Chickapea Closes $4.25M Round led by AGT Foods to Fuel North American Growth

COLLINGWOOD, ON – – Chickapea, the leading organic and high-protein pasta brand founded in Canada, today announced the successful closing of a $4.25 million CAD funding round. This significant investment will fuel the company’s continued expansion and meet growing demand across North America.

Led by AGT Foods, one of the largest pulse and staple food ingredient suppliers in the world, the round also welcomed a new key investor, FCC Capital. As Farm Credit Canada’s investment arm, this partner brings extensive expertise across Canada’s good and agriculture sector. Existing partner InvestEco also participated, continuing its support for the brand since 2019.

To further solidify the strategic partnership, Murad Al-Katib, President and CEO of AGT Foods, has joined Chickapea’s Board of Directors. Al-Katib is a globally recognized leader in the agri-food industry and was named EY's World Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017. His expertise in building global, vertically-integrated supply chains will be invaluable as Chickapea scales.

The investment follows a period of major momentum for Chickapea, driven by its recent brand and recipe refresh. The brand has cemented its position as the #1 Organic and High-Protein Pasta Brand in Canada and has achieved velocity increases of 25-50% across retail channels in both Canada and the U.S this year. This growing demand is backed by exceptional customer reviews, which frequently praise Chickapea for having the best taste and texture of all alternative pastas.

Chickapea’s retail partners are seeing this consumer enthusiasm translate into strong sales and are eager to collaborate on the brand's continued success.

"Chickapea has been a fantastic partner to work with—always eager to participate in our programs and support key initiatives. It's been exciting to watch the strong sales growth that’s come from our collaboration," said Sandra Friesen, National Category Manager at Sobeys.

"Chickapea has been a strong partner with NCG and co-ops across the country for many years," said Lisa DeMaria, Category Manager at National Co+op Grocers. "As a woman-owned, B-Corp Certified company making organic products, Chickapea’s story and products speak to co-op shoppers. Together, NCG co-ops and Chickapea have experienced significant sales and distribution growth over the years, and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow together into the future."

"This funding round is a testament to the incredible work our team has done and the strong market performance we've achieved," said Shelby Taylor, CEO and Founder of Chickapea. "We're thrilled to have the support of AGT Foods, FCC, and InvestEco. Their partnership will be instrumental as we continue to scale our brand, meeting growing consumer demand, expanding our retail presence and exploring new channels."

"I've been truly impressed by what Shelby and her team have built with Chickapea, and I believe in the brand's immense potential," said Al-Katib. "AGT is excited to partner with Chickapea, and I am eager to bring our expertise and resources to help scale this incredible brand in the North American market."

The new capital will be used to enhance marketing efforts, continue innovating and further expand distribution channels, ensuring more consumers across North America can enjoy Chickapea's delicious and nutritious products.