BetterCo Holdings

What BetterCo Holdings does

BetterCo Holdings is a private investment holding company launched in November 2025 by Paine Schwartz Partners under its $1.7 billion Food Chain Fund VI. The vehicle is purpose-built to aggregate equity stakes in high-growth companies operating across different segments of the better-for-you food and beverage value chain, spanning production, distribution, and consumption. The platform serves as the dedicated capital and strategic vehicle for Paine Schwartz's thematic focus on food and beverage innovation, sustainability, and improved consumer experiences, with no consumer-facing products of its own.

The portfolio currently comprises three operating holdings: Crisp Inc., an AI-driven commerce intelligence platform serving approximately 7,000 consumer packaged goods companies and retailers globally; Lucky Energy, a better-for-you energy drink brand founded in 2023 that reached Top 20 brand status in the U.S. within two years; and Bero, a nonalcoholic beverage brand founded by British actor Tom Holland. Crisp Inc. and Lucky Energy are wholly owned by BetterCo Holdings, while Bero is held as a minority investment acquired in 2024 at a valuation exceeding $100 million. Each portfolio company operates independently on its own technology stack, brand, and distribution channels; Crisp Inc. is the only holding with a software/AI component, with deal capital explicitly directed toward AI agent commercialization and go-to-market expansion.

As a portfolio company of Paine Schwartz Partners, BetterCo Holdings does not generate revenue through product sales or services. Its economic model is that of a private equity-backed holding company — value is created through capital allocation, strategic support, and aggregation of equity stakes in operating businesses. No platform-level pricing tiers, subscription model, or direct go-to-market motion is disclosed; commercial activity, customer relationships, and revenue occur entirely within each portfolio company. The platform executed three investments within approximately 12 months of the Bero deal and the formal November 2025 launch, signaling a deployment-heavy first phase of operation.

Name

BetterCo Holdings

Legal name

BetterCo Holdings

Website

https://bettercoholdings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BetterCo Holdings is a private investment holding company launched in 2025 by Paine Schwartz Partners under a $1.7 billion food chain fund, aggregating equity stakes in high-growth better-for-you food and beverage companies, including Crisp, Lucky Energy, and Bero.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food and Beverage Investment Holding

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Captive CVC Fund (Dedicated corporate fund structure) (FSANAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Better-for-You / Functional Snacks (Low Sugar, Keto, Probiotic, Fortified) (CRADABAM)

Keywords

• Food and beverage investing
• Consumer brand holding company
• Private equity food chain
• Better-for-you brands
• Beverage venture capital

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Core offering

BetterCo Holdings is a financial services holding company that aggregates investments in high-growth businesses across the better-for-you food and beverage value chain. The platform deploys capital, strategic guidance, and resources to portfolio companies focused on transforming how food is produced, distributed, and consumed. Current holdings include Crisp Inc. (an AI-driven commerce intelligence platform), Lucky Energy (a better-for-you energy drink brand), and Bero (a nonalcoholic beverage brand).

Product overview

BetterCo Holdings is a holding company and investment platform (not a unified product in the traditional SaaS sense) designed to aggregate investments in high-growth businesses across the better-for-you food and beverage value chain. The platform's portfolio currently consists of three main holdings: Crisp Inc. (an AI-driven commerce intelligence platform serving CPG companies and retailers), Bero (Tom Holland's nonalcoholic beverage brand), and Lucky Energy (a better-for-you energy drink brand). These portfolio companies operate independently while being aggregated under the BetterCo Holdings investment umbrella, which is a portfolio company of private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisp Inc. An AI-driven commerce intelligence platform serving 7,000 CPG companies and retailers globally, enabling data-driven decision making for consumer packaged goods companies and retail partners.
• Lucky Energy A better-for-you energy drink brand founded in 2023 that achieved Top 20 brand status in the U.S. market within two years of launch.
• Bero A nonalcoholic beverage brand founded by British actor Tom Holland, with strategic investment from BetterCo Holdings supporting expansion of sales and distribution in the U.S. and UK markets.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• PowerPlant Ventures: An early-stage venture firm focused on plant-based and better-for-you food brands. Comparable to BetterCo's better-for-you thesis but with an earlier stage, plant-forward focus.

Direct peers

• AccelFoods: An investment and operating platform focused exclusively on early-stage and growth-stage food and beverage brands. Comparable to BetterCo as a dedicated food/bev investment platform aggregating high-growth brands.
• Swander Pace Capital: A private equity firm with a long-standing focus on consumer products and food/beverage brands. Comparable to BetterCo in its dedicated CPG investment approach and brand aggregation thesis.
• Sunrise Strategic Partners: A private equity firm that acquires and operates better-for-you food and beverage brands. Directly comparable to BetterCo as a dedicated PE platform aggregating health-and-wellness CPG brands with strategic operating support.
• VMG Partners: A growth equity firm specializing in differentiated, better-for-you consumer brands. Highly comparable to BetterCo in its focus on emerging CPG brands with growth-stage capital and operational support.
• Brynwood Partners: A private equity firm focused on the consumer packaged goods sector, with a track record of acquiring and operating established CPG brands. Highly comparable to BetterCo as a dedicated CPG-focused PE holding vehicle.
• CAVU Venture Partners: A consumer-focused venture and growth equity firm with significant food and beverage exposure. Comparable to BetterCo as a capital and operating partner for emerging CPG brands.
• Monogram Capital Partners: A growth equity firm focused on consumer brands, with deep exposure to better-for-you and premium CPG categories. Comparable to BetterCo in its thesis of backing differentiated, high-growth consumer brands.

Broad incumbents

• B&G Foods: A publicly traded packaged food holding company that aggregates niche and specialty CPG brands. Comparable to BetterCo's brand aggregation thesis but at much larger scale and across more traditional categories.
• Post Holdings: A publicly traded consumer packaged goods holding company that acquires and operates diversified food brands. Comparable to BetterCo as a multi-brand aggregator in food and beverage, though operating at significantly larger scale across more traditional categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about BetterCo Holdings