Healthy, nutritionally dense dessert choice
Rapidly growing company with expanding product lines
Delicious taste without the sugar and processed carbohydrates
ChipMonk has decided to close its offering early, with a new closing date of July 24, 2020. If ChipMonk is under its maximum funding goal before that date, it will continue to accept investments until the new closing date. If you've invested in ChipMonk, you have the option to cancel your commitment until 11:59 pm CST on July 22, 2020.
Cheers,
The NextSeed Team
ChipMonk Baking is looking to raise up to $150,000 to expand the business. Proceeds from the NextSeed raise will be primarily used to move baking and packaging into a larger production facility. Remaining funds will be used to hire an operations manager, as working capital, and to support online marketing efforts.
When ChipMonk Baking co-founder Jose Hernandez found himself battling an unexpected diagnosis of Type II diabetes, he set out to manage it with dietary changes. Because of his educational background in human biology, he knew he could reverse his blood sugar issues by avoiding processed carbs and sugar-laden treats. After just a few months, he was successful in improving his numbers, but it came at a cost - giving up all of the foods he once loved. Searching for safe alternatives, he quickly realized that most sugar-free products on the market were not only bland, but they contained some questionable ingredients.
Determined to bake something tasty and healthy, Jose began experimenting with cookies. With the help of fellow co-founder David Downing, ChipMonk Baking was born. ChipMonk Baking specializes in creating low-carb, sugar- and gluten-free baked goods for people who want a healthy alternative to traditional treats. Their products feature natural ingredients and are sweetened with a unique combination of monk fruit and allulose. The result is a low-carb cookie with the same texture as a traditional soft, chewy cookie - without the blood sugar spike.
Research shows that 1 out of 3 Americans are either pre-diabetic or diabetic. And, over 40% of Americans are actively trying to lose weight. More and more people are seeing the health benefits of low-carb or Keto lifestyles to manage their blood sugar or help them lose weight. These consumers are seeking food products that fit into their diets. Specialty food sales in the US totaled $148.7 billion in 2018 and continues to grow rapidly.
Many low-carb desserts on the market already are full of artificial ingredients and sweetened with either stevia or erythritol (a sugar alcohol), both of which can leave a strange aftertaste in baked goods. In fact, people who are seasoned in low-carb lifestyles often avoid products specifically with these ingredients because they don’t like the taste.
ChipMonk Baking has developed a sweetener that is natural, tastes like sugar, and doesn’t affect blood sugar. Using a combination of monk fruit and allulose, the result is a cookie that tastes remarkably like a regular sugar-laden cookie, but without the negative side effects. ChipMonk aims to produce the best tasting, healthy baked goods on the market.
With increased capacity at their new production facility, ChipMonk plans to explore other food and beverage products like breads, confections, condiments, and more.
As business re-opening conditions allow, they will continue fulfilling their contracts with local Houston specialty shops, hotels, coffee shops, juice bars, nutrition shops, meal prep services, and natural grocers. This channel has significant room for growth. Longer term, ChipMonk plans to pursue wholesale contracts with regional and national grocery chains.
ChipMonk Baking provides a variety of healthy baked goods, ranging from ready to eat cookies and brownies to dry mixes to bake at home. All of the products are sugar-free, low-carb, and are made with gluten-free ingredients. The secret to their great-tasting, soft cookies and brownies is the unique combination of monk fruit and allulose as sweeteners. Both are natural sweeteners but cannot be metabolized by the body - which means they have no impact on your blood sugar. Unlike traditional sugar alternatives like stevia and erythritol, monk fruit and allulose have no strange aftertaste.
For those that like to bake at home, ChipMonk dry mixes make a perfect activity for adults and families alike. Mixes are available in 4 flavors and are easy to bake in around 12-15 minutes.
Other ChipMonk Baking items include:
Jose has spent the last 5+ years in the fitness and sales and marketing industries, utilizing his double degrees in Exercise Science and Human Biology from The University of Texas at Austin. He previously worked on the development team at VYPE, a media company focused on youth and high school sports. His lifelong enthusiasm for health and mindfulness makes him a strong proponent for ChipMonk’s mission.
David brings his strong financial background to the leadership team at ChipMonk. He has over 10 years of industry experience including work with several Fortune 500 companies and venture capital firms. A passion for startups led him to launch ChipMonk. David holds a BA in Economics and History at Rice University, and an MS in Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin.
Brigita brings 8+ years of graphic design and marketing experience with major brands including Facebook, Google, Bose, and Starbucks, as well as serving as the current head of branding and design for Dark Matter Coffee, a fast-growing coffee chain with over 8 locations in Chicago. Brigita holds a BA in Design & Visual Communications from Loyola University.
Nathan is an assistant professor at the University of Houston specializing in food production and food safety. Before entering academia, he owned a catering and private chef operations business, as well as a gluten-free bakery. Nathan holds a BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Houston and a Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Arkansas.
Mark is the founder of Work America Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Houston. Prior to serving as CEO of KPMG Capital, he led KPMG’s Global Data and Analytics business and was also a co-founder and CEO of EquaTerra, Chairman of World 50, and a co-founder and CEO of SourceNet. Mark holds a BBA and MBA from Baylor University.
Jonathan has 15+ years hospitality industry experience creating, owning, operating, building, and marketing restaurant and bar concepts. A board member of Texas Restaurant Association, he is the former CEO of Legacy Restaurants (Antone's, Original Ninfa's on Navigation) and co-founder of Lasco Enterprises (Tasting Room, Max's Wine Dive; $35M+ revenue). Jonathan holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Rice University and a JD from South Texas College of Law.
Bonus rewards are offered by the Issuer purely on a voluntary basis and do not influence the terms of the Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, the bonus rewards are not contractual conditions governed by the Note Purchase Agreement and are not enforceable under the Note Purchase Agreement.
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