Vegan Meal Kit Brand Purple Carrot Acquired by Japanese Organic Giant in $30 Million Deal

Vegan meal kit delivery brand Purple Carrot announced this week that it will be acquired by Oisix ra daichi Inc. (Oisix), Japan’s largest meal kit and organic food delivery service. The deal includes an upfront payment of $12.8 million and an additional $17.2 million contingent upon Purple Carrot achieving certain milestones by 2021. The vegan brand will retain all of its employees and its Massachusetts headquarters while it utilizes Oisix’s expansive network to grow nationally and globally. “Since our inception 18 years ago, our focus has been to provide convenient access to delicious and healthy food that delights our customers. We have been looking for the right opportunity to expand our reach and capabilities and are thrilled to be joining forces with Purple Carrot,” Kohey Takashima, Founder and CEO of Oisix, said. “The core values of the two companies are very closely aligned. Furthermore, this acquisition gives us the chance to make a global impact. At the same time, it represents an exciting step in our growth trajectory to expand our operations and bring the first plant-based meal kits to Japan.” Purple Carrot was founded in 2014 by Andy Levitt with the help of longtime New York Times columnist Mark Bitman. The company raised $5 million in 2016 and partnered with acclaimed vegan chefs, athletes such as Tom Brady, and Whole Foods Market to bring its vegan meal kits to a wide demographic.