Snack-maker launches crowdfunding campaign

BOULDER – Miri Organics Inc., doing business as Wholly Bites, has launched an IndieGogo crowdfunding campaign as the year-old Paleo-focused snack-maker tries to move forward with a variety of initiatives.

The Boulder-based company has set a fundraising goal of $15,000 by mid-August. But that’s really just the start. Wholly Bites co-founder and chief executive Lisa Turner said Tuesday that the boot-strapped company likely would look at bringing in its first round of investors sometime in the fall.

Wholly Bites makes a line of Paleo clusters, a granolalike snack without the grain or any other processed ingredients. In addition to adding new snacks and ramping up packaging and production, the company is working to achieve organic and non-GMO certifications by next year. The funding will also help the company source a steady supply of organic ingredients.

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In addition, Turner said she’s planning to provide other offerings that support healthy lifestyle choices, including classes, online videos and cookbooks.

“These things we’re doing are all part of a bigger vision,” Turner said.

Turner, who helped co-found Boulder Soup Works, co-founded Wholly Bites last year with friends focusing on producing healthy snacks. She bought out most of the ownership interest earlier this year, and became CEO.

The company’s main focus is being Paleolithic diet-friendly, meaning it’s geared toward pre-agricultural foods such as meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Wholly Bites also steers away from meat, making all of its snacks vegetarian. Grains and gluten are out. And no sugar or agave is added, with honey and dried fruit used for sweetener.

“The goal of the product was to make it out of just whole foods,” Turner said.

Wholly Bites, which has a central Boulder home office, moved its manufacturing to Longmont in May to a co-op kitchen that is shared with other local companies like Bhakti Chai and Olomomo Nut Co.

Turner declined to disclose revenue or startup costs of the company, but said Wholly Bites’ employee count of seven will grow as the year goes on.

The company’s snacks are sold locally at Alfalfa’s Market and Lucky’s Market, as well as the Pearl Street and Baseline Whole Foods locations. Turner said the company will work toward getting into Denver-area Whole Foods locations in the fall.

“Paleo is a huge part of our focus, but we also really want to supply food for people who are gluten-free and grain-free and anyone who wants an enjoyable snack,” Turner said.