CircleUp is a fund-raising platform for consumer products companies. Founded in 2011 by two Stanford MBAs, CircleUp helps accredited investors invest in high-growth consumer products companies with annual revenues of at least $1 million—mostly food and retail companies.
They created the CircleUp 25 to honor brands that are starting to change the way we live our lives – companies that influence what we wear, what we eat and what we use every day of our lives. These are true innovators. Each has a unique story to tell. CircleUp excluded from the list any companies that they have worked with to avoid any appearance of partiality. The list was recently published on Forbes.com.
A number of the companies on the list caught my eye. It is exciting to see so many new and innovative brands emerge in categories dominated by big companies. One brand that caught my attention was Suja Juice which is based in San Diego, California. Suja was created by Eric Ethans and Annie Lawless from a passion to help people transform their lives through nutrition.
Suja juices are cold-pressed and feature 100% organic ingredients. When juices are cold-pressed, rather than using the centrifugal juicers commonly found at juice bars, it prevents oxidation and helps keep the enzymes and nutrients in tact, so you get more nutritional bang for your buck! Also, Suja sources their organic produce locally, allowing their company to maintain low-carbon footprint.
What makes Suja juices especially unique, is their shelf life. Unlike most cold-pressed juices, which must be consumed within 3 days, Suja uses a High Pressure Pascalization process that uses pressure, rather than heat, to preserve their juices and extend shelf life. These juices may last up to 30 days when stored in the fridge! This is a huge advantage if you can’t manage to make your own juice daily, or find the time to run to your local juice bar.
Suja juices are a unique combination of fruits and vegetables. Products feature names like Fiji, Fuel, Glow, Green Supreme and Lemon Love. Fiji includes apple, celery, cucumber, spinach, kale, collard greens, lemon and ginger. Each bottle has 2-3 pounds of fruits and vegetables inside. For years, I have drunk orange juice and cranberry juice from the supermarket. Combining fresh fruits and vegetables into juice is a new experience for me. This juicing on a whole new level.
Suja Juices are available in most Whole Foods stores.
Have you tried Suja Juices?
MDH Mark D Hogan 