The company, which has previously been backed by Unilever Ventures, seeks to expand on October’s successful nationwide rollout into 820 Target retailers.
Speaking to NutraIngredients, cofounder and CEO Hudson Davis-Ross described a combination of product performance, channel strategy and operational discipline as central to the company’s momentum in the competitive vitamins, minerals and supplements market.
Revenue growth driven by product-market fit and channel mix
Plant People has reported strong growth over the past two years, “approximately 117% in gross revenue year-over-year from 2023 to 2024 and is projected to grow another 120% in 2025,” Davis-Ross said.
That momentum comes from a few core drivers, he added, including “strong product–market fit for clean, great-tasting gummies that genuinely work, a loyal customer base that trusts our science-backed formulations and disciplined expansion across the channels where health-conscious consumers already shop.”
The company operates across a mix of direct-to-consumer, e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail, which Davis-Ross said has helped balance growth and profitability.
Plant People’s “diverse channel split” includes Amazon and DTC e-commerce sales as well as Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, The Vitamin Shoppe, REI, Thrive Market, Grove Collaborative, Erewhon and Target retailers.
“We’ve built a profitable, omnichannel business, while maintaining the brand integrity and product quality that’s made us the #1 supplement brand at specialty partners like Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Erewhon,” Davis-Ross said.
Minority investment supports next phase of scale
Plant People announced late last year that Manna Tree had taken a significant minority stake in the business as part of a Series A round. Davis-Ross shared that the decision followed years of organic growth with limited external capital.
“We spent seven years building Plant People profitably with minimal outside capital, proving our model works,” he said. “While we believe we have significant runway without additional funding, we knew the right partner could help us scale smarter and faster.”
According to Davis-Ross, strategic alignment and sector experience were key factors in selecting the investor.
“After speaking with many inbound capital partners, Manna Tree stood out because they share our mission of uplifting consumers through improved health and wellness, and they bring deep operational expertise in scaling health and wellness brands,” he said. “They have a great reputation of being a really strong partner to founders and management teams, which was really important to us.”
He added that the investment will be directed toward growth initiatives rather than structural changes to the business.
“This investment gives us the capital and strategic partnership to accelerate distribution expansion, increase brand awareness and invest in innovation, all while maintaining the operational discipline and values that define who we are,” Davis-Ross said.
Operational support and regulatory readiness
While scaling can introduce challenges across supply chain management, quality systems and regulatory compliance, Davis-Ross said Plant People has not encountered significant constraints to date.
“We’ve never really had any challenges with supply chain, quality assurance or regulatory compliance,” he said. “However, Manna Tree brings proven operational playbooks from scaling notable health and wellness brands and will support our growth as we build resilient supply chains, strengthen quality assurance systems and navigate a complex regulatory landscape.”
The investor’s perspective
From the investor side, Manna Tree managing director Tyler Mayoras told NI that differentiation and consumer trust were key factors behind the decision to invest.
“Plant People has built something truly differentiated in a crowded market,” Mayoras said. “With a consistent growth record, expanding omnichannel presence and great tasting, clean products, we believe they are well positioned to win as consumers shift toward functional wellness and better-for-you solutions to support their everyday lifestyle.”
He said product performance was central to the firm’s evaluation process.
“First and foremost, their taste was far superior to alternatives and their efficacy was backed by real science,” Mayoras said. “Then, we evaluate opportunity by looking for brands with authentic consumer love, strong unit economics, category leadership potential and a shared mission to empower consumers to live better, longer through improved health and wellness.”
Defining success over the next two years
For Plant People, success over the next 12 to 24 months will be measured by growth that does not compromise brand values, such as “clean ingredients, science-backed formulations and effective products people actually enjoy taking,” he said.
The company plans to focus its efforts on “expanding our retail footprint into additional mass and specialty channels, scaling our DTC and Amazon presence and launching innovative new products that address unmet consumer needs,” he added.
“With Manna Tree’s partnership, we have the resources to grow faster and the discipline to grow smarter, ensuring Plant People remains the brand customers trust as we bring functional wellness to more households nationwide.”
Demand trends shape innovation pipeline
Plant People’s current portfolio spans multiple functional wellness categories, with consumer demand spread across several core use cases.
“You hit the nail on the head—all four of those categories are our top performing product categories,” Davis-Ross said, referring to sleep, stress, focus and weight management. “We are super excited about our new zero-sugar hydration gummies, WonderHydrate, which we’ll see play out in coming months.”
Looking ahead, he said the company’s product development plans are guided by validated consumer insights rather than rapid line extensions.
“Our 2026 innovation pipeline is shaped by strong, validated consumer demand across our core categories, supported by both quantitative and qualitative research,” he said. “We’re intentional about timing—our current portfolio has significant runway, and we’re focused on scaling what’s already working while introducing new products that meet a high bar for efficacy, taste and consumer need.”
