We're a seed fund in the heart of the midwest, investing in companies solving global food issues, creating new markets, and improving the supply chain.
Leveraging our decades of experience of operating, scaling, and investing in companies (plus our strategic relationships), we help early-stage food entrepreneurs propel their ideas forward.
Three of our focus areas
The Future of Packaging
This is a massive market killing our planet. The innovative companies of tomorrow are starting today.
Ingredients
How do we avoid the supply shocks, do more with less- and adapt to the changing world?
Supply Chain
Our global supply chain is broken. How do we fix it with our existing resources? How do we avoid problems of the past?
Our companies
Our Team
partner
Nate Cooper
Nate started Barrel Ventures out of a passion to help others fill the gaps in the world. Nate is an operator at heart, having founded L3HG, and Wise Apple.
partner
Carey Cooper
Carey is a serial entrepreneur who has served as the CEO and/or chairman of firms throughout the food & beverage & supply chain industries.
strategic advisor
Joel Warady
Joel Warady most recently served as General Manager, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Enjoy Life Foods, a leading brand in the Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly snack category experiencing 18 consecutive years of growth under his guidance, achieving $100 million in North American consumption in 2019.
advisor
Elliot Wheeler
Elliot is the Chief Investment Officer of Cooper Management, a Chicago based family office. He evaluates a variety of investment opportunities across private equity, public equities, and real estate.
In the News
