoa Flakes. Founded in 1983 as the first brand to introduce quinoa to the U.S., the company is now part of Quinoa Corporation under Saco Foods ownership following acquisition. Products are made in the United States and Italy with quinoa sourced from Bolivia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traditional Quinoa (14.4oz) Organic white quinoa that is pre-washed and rinsed, providing complete plant-based protein. Versatile for sweet or savory dishes, dinner or dessert.
• Traditional Quinoa (27oz) Larger size organic white quinoa, pre-washed and rinsed, providing complete plant-based protein with great taste and texture.
• Inca Red Quinoa Organic red quinoa with nutty, earthy crunch. Washed and rinsed for immediate cooking use.
• Harmony Quinoa (14.4oz) Tri-color quinoa blend combining organic white, red, and black quinoa seeds. Pre-washed and rinsed for convenient preparation.
• Harmony Quinoa (23oz) Value-size tri-color quinoa blend with organic white, red, and black quinoa. Pre-washed and rinsed for easy cooking.
• US Grown Traditional Quinoa Traditional quinoa grown and harvested in the Colorado Rocky Mountains at high elevation for larger, more consistently shaped seeds. More sustainable due to reduced transportation and a unique water-saving rinsing process.
• Organic Gluten-Free Rotini Pasta Organic gluten-free pasta made from a blend of organic corn, brown rice, and quinoa flour. Features taste and texture comparable to traditional pasta without gluten.
• Organic Gluten-Free Penne Pasta Organic gluten-free penne pasta made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa. Offers an alternative to traditional wheat-based noodles.
• Organic Gluten-Free Shells Pasta Organic gluten-free shells pasta made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa blend. Versatile shape suitable for holding sauces.
• Organic Gluten-Free Elbows Pasta Organic gluten-free elbows pasta made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa. Ideal for mac and cheese and similar dishes.
• Organic Gluten-Free Spaghetti Organic gluten-free spaghetti made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa. Provides taste and texture of traditional pasta without gluten.
• Organic Gluten-Free Linguine Organic gluten-free linguine pasta made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa. Suitable for Italian dishes without gluten concerns.
• Red Lentil Rotini (Plant-Based Protein Pasta) Plant-based protein pasta made from red lentil flour and organic quinoa flour, containing 23g of protein per 3.5oz serving. Protein-focused alternative to traditional pasta.
• Green Lentil Penne (Plant-Based Protein Pasta) Plant-based protein pasta made from green lentils and quinoa, delivering 25g of protein per 3.5oz serving. Designed for meatless meals and high-protein diets.
• Green Lentil Spaghetti (Plant-Based Protein Pasta) Plant-based protein spaghetti made from green lentil flour and organic quinoa flour. Contains 14g protein per 2oz serving and offers a nutritious pantry staple.
• Organic Quinoa Flakes (Hot Cereal) Organic white quinoa flakes that cook quickly like oatmeal. Serve as hot cereal, blend into recipes, and provide complete protein.
• Traditional Polenta (Heat-and-Eat) Organic, Non-GMO ready-made traditional Italian polenta. Pre-cooked and ready to heat via microwave, sauté, fry, bake, broil or grill.
• Basil Garlic Polenta (Heat-and-Eat) Organic polenta with basil and garlic flavors. Pre-cooked, Non-GMO verified, ready-to-heat Italian-style polenta.
• Supergrain Pastas Supergrain pasta line combining ancient grain ingredients into pasta formulations.
• Heat-and-Eat Quinoa Heat-and-eat, microwavable quinoa ready-to-heat pouches for convenient meals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Quinoa provides 8g protein per cooked cup and 5g fiber per serving
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saco FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2024Saco Foods completed the acquisition of Quinoa Corporation, parent of Ancient Harvest and Pamela's brands, from Encore Consumer Capital in August 2024. The acquisition expands Saco Foods' portfolio with two leading brands specializing in gluten-free, plant-based food products.
• Bolivian Quinoa Farmers (2,000+ small family farmers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAncient Harvest sources quinoa from more than 2,000 small family farmers across nearly 20,000 acres of high-altitude farmland in Bolivia. Many farms have been passed down through generations, blending traditional practices with modern organic and food safety standards. Fair Trade Certified and GFSI-accredited partnerships support farming communities with stable incomes.
• Fair Trade Certified PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAncient Harvest works with Fair Trade Certified partners to help support farming communities with stable incomes and long-term opportunity. Sustainability initiatives include protecting biodiversity and supporting regenerative farming practices.
• Pamela's ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAncient Harvest and Pamela's Products joined forces on December 31, 2019, uniting two heritage gluten-free brands. Both brands now operate under Quinoa Corporation, expanding the gluten-free portfolio. Pamela's is referenced as a sister brand on Ancient Harvest's website.
• ilumino, llcminorOthersAncient Harvest hired ilumino, llc, certified accessibility professionals, to help achieve WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility for the company website. ilumino conducted manual and automated testing across multiple pages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TruRoots: TruRoots sells sprouted and ancient grain products including quinoa, directly overlapping Ancient Harvest's core quinoa SKU set. Comparable natural foods channel positioning and whole-grain consumer target make them a relevant shelf- and shopper-level peer.
• Bob's Red Mill: Bob's Red Mill is a heritage specialty grain and gluten-free brand overlapping directly with Ancient Harvest on quinoa, heritage grains, and gluten-free flours/pastas. Comparable retail footprint, certifications (USDA Organic, Non-GMO), and consumer demographic make this a relevant like-for-like competitor and adjacency.
• Banza: Banza is a direct competitor in the plant-based, legume-based pasta category, offering chickpea and lentil protein pastas with comparable shelf positioning to Ancient Harvest's Red and Green Lentil lines. They compete head-to-head for the same high-protein, gluten-free consumer occasions.
• Tinkyáda: Tinkyáda is a heritage gluten-free pasta brand built on brown rice, directly competing with Ancient Harvest's core corn-brown rice-quinoa blend SKUs. Comparable price points, channel presence in natural foods and mainstream grocery, and pasta shape portfolios position them as the closest legacy competitor.
• Lundberg Family Farms: Lundberg is a California-based heritage rice and quinoa brand competing directly in mainstream and natural food retail for the same whole-grain, farm-to-shelf positioning. Comparable sustainability narrative, USDA Organic portfolio, and overlapping quinoa SKUs make them a focused peer.
• Pamela's Products: Pamela's is Ancient Harvest's sister brand under Quinoa Corporation (Saco Foods), focused on gluten-free baking mixes, cookies, and pantry items. While co-owned today, they compete for the same gluten-free/plant-based consumer wallet and historically traded under common ownership for portfolio consolidation.
• Simple Mills: Simple Mills operates a better-for-you CPG portfolio in baking mixes, crackers, and pastas with comparable gluten-free, USDA Organic, Non-GMO, and ingredient-conscious positioning. They compete for the same natural foods shelf space and premium consumer segments.

Emerging players

• GoGo Quinoa: GoGo Quinoa is a Quebec-based quinoa- and ancient-grain-focused brand with overlapping SKUs (pasta, flakes, hot cereal) and a similar organic/sourcing narrative. Geographically Canadian but expanding into the U.S. specialty channel; relevant as an emerging competitor in shared SKU categories.

Broad incumbents

• Seeds of Change: Seeds of Change (Mars-owned) sells organic grains and quinoa with overlapping retail placement and organic positioning. As a Mars-backed incumbent, they represent well-capitalized competition in quinoa and broader pantry categories at mainstream grocery.
• Barilla (Gluten-Free): Barilla's Gluten-Free pasta line puts the world's largest pasta manufacturer in direct competition with Ancient Harvest across mainstream grocery. While broader in portfolio, the shared shelf placement and category storytelling make Barilla the most consequential large-scale incumbent peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AncientHarvest
• Facebookfacebook.com/AncientHarvest
• Instagraminstagram.com/ancientharvest
• Pinterestpinterest.com/AncientHarvest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quinoa-corporation

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ancient Harvest