Plant-based brand Caulipower is being acquired by private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners.
Caulipower, which makes cauliflower-crust pizzas, cauliflower-coated chicken and other items, will be added to Paine Schwartz’s Urban Farmer brand, a producer of specialty dough products. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Paine Schwartz said it will combine Urban Farmer’s manufacturing capabilities with Caulipower’s nationwide distribution and innovation pipeline. The combination will allow Urban Farmer to access millions of new households with a platform that extends across branded, private label and co-manufactured better-for-you frozen products.
“CAULIPOWER has transformed how people think about comfort food,” Chris Jaromin, CEO of Urban Farmer, said in a statement. “CAULIPOWER’s commitment to making better-for-you foods accessible and delicious aligns perfectly with Urban Farmer’s mission to combine culinary innovation with quality manufacturing. Together, we’ll expand our ability to bring nutritious, craveable foods to more tables across the country.”
Caulipower, which will continue to operate under its brand name, was founded in 2016 by Gail Becker after her two sons couldn’t eat pizza because they had been diagnosed with Celiac disease.
A year later, the company launched its cauliflower crust pizza and within 18 months, it became the top-selling product in its category and the No. 1 selling gluten-free pizza brand in the U.S., according to the company. It has since branched out into frozen breaded chicken, pizza snack products and single-serve entrees.
Caulipower last year tapped former PepsiCo executive Tyler Ricks to lead the company as it committed to “a new phase of growth” following the launch of several new products. At the time, Caulipower estimated it had more than $120 million in annual sales.
Christopher Doering
2025-11-03 22:00:00