WeWork CEO Adam Neumann has been described as an avid surfer, one who has been known to grab his board and go, both in the Hamptons in Long Island, where he reportedly owns a home, as well as in Hawaii.Maybe its no surprise, then, that WeWork is now also investing in a so-called superfood company that was created several years ago by big wave surf star Laird Hamilton, who Neumann was apparently surfing alongside just last week.
In avideo call with Neumann on Monday, a Fast Company reporter noted that Neumann is currently sporting a cast on one of his fingers, having broken it during the outing.How much WeWork is investing in the startup,Laird Superfood, is not being disclosed, but according to the food company, the money will be used tofuel product development, acquisitions and to hire more employees.
Apress release that was published without fanfare earlier today also notes that Laird Superfood products will be made available to WeWork members and employees at select locations soon.Some of those offerings are certainly interesting, including performance mushrooms that it says harnesses the benefits of Chaga, a fungus believed by some to stimulate the immune system; Cordyceps, another fungus thats been used for kidney disorders and erectile dysfunction; and Lions Mane, yet another fungus believed by some to stimulate nerve growth in the brain.The company suggests adding one teaspoon of the mushrooms each day to ones coffee, tea or health shake.Laird Superfood also sells beet- and turmeric-infused powdered coconut waters, ultra-caffeinated coffee and a variety of coffee creamers, including a mint-flavored creamer and a turmeric-flavored number.Its for a very specific consumer, in other words presumably one who really likes turmeric, for example.
Then again, what works for Laird Hamilton will undoubtedly work for a lot of people whove watched his decades-long career with amazement.Hamilton seems to be selling what he actually ingests, too.
As he told The Guardian last spring of his own diet: I love espresso.
You could give me five shots of espresso, a quarter stick of butter, a quarter stick of coconut oil and other fat, and Ill drink that.
I could go for five or six hours and not be hungry, because Im burning fat.Organic food startups have been raising money left and right in recent years, including from traditional food companies, as well as from venture investors, whove poured billions of dollars into healthy snacks and drinks, with mixed results.For WeWorks part, the investment isnt the first that has seemed somewhat far afield for the company.
In one of its more surprising bets to date, WeWork invested in a maker of wave pools in 2016.
The size of that funding was also undisclosed.