Naturally Rising gives natural food startups their shot

What you probably already know: As American consumers increasingly demand healthier food options  — more than half call healthy food “highly important,” according to Pew Research —  entrepreneurs in the natural products sector are preparing to step into the spotlight. The Naturally Network is revving up for its Naturally Rising national pitch competition dedicated to supporting startups in the natural and organic products industry, with 11 chapters across the U.S. hosting their own competitions. Winners get $5,000 and move on to a regional showdown before heading to the national competition at the Newtopia Now conference Aug. 18-20 in Denver. Awards are given for national champion, emerging impact and people’s choice. The program is for brands with less than $2 million in revenue and with a product already in retail distribution, whether online, on retail shelves for at farmers markets.

Why it matters: One company founder — Holly Arbuckle of Maine-based meat snack brand Singing Pastures, the 2025 National Emerging Impact winner — says “the experience opened doors we couldn’t have anticipated. I built meaningful connections and gained insights that continue to help us grow and develop our brand.” You may recognize Singing Pasture (which was founded in 2017) or previous winners, including Lentiful, a plant-based instant meals company; Jasberry, a maker of dark purple, gluten-free organic rice; and Huxley, a fruit-based energy drink company.

What it means: Naturally Rising is produced by the Naturally Network, an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit that seeks to develop and boost the next generation of leaders in the conscious consumer goods industry. The program is grounded in the Naturally Network’s quintuple bottom line of the 5 Ps: passion, purpose, people, planet and prosperity. The competition is all about “innovators who believe in the authenticity of their product, what goes in it, why the quality of the ingredients even matter,” says India Nagy, the head of Naturally Seattle, which is seeking applicants before its March 20 appllcation deadline ahead of its April 22 competition. “The brands we are working with have a vision, and because they’re smaller, they’re able to be adaptive faster.”

What happens next: More than half of American consumers say they seek out organic food, with 89% of Gen Z shoppers saying they recently bought natural or organic products. Three in four shoppers purchased at least one organic or natural product in the past six months prior to a 2025 survey. “Naturally Rising is more than a pitch competition,” says Audarshia Townsend, content director at Informa Markets and a 2024 Naturally Rising judge. “It’s a platform that helps elevate emerging founders and spotlights the next wave of brands shaping the future of natural products.”