LOS ANGELES — On Dec. 13, The Urgent Company, the consumer brands subsidiary of Perfect Day, announced the acquisition of Coolhaus, the leading women-owned ice cream brand in the grocery store, and a pioneer in dessert innovation and novelties. Coolhaus joins The Urgent Company's family of brands, including Brave Robot, Modern Kitchen and California Performance Co., in a move that expands its product portfolio, deepens its commitment to a better food system, and cements its growing leadership in the dairy aisle.
Coolhaus and The Urgent Company's teams came together out of a shared passion for a more sustainable, equitable food future and are committed to using this acquisition as an opportunity to amplify their missions in this exciting next chapter for both companies.
Coolhaus exists to be the household ice cream brand of the future and inspire the next generation of diverse creators. Since 2009, Coolhaus has disrupted frozen dairy with innovative novelties, bringing its social mission to the forefront of its delicious products. One core tenet of its work toward this mission is creating ice cream for positive change--specifically to empower entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds -- including its flavors that give back. As Coolhaus joins The Urgent Company, merging resources and structure, this social impact will expand. Coolhaus is sold in more than 6,000 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Thrive Market, Walmart, Sprouts, Kroger, and National Co-op Grocers.
The Urgent Company exists to make more sustainable products without compromise. The Urgent Company and Coolhaus teams will make that environmental mission even bigger as they plan to transition Coolhaus traditional dairy products to use Perfect Day animal-free dairy in the months ahead. Perfect Day animal-free whey protein generates up to 97% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional dairy protein.
"Bringing together our social and climate missions is deeply personal. We know the work we do now will determine if our children can continue to enjoy the food we eat and the planet we inhabit for years to come," said Paul Kollesoff, general manager and co-founder of The Urgent Company. "We're inspired by what Natasha, Ryan, and the Coolhaus team have accomplished so far and are thrilled to welcome them to The Urgent Company and build this next chapter together."
"We created Coolhaus to make better products for everybody. Our ability to lead with purpose and move the dial for consumers becomes even stronger by joining The Urgent Company," said Natasha Case, founder of Coolhaus. "For us, this is about the long game. The integration of Perfect Day protein into our line of beloved dairy ice cream and novelties is going to elevate our product into the next generation of foods making a difference for our families and our planet."
As part of the acquisition, the Coolhaus team will join The Urgent Company, deepening the company's commitment to and perspective on inclusivity in the food industry with its incredible women-led and founded and LGTBQIA+ pride values. Natasha Case will join The Urgent Company as its new President of Brand Experience, bringing her passion, strategic thinking, and unparalleled leadership to this next chapter of how The Urgent Company brings brands and impact to the world. Ryan Bennett will also join as Senior Vice President of Operations and Integration, bringing important expertise to how the companies work together efficiently for greatest impact.
The Urgent Company acquired Coolhaus from Sunrise Strategic Partners, a Boulder, CO-based accelerator of emerging brands and other shareholders. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Raymond James acted as financial advisor to Coolhaus on the deal.
The Urgent Company's first brand, Brave Robot ice cream, debuted in 2020 and was met with immediate demand. Now offered in more than 5,000 grocery stores in the U.S. and with one million pints sold, Brave Robot has quickly become the number one growth driver in the plant-based ice cream category (Source: IRI Total US Food - 12W). The company's other brands, Modern Kitchen and California Performance Co., both launched in fall 2021. The Urgent Company plans to launch an exclusive animal-free dairy CoolHaus x Brave Robot co-branded novelty with a key national retail partner in 2022.
