In a climate where funding for food startups is waning and weight loss drugs are upending the snack industry1, Rivalz, the fast-growing maker of nutrient-dense foods without compromise, has cracked the code on delivering great taste and nutrition in an everyday snack. Challenging the “sea of sameness” in today’s salty snack category with its fully integrated use of AI, Rivalz is accelerating growth plans after recently landing more than six million dollars in seed funding. The company is poised to further penetrate the market with Rivalz Stuffed Snacks, featuring 8g of plant-based protein, 4g of fiber per serving and only 9 net carbs. To the delight of better-for-you snackers and leaders in the natural, organic, and healthy products industry, the Rivalz lineup will be unveiled March 13–15 at Natural Products Expo West, Booth #N1203, taking place in Anaheim, Calif. Crushing empty calories and those traditional salty snacks you hate to love, Rivalz has arrived with crunchy snacks filled with as much flavor as nutrition.
“We’re thrilled to share our passion for great tasting, affordable nutrition and introduce Rivalz Stuffed Snacks to the Expo West community,” says Rivalz CEO Peter Barrick, a startup CPG veteran. “Drawing inspiration from my time as a Marine Officer in lesser developed countries worldwide where food insecurity was rampant, we have the ability to roll back global pandemics of malnutrition, diabetes and obesity with every Rivalz bag sold. We’re deftly leveraging AI to tackle the hardest problems facing food categories, by making high quality, nutritious snacks that can make a real impact. Importantly, our next-level, nutrient-dense foods allow consumers to live more in the moment while maximizing tomorrow.”
According to Barrick, Rivalz is the first snack company to apply AI to the extruder. The company’s fully integrated AI model has allowed Rivalz to exponentially accelerate product design, leading to a revolutionary breakthrough—high-protein, high-fiber, low carb snacks, which are highly differentiated in the category where cheap carbohydrates and empty calories are pervasive. Rivalz Stuffed Snacks are made from pea and brown rice, and are oven baked rather than fried, enhancing satiety for a satisfying snacking experience. Creating a snack of this caliber also led to achieving Smart Snack compliance—the national nutrition standard for food and beverages sold in schools—in record time. To meet the six related nutrition requirements, it would take traditional food companies a minimum of 36 months. It took Rivalz just six months, illustrating the power of AI when used effectively.
“AI enables us to maintain optimal textures, flavors, and nutrition. The result is a clean-label, better-for-you snack option that is so tasty, you might even think it’s junk food,” adds Barrick.
And unlike most, better-for-you brands designed with earthy tones and imagery that mimic nature, Rivalz Stuffed Snacks stand out with “intentionally bright, bold graphics—to match our indulgent flavor profile and challenger brand mindset,” comments CMO Erica Pattni, a CPG industry veteran.
The savory, new puffed snacks are offered in three craveable, comfort food flavors—Late Night Pizza, Extra Chedda’ Mac and Spicy Street Taco. They are vegan, non-GMO certified, gluten-free, soy-free and low-Glycemic Index, provide a good source of vegetables, and boast lower sodium levels than those conventional, addictive tasting salty snacks.
