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Little Spoon

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Little Spoon
Little Spoon, Inc.
IndustryFood and beverage
Founded2017
Founders
  • Ben Lewis (CEO)
  • Angela Vranich (CPO)
  • Lisa Barnett
  • Michelle Muller
Headquarters
New York City
Websitelittlespoon.com

Little Spoon, Inc. is a company that produces and sells food products for infants, toddlers, and children.[1][2] The New York-based company operates a direct-to-consumer business model and, as of October 2025, distributes products in retail locations nationwide through a partnership with Target.[3][4] Many of its products are USDA Certified Organic and Clean Label Project certified.[5][6] The company is led by co-founders Ben Lewis, who serves as Chief Executive Officer, and Angela Vranich, who serves as Chief Product Officer.[7][8]

History

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Early history (2017–2022)

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Little Spoon was launched in 2017 by Ben Lewis, Angela Vranich, Michelle Muller, and Lisa Barnett.[7][9][10][11][12] Lewis and Vranich worked in the food industry and identified an opportunity in the baby food market.[7][13] Barnett previously worked in venture capital, where she identified an opportunity to modernize the baby food category.[12][14]

Vranich developed the company’s name and led initial product development, branding, and packaging, while Lewis focused on operations, supply chain, growth and fundraising initiatives.[12][14] Barnett, who served as Chief Marketing Officer and President, worked on marketing, branding, fundraising, and growth efforts, while Muller oversaw customer experience functions.[15][16]

The company launched as a direct-to-consumer brand with its first product line, Babyblends, a line of fresh baby food.[17][18] In 2020, it introduced its second product line, Plates, a line of ready-to-heat meals for toddlers and children.[18][19][20]

2023–present

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The company expanded its product offerings to include Biteables, a line of ready-to-eat baby-led weaning meals for toddlers, along with more than 100 products across infant, baby, toddler, and children’s categories.[21] Since its launch, Little Spoon has delivered more than 80 million meals to families in the United States.[4]

In October 2025, Little Spoon launched 23 products across more than 1,800 Target locations in the United States.[3][4] Inc. reported that Target described the rollout as the largest food and beverage launch in its history.[4] As of late 2025, the company employed 109 people, approximately half of whom worked remotely.[8]

Safety and transparency

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In September 2024, Little Spoon adopted safety standards aligned with those of the European Union and established publicly disclosed limits for toxins and contaminants, including heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.[22][23][24] Forbes reported that the company was described as the first U.S. baby food brand to adopt this approach.[25] The company publishes batch-level testing data for certain products on its website.[22][26]

For its infant formula, the company conducts third-party testing for contaminants and safety indicators, including sulfate-reducing clostridia, a spore-forming bacteria associated with food safety risks.[25][26]

Infant formula

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In March 2026, Little Spoon launched an organic infant formula available direct-to-consumer through its website.[25] Alongside the launch, the company introduced Spoon Fed, an educational content platform with contributions from healthcare professionals.[25]

The formula is certified USDA Organic, EU Organic, Clean Label Project Certified, and Certified Pesticide Free.[25] It uses whole milk sourced from organic grass-fed cows in New Zealand and is manufactured in the United States at an FDA registered facility.[26] The formula is produced using whole milk rather than skim milk.[25] The company states that the formula does not use corn syrup, palm oil, maltodextrin, or genetically modified ingredients.[25] It contains prebiotic FOS, nucleotides, DHA, and ARA.[26]

Funding

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In February 2019, Little Spoon secured $7 million in funding led by Vaultier7.[13][27] In December 2020, the company raised $22 million in a round led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from Starbucks and other investors.[28] In July 2021, Little Spoon announced a $44 million Series B funding round led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from Kairos HQ.[29][30][31] In February 2023, the company raised additional funding led by Valor Equity Partners at a valuation of approximately $300 million.[32]

Awards and recognition

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Little Spoon was included in Time's Best Inventions of 2018.[33] It was ranked No. 91 on Inc.'s Fastest Growing Companies list in 2022.[34] It was also named one of Fast Company's Brands That Matter in 2022.[35] The company was listed among Inc.'s Best Workplaces in 2023 and 2025, and was included in Inc.'s Best in Business list in 2025.[34]

References

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  1. ^ Hodgson, Lisa; Rees, Mathieu (2020-12-17). "Little Spoon review: Meal delivery for babies and children". medicalnewstoday.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  2. ^ Sassos, Stefani (2023-04-13). "Is Little Spoon Worth It? We Tested the Kids' Meal Delivery Service". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  3. ^ a b "Little Spoon is coming to a Target near you". www.fastcompany.com. 2025-09-30. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  4. ^ a b c d "Listening to Customers Helped These Founders Land Products in 1,800-Plus Target Locations". Inc.com. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  5. ^ Sassos, Stefani (2023-12-21). "Our Panel of Dietitians, Parents and Babies Named These the Best Organic Baby Food Brands". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  6. ^ "Little Spoon". Clean Label Project. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  7. ^ a b c Barker, Rebecca (2024-02-14). "How Little Spoon's Co-Founders Went From High School Sweethearts to Business Partners". Inc. Archived from the original on 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  8. ^ a b Picard, Lia; Nguyen, Anh (2025-12-20). "How the Head of a Baby Food Company Spends a Day Taste-Testing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  9. ^ Petit, Zachary (2023-09-25). "Little Spoon redesigned Lunchables for a new generation of kids (and their picky parents)". Fast Company. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  10. ^ Murphy, Aislinn (2023-03-13). "Little Spoon CEO says company 'dodged a bullet, discusses what SVB collapse could mean for startups". FOXBusiness. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  11. ^ Dan Bova (2024-04-17). "After Noticing That Dogs Had Better Fresh Food Options Than Babies, This Couple Started a Business. Now They're Running the Fastest-Growing Kids Meal Delivery Company in America". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  12. ^ a b c Ioannou, Lori (2017-11-16). "A fund launches to disrupt Silicon Valley and back moonshots for social good". CNBC. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  13. ^ a b Clark, Kate (2019-02-05). "Little Spoon gets $7M for its organic baby food delivery service". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  14. ^ a b Butkovic, Marija. "This Female-Led FoodTech Company Is Disrupting Nutrition Solutions For Babies And Children, Offering A Unique Community Platform To Support Parents Globally". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
  15. ^ "The Secret to a Superb Customer Service Team? Hiring Actual Customers". Inc.com. Archived from the original on 2025-06-18. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
  16. ^ "Little Spoons, Big Success: How Her Small Business Broke Into the Baby Food Industry". www.uschamber.com. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  17. ^ "Little Spoon set to disrupt the baby food category". Packaging World. 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  18. ^ a b Watson, Elaine (2019-02-15). "The future of baby food is fresh, says Little Spoon: 'We believe your baby's food should never be older than your baby'". foodnavigator-usa.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  19. ^ Carr, Elizabeth (2023-12-22). "Meal Delivery Services for Families to Make 2024 a Little Easier". Tinybeans. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  20. ^ "We Tried 7 Meal-Delivery Services for Kids on the Pickiest Little Eaters We Know". nymag.com. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  21. ^ Lane, Anna (2021-03-18). "Little Spoon delivers pre-made kids' meals—are they any good?". Reviewed. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  22. ^ a b Miska Salemann,"Little Spoon is first US baby food brand to adopt EU-aligned safety standards". nypost.com. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  23. ^ Bailee Henderson,"Baby Food Company First in U.S. to Set EU-Aligned Safety Standards, Share Test Results for Contaminants". food-safety.com. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Little Spoon Campaigns For Stricter Baby Food Regulations in US". cheddar.com/. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g Watman, Andrew (Mar 17, 2026). "Little Spoon Debuts Organic Infant Formula, Creating A One-Stop Trusted Food Shop For Parents Starting At Birth". Forbes. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  26. ^ a b c d Ataman, Deniz (2026-03-26). "New infant formula debuts with elevated testing as safety concerns shake category". FoodNavigator-USA.com. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  27. ^ Watson, Elaine (2019-02-05). "Direct to consumer babyfood brand Little Spoon raises $7m". foodnavigator-usa.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  28. ^ Upshall, Emma (2020-12-21). "Organic baby food start-up Little Spoon secures $22m in financing". FoodBev Media. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  29. ^ Driebusch, Corrie (2021-07-20). "WSJ News Exclusive | Baby-Food Maker Little Spoon Raises $44 Million". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-03-01.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  30. ^ Upshall, Emma (2021-07-23). "Little Spoon raises $44m in financing to grow baby food delivery service". FoodBev Media. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  31. ^ Hall, Christine (2021-07-20). "Little Spoon scoops up $44M to grow its children's nutrition delivery service". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  32. ^ Driebusch, Corrie (2023-02-08). "Little Spoon Raises New Funding at Roughly $300M Valuation". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-03-01.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  33. ^ "Baby Food On Demand: Honorable Mention on Best Inventions of 2018". Time. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  34. ^ a b "Little Spoon". inc.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  35. ^ Beer, Jeff (2022-10-25). "These 19 brands are helping people sharpen their minds, look good, and improve their health". Fast Company. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
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